Vedanta: Heart of Hinduism

by Hans Torwesten

Vedanta is the most encompassing and open of the six orthodox systems of Hinduism and is considered the quintessence of Eastern thought and mysticism. An important part of modern intellectual Hinduism, Vedanta is often regarded as a truly universal religion and had many adherents in the West.

At the center of Vedanta lie the texts of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Beginning with the premise that man is a divine being whose greatest source of strength is his intuition, Vedanta seeks not merely the accumulation of knowledge, but rather the annihilation of all knowledge. Its goal is an unclouded inner world that will allow us to exist untroubled by the complexity of the outside world.

For those interested in the concise and intelligent overview, as well as those who seek a better understanding of what is at the heart of Hinduism, Vedanta is a unique and thought-provoking guide.

Genres: Hinduism

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 1992

Reviews

[Kristian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best, sharpest, most incisive intro to Vedanta I’ve yet encountered, written for the thoughtful western reader. Not overly dense with academic jargon or Sanskrit terminology like other intros, but neither is it simplistic self-help slop.

[Adrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book on Hinduism so much so that I surely will read it again. It begins with the Vedas naturally continues very beautifully to the Upanishads, then goes to different forms of Bhakti, but the whole essence is to further into Vedanta, Avaita Vedanta. It was translated from German is a very nonsectarian book(those are the ones I read). A must read for Vedanta lovers into Ramakrishna and open to all religions.