Vedanta is the philosophy of the Vedas, the most ancient scriptures of India. Its basic teaching is that your real nature is divine. That Divine Manifestation is the underlying reality, present in every being.
“Where can we go to find God if we cannot see Him in our own hearts and in every living being.”
— Swami Vivekananda
From that viewpoint, all religions become a deliberate quest for self-k
nowledge, a search for the Divine Presence within yourself. You do not need to be “saved” — you were never lost. At worst, you have been living in ignorance of your true original nature.
“Find God. That is the only purpose in life.”
— Sri Ramakrishna
There are different approaches to this quest. According to a hymn from the Gospel of Hinduism, Bhagavad Gita (Song of God):
“As the different streams,
Having their sources in different places
All mingle their waters in the sea,
So O Lord, the different paths which men take
Through various tendencies,
Various though they may appear
Crooked or straight, all lead to Thee.”
— from Bhagavad Gita
Vedanta therefore teaches respect and reverence for, and acceptance of, all religions. This universal Spirit is one without a second, absolute and indivisible. Though impersonal, beyond name and form, Brahman assumes various personal forms, both male and female, to reveal Divine Presence to us. All the Incarnations — manifestations of God on Earth such as Jesus Christ, Sri Krishna, and Bhagavan Rama — are actually embodiments of Divinity. No one Incarnation can be regarded as the only manifestation of that Divinity. We teach four ancient paths to realization of your divine nature
Four ancient paths to self-realization
Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Vedanta stresses the idea of self-effort. It encourages you to realize the Divine within by the practice of four methods called Yogas. These yogas gather and channel the strengths and capabilities you already possess and lead you to God or Truth. The ideal is to practice a harmonious balance of the four yogas:
Bhakti Yoga. A bhakti yogi (bhakta) has a devotional relationship with God. This is developed over time by study, prayer, ritual, and worship. As a bhakta, you practice giving every action, thought, emotion, perception and tendency “a Godward turn.” Everything you are, both positive and negative, is offered to the Divine Presence. Your prayer is for the carefree self-surrender of a child in its Mother or Father’s arms and, ultimately, union with your Belovéd. Jnana Yoga (advaita vedanta). As a jnana yogi, you practice discrimination, reason, detachment, and satyagraha (insistence on Truth). The goal is freedom from limitation (moksha). Our teachers say that all miseries in life are caused by seeing inaccurately. An earnest and persistent jnani may break through this misapprehension (Maya) and see only the Divine Presence everywhere, in everything and everyone. Karma Yoga is a spiritual path leading to the abandonment of selfishness. As a karma yogi, you practice offering your actions and their results, as well as your perceptions, thoughts, and feelings to the Divine Presence. Even before fully knowing this Presence, you hold firmly to the belief that the Presence is within each person or other living being that you interact with or serve. Working and abiding in this spirit, you are increasingly able to release attachment to your activities and their results. This yields the freedom and contentment promised by Karma Yoga.
“Even a little practice of this yoga will save you from the terrible wheel of rebirth and death …” — Sri Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 2. Raja Yoga is often called the yoga of meditation. As a raja yogi, you use ancient, proven spiritual techniques to quiet your mind and gain control of your attention. Regular daily practice of Raja Yoga increases your ability to concentrate, and may lead to meditation. This can unite you with the Divine Presence, the source of your being, and liberate you from the cycle of rebirth and death. Raja yogis call this state of liberation kaivalya — independence.
