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| What Vedanta
Is |
| Vedanta is a philosophy taught by the
Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of India. Its basic
teaching is that our real nature is divine. God, or
Brahman as it is called, exists in every living being.
Religion is therefore a search for self-knowledge,
a search for the divine within ourselves. We should
not think of ourselves as needing to be "saved."
We are never lost. At worst, we are living in ignorance
of our true nature.
Vedanta acknowledges that there are many different
approaches to God, and all are valid. Any kind of spiritual
practice will lead to the same state of self-realization.
Thus Vedanta teaches respect for all religions.
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| The Main
Ideas of Vedanta |
Following are some of the main
tenets of Vedanta:
- God is one without a second, absolute and indivisible.
Though impersonal, beyond name and form, God assumes
various personal forms to reveal itself to us. God
is our soul. We are primarily consciousness, part
of the cosmic consciousness.
- All of the incarnations (manifestations of God on
Earth) are actual embodiments of Divinity. No one
incarnation can be regarded as the only manifestation
of that Divinity.
- There is no accident in the cosmic universe. Human
destiny is governed by the law of cause and effect.
- We are born on earth repeatedly to finish the unfinished
work of realizing our divinity. Although we suffer
because of actions, we can control ourselves and hence
our destiny.
- There is a higher state of consciousness which can
be achieved in this human birth.
- There are many ways to achieve union with God, through
the intellect, emotions, actions, and the will. A
specific path or a combination should be followed
to realize the aim and objectives of life.
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| Vedanta stresses the idea of
self effort. It encourages every individual to realize
God within by the practice of certain methods, called
Yogas, which channel the tendencies we already possess
and lead us to God. The ideal is to practice a harmonious
balance of these four yogas:
Bhakti Yoga
This is the cultivation of a devotional relationship
with God through prayer, ritual and worship. In this
practice, the human emotions are give a "Godward
turn." Their energy is used in search for God within.
Jnana Yoga
This Yoga is the approach to God through discrimination
and reason. The goal is freedom. All of our miseries
in life are caused by seeing difference, and so the
jnana yogi tries to break through this delusion by seeing
God everywhere.
Karma Yoga
The path to God through selfless service to others is
Karma Yoga. By working in this spirit, the God within
each person is worshipped.
Raja Yoga
This is sometimes called the yoga of meditation. It
is the soul of all the yogas. The emphasis here is on
attuning the mind to God and truth through concentration
and mediation.
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| Right and Wrong Conduct |
| All ethics are merely a means to the
end of finding God within ourselves. "Right"
action is action which brings us nearer to the knowledge
of God. "Wrong" action leads us away from
that knowledge. Our ideas of "good" and "evil"
are, therefore, only relative values and must not be
used as an absolute standard by which we judge others.
Each of us has an individual problem and an individual
path of development. But the goal is the same for all.
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| Brief History |
 Throughout
the centuries, India has produced many great saints and
illumined teachers. One of the greatest of these was Sri
Ramakrishna (1836-1886). His intense spirituality
attracted a group of young disciples who, on his passing,
formed a monastic community, later to be called the Ramakrishna
Order of India.
One of the young monks, Swami
Vivekananda (1863-1902), came to  America
as the representative of Hinduism at the World's Parliament
of religions held in Chicago in 1893. His success was
so great that he was invited to remain. For three years
he toured the United States lecturing and holding classes.
With the help of some of his brother monks, a number
of Vedanta centers were started in America.
There are 13 Vedanta Societies in the United States
and 125 Centers in the world managed by the Ramakrishna
Order. Over 1,000 more centers bear the names of Ramakrishna
and Vivekananda.
Reprinted, with permission, from "What
is Vedanta" by Vedanta Society of Southern California,
copyright 1978
For a list of Vedanta Centers
in the West, click here.
Go to:
Quotes from
Ramakrishna
Quotes from
Vivekananda
The
Social Thought of Swami Vivekananda
Library
of Articles
Visit the Vedanta
Society of Southern California site.
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