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Practical Vedanta
A collection of talks by Swami Vivekananda on the aspects of Vedanta that are for the Westerner both practical and applicable to us in our daily lives. Religion must be rational and reasonable.
The ideal of faith in ourselves is of the greatest help. If this faith had been more extensively taught and practiced, I am sure a very large portion of the evils and miseries that we have would have vanished. Throughout history, if any motive power has been more potent than another in the lives of great men and women, it is that of faith in themselves.
The ideal of faith in ourselves is of the greatest help. If this faith had been more extensively taught and practiced, I am sure a very large portion of the evils and miseries that we have would have vanished. Throughout history, if any motive power has been more potent than another in the lives of great men and women, it is that of faith in themselves.
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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Vivekananda
1,650 books1,582 followers"Arise Awake and Stop not til the goal is reached"
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical works (see Vivekananda's complete works). His books (compiled from lectures given around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga) are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga. His letters are of great literary and spiritual value. He was also considered a very good singer and a poet.By the time of his death, He had composed many songs including his favorite Kali the Mother. He used humor for his teachings and was also an excellent cook. His language is very free flowing. His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact that he believed that words - spoken or written - should be for making things easier to understand rather than show off the speaker or writer's knowledge.
Swami Vivekananda [ স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ ] (1863 – 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.
Born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
Vivekananda left a body of philosophical works (see Vivekananda's complete works). His books (compiled from lectures given around the world) on the four Yogas (Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga) are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga. His letters are of great literary and spiritual value. He was also considered a very good singer and a poet.By the time of his death, He had composed many songs including his favorite Kali the Mother. He used humor for his teachings and was also an excellent cook. His language is very free flowing. His own Bengali writings stand testimony to the fact that he believed that words - spoken or written - should be for making things easier to understand rather than show off the speaker or writer's knowledge.
Swami Vivekananda [ স্বামী বিবেকানন্দ ] (1863 – 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion.
Born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Kolkata, West Bengal, India)
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 19, 2021
I am so so thankful that Vivekananda brought the East to the West.
Some quotes I found interesting:
Calmness.
"The less passion there is, the better we work. The calmer we are, the better for us, and the more the amount of work we can do. When we let loose our feelings, we waste so much energy, shatter our nerves, disturb our minds, and accomplish very little work."
Feeling.
"Do you feel? - that is the question. If you do, you will see the Lord: It is the feeling that you have today that will be intensified, deified, raised to the highest platform, until it feels everything, the oneness in everything, till it feels God in itself and in others. The intellect can never do that. [...] Intellect is necessary, for without it we fall into crude errors and make all sorts of mistakes. Intellect checks these; but beyond that, do not try to build anything upon it. It is an inactive, secondary help; the real help is feeling, love."
One Absolute, many points of view.
"... what else is the universe but various readings of the Absolute? It Is like a book before us, and each one has to read it for himself. There is something which is common in the intellect of all men; therefore certain things appear to be the same to the intellect of mankind. That you and I see a chair proves that there is something common to both our minds. Suppose a being comes with another sense, he will not see the chair at all; but all beings similarly constituted will see the same things. Thus this universe itself is the Absolute, the unchangeable, the noumenon; and the phenomenon constitutes the reading thereof."
The changeless appearing as change - stillness in motion.
"The position of the Advaitist is that it is true that we cannot think of the substance as separate from the qualities, we cannot think of change and not-change at the same time; it would be impossible. But the very thing which is the substance is the quality; substance and quality are not two things. It is the unchangeable that is appearing as the changeable."
Step by step, start where you are: growth, from partial to whole.
