Vivekananda on the Vedas (part 122)

[Guest guest]

Parts 1 to 121 were posted earlier. This is part 122. Your comments are welcome... Vivekananda Centre London

Earlier postings can be seen at http://www.vivekananda.btinternet.co.uk/veda.htm

 

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA ON THE VEDAS AND UPANISHADS

By Sister Gayatriprana

part 122

 

In what is being written and taught in the West about the religious thought of India, one school of Indian thought is principally represented - that which is called Advaitism, the monistic [non-dual] side of Indian religion; and sometimes it is thought that all the teachings of the Vedas are comprised in that one system of philosophy. There are, however, various phases of Indian thought; and, perhaps, this non-dualistic form is in the minority as compared with the other phases. From the most ancient times there have been various sects of thought in India; and, as there never was a formulated or recognized church or any body of men to designate the doctrines which should be believed in by each school, people were very free to choose their own forms, make their own philosophy and establish their own sects. We, therefore, find that from the most ancient times India was full of religious sects. At the present time, I do not know how many hundreds of sects we have in India; and several fresh ones are coming into existence every year. It seems that the religious activity of the nation is simply inexhaustible.(18)

Unfortunately there is the mistaken notion in modern India [also] that the word Vedanta has reference only to the Advaita system; but you must always remember that in modern India the three prasthanas are considered equally important in the study of all the systems of religion.(19)

The word Vedanta, however, must cover the whole ground of Indian religious life; and, being part of the Vedas, by all acceptance it is the most ancient literature we have.(20)

Cross reference to:

Brih. Up., 1.4.10a

3. The Three Vedantic Schools Are All Equally Important and Do Not Contradict Each Other, But Fulfill

It would be wrong to confine the word Vedanta to only one system which has arisen out of the Upanishads. The Vishishtadvaitist has as much right to be called a Vedantist as the Advaitist; in fact, I will go a little further and say that what we really mean by the word Hindu is really the same as the Vedantist.(21)

This is what I mean by Vedanta, that it covers the ground of dualism, of qualified monism, and Advaitism in India. Perhaps we may even take in parts of Buddhism and of Jainism, too - if they would come in - for our hearts are sufficiently large. But it is they that will not come in. We are ready - for, upon severe analysis you will always find that the essence of Buddhism was all borrowed from the same Upanishads; even the ethics, the so-called great and wonderful ethics of Buddhism were there, word for word, in some one or other of the Upanishads; and so, too, all the good doctrines of the Jains were there, minus their vagaries. In the Upanishads also we find the germs of all subsequent development of Indian religious thought.(22)