Recorded at the Vedanta Society of Western Washington on April 20, 2014.

In this Easter talk, Swami Bhaskarananda presents a Vedantic interpretation of the resurrection of Jesus, affirming him as a divine incarnation whose life and message restored spirituality during a time of decline. He explains that divine incarnations appear when righteousness weakens, manifesting extraordinary unselfishness and spiritual power. Drawing parallels with figures such as Sri Krishna, Buddha, and Sri Ramakrishna, he emphasizes that the hallmark of true divinity is complete self-sacrifice and compassion. He also recounts the crucifixion and resurrection narratives from the Gospels, noting their variations while affirming their shared testimony that Jesus was not bound by death.

From a yogic perspective, Swami Bhaskarananda interprets the resurrection as an instance of the highest spiritual absorption, or samadhi, in which bodily functions may cease and later resume. He explains that only rare souls—divine incarnations—can enter and return from such a state. The talk broadens into a reflection on heaven, spiritual planes of existence, and the ultimate Vedantic teaching that the same divine consciousness dwells in all beings. Easter, he concludes, symbolizes not merely a historical event but the triumph of divine consciousness over limitation, calling each person to manifest the divinity within.