"One of the remarkable features of the Advaitist system of Vedanta is to harmonise the preceding systems. In many cases it helped the philosophy very much; in some cases it hurt it. Our ancient philosophers knew what you call the theory of evolution; that growth is gradual, step by step, and the recognition of this led them to harmonise all the preceding systems. Thus not one of these preceding ideas was rejected. The fault of the Buddhistic faith was that it had neither the faculty nor the perception of this continual, expansive growth, and for this reason it never even made the attempt to harmonise itself with the pre-existing steps toward the ideal. They were rejected as useless and harmful. This tendency in religion is most harmful. A man gets a new and better idea, and then he looks back on those he has given up, and forthwith decides that they were mischievous and unnecessary. He never thinks that, however crude they may appear from his present point of view, they were very useful to him, that they were necessary for him to reach his present state, and that everyone of us has to grow in a similar fashion, living first on crude ideas, taking benefit from then, and then arriving at a higher standard. With the oldest theories, therefore, Advaita is friendly. Dualism and all systems that had preceded it are accepted by the Advaita not in a patronising way, but with the conviction that they are true manifestations of the same truth, and that they all lead to the same conclusions as the Advaita has reached. With blessing, and not with cursing, should be preserved all these various steps through which humanity has to pass. [...] For with the recognition of growth in the Advaitist system, these theories are given their proper place, by admitting that they represent only a partial view of the Truth."
Life manifests my potentiality.
"One theory that is held in common in India by the crudest dualists as well as by the most advanced non-dualists is that all the possibilities and powers of the soul are within it, and do not come from any external source. They are in the soul in potential form, and the whole work of life is simply directed towards manifesting these potentialities."
The only power is Love.
"... throughout creation these two forces are working side by side; where you find the one, you find the other too. The one is selfishness, the other is unselfishness. The one is acquisition, the other is renunciation. The one takes, the other gives. [...] Can any man deny that love, this 'not I', this renunciation is the only positive power in the universe? That other is only the misguided employment of the power of love; the power of love brings competition, the real genesis of competition is in love. The real genesis of evil is in unselfishness. The creator of evil is good, and the end is also good. It is only misdirection of the power of good."
Some quotes I found interesting:
Calmness.
"The less passion there is, the better we work. The calmer we are, the better for us, and the more the amount of work we can do. When we let loose our feelings, we waste so much energy, shatter our nerves, disturb our minds, and accomplish very little work."
Feeling.
"Do you feel? - that is the question. If you do, you will see the Lord: It is the feeling that you have today that will be intensified, deified, raised to the highest platform, until it feels everything, the oneness in everything, till it feels God in itself and in others. The intellect can never do that. [...] Intellect is necessary, for without it we fall into crude errors and make all sorts of mistakes. Intellect checks these; but beyond that, do not try to build anything upon it. It is an inactive, secondary help; the real help is feeling, love."
One Absolute, many points of view.
"... what else is the universe but various readings of the Absolute? It Is like a book before us, and each one has to read it for himself. There is something which is common in the intellect of all men; therefore certain things appear to be the same to the intellect of mankind. That you and I see a chair proves that there is something common to both our minds. Suppose a being comes with another sense, he will not see the chair at all; but all beings similarly constituted will see the same things. Thus this universe itself is the Absolute, the unchangeable, the noumenon; and the phenomenon constitutes the reading thereof."
The changeless appearing as change - stillness in motion.
"The position of the Advaitist is that it is true that we cannot think of the substance as separate from the qualities, we cannot think of change and not-change at the same time; it would be impossible. But the very thing which is the substance is the quality; substance and quality are not two things. It is the unchangeable that is appearing as the changeable."
Step by step, start where you are: growth, from partial to whole.
"One of the remarkable features of the Advaitist system of Vedanta is to harmonise the preceding systems. In many cases it helped the philosophy very much; in some cases it hurt it. Our ancient philosophers knew what you call the theory of evolution; that growth is gradual, step by step, and the recognition of this led them to harmonise all the preceding systems. Thus not one of these preceding ideas was rejected. The fault of the Buddhistic faith was that it had neither the faculty nor the perception of this continual, expansive growth, and for this reason it never even made the attempt to harmonise itself with the pre-existing steps toward the ideal. They were rejected as useless and harmful. This tendency in religion is most harmful. A man gets a new and better idea, and then he looks back on those he has given up, and forthwith decides that they were mischievous and unnecessary. He never thinks that, however crude they may appear from his present point of view, they were very useful to him, that they were necessary for him to reach his present state, and that everyone of us has to grow in a similar fashion, living first on crude ideas, taking benefit from then, and then arriving at a higher standard. With the oldest theories, therefore, Advaita is friendly. Dualism and all systems that had preceded it are accepted by the Advaita not in a patronising way, but with the conviction that they are true manifestations of the same truth, and that they all lead to the same conclusions as the Advaita has reached. With blessing, and not with cursing, should be preserved all these various steps through which humanity has to pass. [...] For with the recognition of growth in the Advaitist system, these theories are given their proper place, by admitting that they represent only a partial view of the Truth."
