What Kind of Religion is Vedanta?

“Religion is neither talk, not theory, nor intellectual consent. It is realization in the heart of our hearts. It is touching God. It is feeling, realizing that I am a spirit, a soul, in relation to the Universal Spirit and all Its great manifestations.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/b...ion-is-vedanta

I'm posting in this forum instead of the Hinduism forum because I'm somewhat of a rebel and don't subscribe to all the tenants of any religion, though I can see some truth in all religions and the fact their ultimate goal is one in the same. So I consider myself spiritual, not religious and to me this forum feels like the right place.

It's very recently I stumbled across Advaita Vedanta and it was "Holy smokes, this is so much in line with my personal impression of spirituality!" and I wanted to share.

If asked prior to this who would I like to sit down with and have a chat my first two choices would have been Jesus and the Buddha. Now I have to add Swami Vivekananda.

[Jyotir]

You can "sit down and chat" with Vivekananda.
Just read his, "The Yogas".

Also suggest taking a look at "The Gospel of Ramakrishna" (his guru), who told Vivekananda: "He who is Rama and he who is Krishna, in one form is Ramakrishna".

Vivekananda once said about him that, "from a grain of sand Ramakrishna could create a thousands of Vivekanandas"

~ J

Originally Posted by Jyotir

You can "sit down and chat" with Vivekananda.
Just read his, "The Yogas".

Also suggest taking a look at "The Gospel of Ramakrishna" (his guru), who told Vivekananda: "He who is Rama and he who is Krishna, in one form is Ramakrishna".

Vivekananda once said about him that, "from a grain of sand Ramakrishna could create a thousands of Vivekanandas"

~ J

Thanks for the suggestions! I've been listening to YouTube lectures by Swami Sarvapriyananda and find him engaging and in a way that, for me at least, easily conveys the message. Plus he has a good sense of humor to boot. Being in Upstate NY I'm entertaining the idea of hopping an Amtrak out of Albany and attending one of his talks on the West Side of NYC.

I also ordered "The Ten Principal Upanishads" translated by Shree Purohit Swami & W.B. Yeats and received it the other day. I keep it handy while listening to his talks so I can directly reference the material he's addressing.

Just placed an Amazon order for:

Vivekananda: The Yogas and Other Works reveals the many facets of a spiritual giant of our times. It will serve as a guide for all spiritual seekers in their search for the Highest Good. This handsome edition includes the unabridged texts of Swami Vivekananda's' Jnana-Yoga, Raja-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, and Inspired Talks, together with additional lectures, poems, and letters. A biography of Vivekananda (179 pages) written by Swami Nikhilananda forms the introductory chapter. A glossary and an index are included along with 43 photographs.

Thanks Jyotir for pointing me in this direction!

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

It's very recently I stumbled across Advaita Vedanta and it was "Holy smokes, this is so much in line with my personal impression of spirituality!" and I wanted to share.

If you resonate with Advaita Vedanta then you might want to also check out Ramana Maharshi. The books of David Godman are a good place to start.

Peace

Originally Posted by iamthat

If you resonate with Advaita Vedanta then you might want to also check out Ramana Maharshi. The books of David Godman are a good place to start.

Peace

Thanks! I'll add that to my list.

[Miss Hepburn]

Um, why couldn't you talk with Vivekananda?
(Is it becoming obvious I don't care for limitations!?)

Come out from behind the curtain of limitations!

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Um, why couldn't you talk with Vivekananda?
(Is it becoming obvious I don't care for limitations!?)

Come out from behind the curtain of limitations!

Maybe that was the Swami giving me 'messages' while in deep meditation and then again way up north of Saranac? A proverbial kick in the butt to get out from behind the curtains? I'd have to say if it was, Mission Accomplished. LOL!

[Shivani Devi]

If you are interested in Advaita Vedanta, may I humbly recommend the Arsha Bodha Centre:

https://www.arshabodha.org/teachers.html

Although I enjoy watching and listening to Swami Sarvapriyananda, I much prefer the offerings of Swami Tadatmananda, because his elocution of the English language is simply superb and he is very relaxing to listen to.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uSC_OoIl7hQ

In a way, I am an Advaitin, in another way, I am devoted to God, so I am trying to seek a balance there...so I cannot truly classify myself as a staunch Non-Dualist because if "I Am" then "Everything IS" to the point where "I" no longer exists because I see the "I" as a point of reference only.

