God, or Brahman as it is called, exists in every living being.

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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.

 

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.

 

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 meditation.

 

" What is Vedanta "

Vedanta Society of Southern California