Life manifests my potentiality.
"One theory that is held in common in India by the crudest dualists as well as by the most advanced non-dualists is that all the possibilities and powers of the soul are within it, and do not come from any external source. They are in the soul in potential form, and the whole work of life is simply directed towards manifesting these potentialities."
The only power is Love.
"... throughout creation these two forces are working side by side; where you find the one, you find the other too. The one is selfishness, the other is unselfishness. The one is acquisition, the other is renunciation. The one takes, the other gives. [...] Can any man deny that love, this 'not I', this renunciation is the only positive power in the universe? That other is only the misguided employment of the power of love; the power of love brings competition, the real genesis of competition is in love. The real genesis of evil is in unselfishness. The creator of evil is good, and the end is also good. It is only misdirection of the power of good."
December 18, 2015
You dive into an ocean of Ancient Philosophy and come out with the pearls that shines even in this day world. 'Reach man to reach God' . A book to be read and re-read.
Read
July 26, 2021To begin with, it’s not very practical. Really, this is a pamphlet I found for free at a thrift shop near my home – because Ridgely Manor is fairly close, where Vivekananda would rest between demanding lectures. His vices (at the manor) were cigars and ice cream, I was told. Like most yogic “writings,” these are actually lectures – in this case, four, delivered in London on November of 1896.
In the photo at the front, the swami looks a bit like Mr. Hyde, the alter ego of Dr. Jekyll, sitting in a throne-like (Victorian) chair, resting his head on his fist, staring at us. Vivekananda was never entirely comfortable as a guru, I believe. Ramakrishna, his master, let’s face it, was a tough act to follow.
Here’s an excerpt – chosen at random, of course:
“Slowly this infinite giant is, as it were, waking up, becoming conscious of his power, and arousing himself; and with his growing consciousness, more and more of his bonds are breaking, chains are bursting asunder, and the day is sure to come when, with the full consciousness of his infinite power and wisdom, the giant will rise to his feet and stand erect.”
(Funny how this can also be read as a demand for Indian independence.)
In the photo at the front, the swami looks a bit like Mr. Hyde, the alter ego of Dr. Jekyll, sitting in a throne-like (Victorian) chair, resting his head on his fist, staring at us. Vivekananda was never entirely comfortable as a guru, I believe. Ramakrishna, his master, let’s face it, was a tough act to follow.
Here’s an excerpt – chosen at random, of course:
“Slowly this infinite giant is, as it were, waking up, becoming conscious of his power, and arousing himself; and with his growing consciousness, more and more of his bonds are breaking, chains are bursting asunder, and the day is sure to come when, with the full consciousness of his infinite power and wisdom, the giant will rise to his feet and stand erect.”
(Funny how this can also be read as a demand for Indian independence.)
December 17, 2025
FOUR LECTURES ABOUT VARIOUS ‘PRACTICAL’ APPLICATIONS OF VEDANTA
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) was an Indian religious philosopher, teacher, author, and monk, who was the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Vivekananda became a ‘superstar’ in the West after his presentation at the 1893 Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions. He also established in the U.S. the Vedanta Societies of New York and San Francisco, which still exist. Back in India, he founded a monastic order, as well as a Mission dedicated to social services.