What observes the observer? Does the world still exist when I close my eyes to go to sleep? It must obviously do so, because it is still there when I wake up. Advaita Vedanta just kept posing more questions than answers for me, so I quickly realized that it wasn't "my thing"... even though I can expound Non Duality like a reincarnation of Shankaracharya.

Is Advaita Vedanta a religion? I would posit that Advaita Vedanta isn't anything at all...it just IS.

In the material sense, it is a branch of Hinduism but it doesn't represent Hinduism in totality...nothing about Hinduism can really do that anyway.

Brahman is/was there before and after the Swamis Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharishi, Nisargadatta Maharaj (my favourite), and they did not "make" Brahman nor invent it, so there is really nothing "special" about such people.

Who would I hang out with if I could? Probably Abhinavagupta:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhinavagupta

Maybe Rishi Markandeya...maybe Lakulisha..

There really isn't anyone born in the past 500 years that I would like to hang with....I think I would get bored with Ramana Maharishi or 'The Nis' after a week or two. LOL

If Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Shaivite...now THAT would have been very interesting...but I digress.

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

If you are interested in Advaita Vedanta, may I humbly recommend the Arsha Bodha Centre:

https://www.arshabodha.org/teachers.html

Although I enjoy watching and listening to Swami Sarvapriyananda, I much prefer the offerings of Swami Tadatmananda, because his elocution of the English language is simply superb and he is very relaxing to listen to.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uSC_OoIl7hQ

Thank you!

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

In a way, I am an Advaitin, in another way, I am devoted to God, so I am trying to seek a balance there...so I cannot truly classify myself as a staunch Non-Dualist because if "I Am" then "Everything IS" to the point where "I" no longer exists because I see the "I" as a point of reference only.

I can't wrap my mind around it intellectually. Can anyone? But if I close my eyes and quietly say "I" to myself only one thing comes to mind - Awareness. When interacting with others I can sense in a sort of empathetic way the same awareness within them and it's really quite stirring. I'll use a term I think I saw in one of your posts in another thread. It's "heart knowledge" and visceral at that. As far as devotion to a personal God, wouldn't that be Bhakti Yoga, or am I misunderstanding? Also couldn't it take the form as devotion to God through devotion to all of creation as sacred?

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

What observes the observer? Does the world still exist when I close my eyes to go to sleep? It must obviously do so, because it is still there when I wake up. Advaita Vedanta just kept posing more questions than answers for me, so I quickly realized that it wasn't "my thing"... even though I can expound Non Duality like a reincarnation of Shankaracharya.

In some way and through some shape or form am "I" not always observing the subjective? Also since Advaita Vedanta emphasizes a strong path of knowledge and intellectual inquiry I feel your questioning is a necessary aspect of seeking. In retrospect I think that is what I was doing over the past decade while obsessively digging into consciousness, and especially once I found the SAND talks on YouTube. Finding Advaita Vedanta was the icing on the cake, so to speak.

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

Is Advaita Vedanta a religion? I would posit that Advaita Vedanta isn't anything at all...it just IS.

I think that's what I like about it? Truth be told the small "I" that is me is too much of a free spirit to acquiesce in the strictest sense. See the Bruce Lee quote in my sig. At times it's been a liability but also a great strength. Another duality. LOL!

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

Brahman is/was there before and after the Swamis Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharishi, Nisargadatta Maharaj (my favourite), and they did not "make" Brahman or invent it, so there is really nothing "special" about such people.

Absolutely! Long before I found Advaita Vedanta and even before I become obsessed with consciousness I had the same basic idea, though very loosely formulated in my mind. They way I pictured it was The Source had little tendrils of itself infusing all of reality as we know it so everything was in fact Divine. It just 'felt' right. Again, 'heart knowledge'.

Originally Posted by Shivani Devi

Who would I hang out with if I could? Probably Abhinavagupta:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhinavagupta

Maybe Rishi Markandeya...maybe Lakulisha..

There really isn't anyone born in the past 500 years that I would like to hang with....I think I would get bored with Ramana Maharishi or 'The Nis' after a week or two. LOL

If Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was a Shaivite...now THAT would have been very interesting...but I digress.

The thing for me about Vivekananda and on a personal level is he pretty much single-handedly spread the philosophy to the U.S., and with such passion and devotion it literally killed him.



You know what I really like about this forum? The diverse and insightful replies and not only to my posts, and especially those that might not agree with my perspective. Therein lies unexplored possibilities and opportunities.