In a lecture delivered on November 10th, 1896 in London, he said, “I have been asked to say something about the practical position of the Vedanta philosophy… theory is very good indeed, but how are we to carry it into practice?… The Vedanta, therefore, as a religion, must be intensely practical to be able to carry it out in every part of our lives. And not only this, the fictitious difference between religion and the life of the world must vanish, for the Vedanta teaches Oneness---one life, throughout.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “In various Upanishads we find that this Vedanta philosophy is not the outcome of meditation in the forests only, but that the very best parts of it were thought out and expressed by brains which were busiest in the everyday affairs of life… Everything goes to show that this philosophy must be very practical; and later on when we come to the Bhagavad-Gita… [which] is the best commentary we have on the Vedanta philosophy… the doctrine which stands out luminously in every page of the Gita is intense activity, but in the midst of it, eternal calmness. This is the secret of work to attain which is the goal of the Vedanta.” (Pg. 2-3)
He continues, “The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error: and the greatest error… is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power … Every time you think in that way, you… add one more layer of hypnotism to your own soul… in the Vedanta there is no attempt at reconciling the present life, the hynotized life… with the ideal… No man becomes purer and purer, it is a matter of greater manifestation. The evil drops away, and the native purity of the soul begins to manifest itself. Everything is ours already---infinite purity, freedom, love, and power. The Vedanta also says that … this can be realized … by men in all possible conditions of life.” (Pg. 7-8)
He asserts, “If you believe there is a God, the animals and the highest creatures must be the same. A God who is partial to his children called men, and cruel to his children called brute beasts, is worse than a demon. I would rather die a hundred times than worship such a God. My whole life would be a fight with such a God… I myself may not be a very strict vegetarian, but I understand the ideal. When I eat meat I know it is wrong…. The ideal is not to eat flesh, not to injure any being, for all animals are my brothers.” (Pg. 10-11)
He asks, “What is there to be taught more in religion than the oneness of the universe, and faith in one’s self? All the works of mankind for thousands of years have been towards this one goal, and mankind is yet working it out. It is your turn now and you already know the truth. For it has been taught on all sides.” (Pg. 18-19)
He concludes this lecture, “What is the proof of the Christs and Buddhas of the world? That you and I feel like them. That is how you and I understand that they were true. Our prophet-soul is the proof of their prophet-soul. Your godhead is the proof of God Himself. If you are not a prophet, there never has been anything true of God. If you are not God, there never was any God, and never will be. This, says the Vedanta, is the ideal to follow. Everyone of us will have to become a prophet, and you are that already. Only KNOW it. Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin---to say that you are weak, or others are weak.” (Pg. 25)
In a lecture delivered on Novemeber 12th, 1896, he states, “the idea of hell does not occur in the Vedas anywhere. It comes with the Puranas much later. The worst punishment according to the Vedas is coming back to earth, having another chance in this world. From the very first we see the idea is taking an impersonal turn. The ideas of punishment and reward are very material, and they are only consonant with the idea of a human God, who loves one and hates another, just as we do. Punishment and reward are only admissible with the existence of such a God.” (Pg. 40-41)
He points out, “The Impersonal God is a living God, a principle… Of course the Impersonal idea is very destructive; it takes away all trade from the priests, churches, and temples. In India there is a famine now, but there are temples in each one of which there are jewels worth a king’s ransom! If the priests taught this Impersonal idea to the people, their occupation would be gone. Yet we have to teach it unselfishly, without priestcraft.” (Pg. 42-43)
He concludes, “We cannot see impurity without having it inside ourselves. This is one of the practical sides of Vedanta, and I hope that we shall all try to carry it into our lives. Our whole life here is to carry this into practice, but the one great point we gain is that we shall work with satisfaction and contentment, instead of with discontent and dissatisfaction, for we know that Truth is within us, we have It as our birthright, and we have only to manifest It, and make It tangible.” (Pg. 52-53)
In a lecture delivered on Novemeber 17th, 1896, he observes, “Religion has been reduced to a sort of national form. It is one of our very best social remnants; let it remain. But the real necessity which the grandfather of the modern man felt for it is gone; he no longer finds it satisfactory to his reason… the idea which is generally known as monotheism in every religion, cannot hold its own any longer.” (Pg. 59)
He asserts, “The Christian says you must do this and not do that because the Bible says so. That will not be binding on those who do not believe the Bible. But we must have a theory which is large enough to take in all these various grounds. Just as there are millions of people who are ready to believe in a Personal Creator, there have also been thousands of the brightest minds in this world who felt that such ideas were not sufficient for them, and wanted something higher, and wherever religion was not broad enough to include all these minds, the result was that the brightest minds in society were always outside of religion; and never was this so marked as at the present time, especially in Europe.” (Pg. 63-64)
He goes on, “To include these minds, therefore, religion must become broad enough. Everything it claims must be judged from the standpoint of reason. Why religions should claim that they are not bound to abide by the standpoint of reason, no one knows. If one does not take the standard of reason, there cannot be any true judgment, even in the case of religions… Therefore, referring to books will not do. Where is the standard by which you can compare?… Neither the New Testament nor the Koran can be arbiter in a quarrel between them. There must be some independent authority, and this cannot be any book, but something which is universal; and what is more universal than reason?… I will abide by my reason, because with all its weaknesses there is some chance of my getting at truth through it; while, by the other means, there is no such hope at all.” (Pg. 64-65)
He continues, “We should, therefore, follow reason, and also sympathize with those who do not come to any sort of belief, following reason. For it is better that mankind should become atheist by following reason than blindly believing in two hundred millions of gods on the authority of anybody. What we want is progress, development, realization. No theories ever made men higher. No amount of books can help us to become purer… I believe I reason and follow reason, having seen enough of the evils of authority, for I was born in a country where they have gone to the extreme of authority.” (Pg. 66)
In the final lecture, delivered on November 18th, 1896, he said, “Another foolish notion is that if we lose our little individuality, there will be no morality, no hope for humanity. As if everybody had been dying for humanity all the time!… If in every country there were 200 men and women really wanting to do good for humanity, the millennium would come in five days.” (Pg. 88)
He states, “there is very little difference between the pure religion of Christ and the Vedanta. You find there the idea of oneness, but Christ also preached dualistic ideas to the people, in order to … lead them up to the highest idea… There was only blessing and love in the religion of Christ. But as soon as crudeness crept in, it was degraded into something not much better than the religion of the Prophet of Arabia.” (Pg. 90)
This book will be of great interest to those who are studying Vedanta.
Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) was an Indian religious philosopher, teacher, author, and monk, who was the chief disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Vivekananda became a ‘superstar’ in the West after his presentation at the 1893 Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions. He also established in the U.S. the Vedanta Societies of New York and San Francisco, which still exist. Back in India, he founded a monastic order, as well as a Mission dedicated to social services.
In a lecture delivered on November 10th, 1896 in London, he said, “I have been asked to say something about the practical position of the Vedanta philosophy… theory is very good indeed, but how are we to carry it into practice?… The Vedanta, therefore, as a religion, must be intensely practical to be able to carry it out in every part of our lives. And not only this, the fictitious difference between religion and the life of the world must vanish, for the Vedanta teaches Oneness---one life, throughout.” (Pg. 1)
He continues, “In various Upanishads we find that this Vedanta philosophy is not the outcome of meditation in the forests only, but that the very best parts of it were thought out and expressed by brains which were busiest in the everyday affairs of life… Everything goes to show that this philosophy must be very practical; and later on when we come to the Bhagavad-Gita… [which] is the best commentary we have on the Vedanta philosophy… the doctrine which stands out luminously in every page of the Gita is intense activity, but in the midst of it, eternal calmness. This is the secret of work to attain which is the goal of the Vedanta.” (Pg. 2-3)
He continues, “The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error: and the greatest error… is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power … Every time you think in that way, you… add one more layer of hypnotism to your own soul… in the Vedanta there is no attempt at reconciling the present life, the hynotized life… with the ideal… No man becomes purer and purer, it is a matter of greater manifestation. The evil drops away, and the native purity of the soul begins to manifest itself. Everything is ours already---infinite purity, freedom, love, and power. The Vedanta also says that … this can be realized … by men in all possible conditions of life.” (Pg. 7-8)
He asserts, “If you believe there is a God, the animals and the highest creatures must be the same. A God who is partial to his children called men, and cruel to his children called brute beasts, is worse than a demon. I would rather die a hundred times than worship such a God. My whole life would be a fight with such a God… I myself may not be a very strict vegetarian, but I understand the ideal. When I eat meat I know it is wrong…. The ideal is not to eat flesh, not to injure any being, for all animals are my brothers.” (Pg. 10-11)
He asks, “What is there to be taught more in religion than the oneness of the universe, and faith in one’s self? All the works of mankind for thousands of years have been towards this one goal, and mankind is yet working it out. It is your turn now and you already know the truth. For it has been taught on all sides.” (Pg. 18-19)
He concludes this lecture, “What is the proof of the Christs and Buddhas of the world? That you and I feel like them. That is how you and I understand that they were true. Our prophet-soul is the proof of their prophet-soul. Your godhead is the proof of God Himself. If you are not a prophet, there never has been anything true of God. If you are not God, there never was any God, and never will be. This, says the Vedanta, is the ideal to follow. Everyone of us will have to become a prophet, and you are that already. Only KNOW it. Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin---to say that you are weak, or others are weak.” (Pg. 25)
In a lecture delivered on Novemeber 12th, 1896, he states, “the idea of hell does not occur in the Vedas anywhere. It comes with the Puranas much later. The worst punishment according to the Vedas is coming back to earth, having another chance in this world. From the very first we see the idea is taking an impersonal turn. The ideas of punishment and reward are very material, and they are only consonant with the idea of a human God, who loves one and hates another, just as we do. Punishment and reward are only admissible with the existence of such a God.” (Pg. 40-41)
He points out, “The Impersonal God is a living God, a principle… Of course the Impersonal idea is very destructive; it takes away all trade from the priests, churches, and temples. In India there is a famine now, but there are temples in each one of which there are jewels worth a king’s ransom! If the priests taught this Impersonal idea to the people, their occupation would be gone. Yet we have to teach it unselfishly, without priestcraft.” (Pg. 42-43)
He concludes, “We cannot see impurity without having it inside ourselves. This is one of the practical sides of Vedanta, and I hope that we shall all try to carry it into our lives. Our whole life here is to carry this into practice, but the one great point we gain is that we shall work with satisfaction and contentment, instead of with discontent and dissatisfaction, for we know that Truth is within us, we have It as our birthright, and we have only to manifest It, and make It tangible.” (Pg. 52-53)
In a lecture delivered on Novemeber 17th, 1896, he observes, “Religion has been reduced to a sort of national form. It is one of our very best social remnants; let it remain. But the real necessity which the grandfather of the modern man felt for it is gone; he no longer finds it satisfactory to his reason… the idea which is generally known as monotheism in every religion, cannot hold its own any longer.” (Pg. 59)
He asserts, “The Christian says you must do this and not do that because the Bible says so. That will not be binding on those who do not believe the Bible. But we must have a theory which is large enough to take in all these various grounds. Just as there are millions of people who are ready to believe in a Personal Creator, there have also been thousands of the brightest minds in this world who felt that such ideas were not sufficient for them, and wanted something higher, and wherever religion was not broad enough to include all these minds, the result was that the brightest minds in society were always outside of religion; and never was this so marked as at the present time, especially in Europe.” (Pg. 63-64)
He goes on, “To include these minds, therefore, religion must become broad enough. Everything it claims must be judged from the standpoint of reason. Why religions should claim that they are not bound to abide by the standpoint of reason, no one knows. If one does not take the standard of reason, there cannot be any true judgment, even in the case of religions… Therefore, referring to books will not do. Where is the standard by which you can compare?… Neither the New Testament nor the Koran can be arbiter in a quarrel between them. There must be some independent authority, and this cannot be any book, but something which is universal; and what is more universal than reason?… I will abide by my reason, because with all its weaknesses there is some chance of my getting at truth through it; while, by the other means, there is no such hope at all.” (Pg. 64-65)
He continues, “We should, therefore, follow reason, and also sympathize with those who do not come to any sort of belief, following reason. For it is better that mankind should become atheist by following reason than blindly believing in two hundred millions of gods on the authority of anybody. What we want is progress, development, realization. No theories ever made men higher. No amount of books can help us to become purer… I believe I reason and follow reason, having seen enough of the evils of authority, for I was born in a country where they have gone to the extreme of authority.” (Pg. 66)
In the final lecture, delivered on November 18th, 1896, he said, “Another foolish notion is that if we lose our little individuality, there will be no morality, no hope for humanity. As if everybody had been dying for humanity all the time!… If in every country there were 200 men and women really wanting to do good for humanity, the millennium would come in five days.” (Pg. 88)
He states, “there is very little difference between the pure religion of Christ and the Vedanta. You find there the idea of oneness, but Christ also preached dualistic ideas to the people, in order to … lead them up to the highest idea… There was only blessing and love in the religion of Christ. But as soon as crudeness crept in, it was degraded into something not much better than the religion of the Prophet of Arabia.” (Pg. 90)
This book will be of great interest to those who are studying Vedanta.
September 18, 2017
I've always admired vedanta but now reading it first hand leaves something to be wanted. Even the Swami's treatment of it is based on a lot of assumptions and simplistic logical extensions which did carry a lot of appeal in his day.
Jiddu Krishnamurti's take on non duality is by far the most well put together and well thought out example that I've come across. However I do hold my reservations against that as a way of life as well.
Jiddu Krishnamurti's take on non duality is by far the most well put together and well thought out example that I've come across. However I do hold my reservations against that as a way of life as well.
July 23, 2017
I have no words to explain the amazing work of Swamiji on this masterpiece. Definitely, a book to go back to again and again, with every fresh read something new is learnt. All I can say that it is a must read.
August 30, 2012
Only Swamiji knows how much food for thought he has put in.
Not one to finish in one sitting. One chapter at a time.
Not one to finish in one sitting. One chapter at a time.
December 20, 2017
An over the counter commentary which is powerful, awakening and must read!
January 15, 2025
His words gave me an extra boost to find the strength and courage within.
July 21, 2024
"Practical Vedanta" by Swami Vivekananda is a profound exploration of Vedanta philosophy, encapsulating the essence of the lectures he delivered globally. This book provides insight into why Vivekananda remains a celebrated figure worldwide. His unique ability to distill the complex tenets of Vedanta into comprehensible teachings for various religions, nations, and non-Hindi speakers is a testament to his expansive knowledge and deep understanding.
An Introduction to Vedanta Philosophy
Vivekananda's teachings underscore the universality and timeless relevance of Vedanta. He articulated the philosophy's core principles, advocating for a life beyond organized religion, emphasizing that the concept of an external God is unnecessary. Through his lectures, compiled in this book, he offers a pathway to understanding the divine within oneself.
Structure and Content
The book is a compilation of Vivekananda's speeches and writings, requiring focused attention due to its complex language and profound concepts. The chapters not directly derived from his speeches are particularly challenging, demanding careful and thoughtful reading. Despite its relatively small size, the book's depth necessitates a slow and deliberate approach to fully grasp the shifting subjects across chapters.
Teaching Methodology
Vivekananda's method involves initially embracing other beliefs to thoroughly understand and then logically dismantle them, demonstrating why Vedanta stands as the ultimate path. This approach highlights his intellectual rigor and his commitment to reasoning over blind faith.
Recommendations
This book is highly recommended for readers with some prior knowledge of Vedanta philosophy. It is not a biography of Swami Vivekananda; instead, it is a deep dive into his philosophical teachings. Familiarity with his life and works, perhaps through reading his biography, would enhance the reader's comprehension and appreciation of the context behind his lectures.
Final Thoughts
"Practical Vedanta" is more than a philosophical treatise; it is a guide to spiritual introspection and understanding. Reading it with an open mind and a quest for answers can lead to profound personal insights. For anyone interested in the intersections of spirituality, philosophy, and reason, this book is a valuable resource.
An Introduction to Vedanta Philosophy
Vivekananda's teachings underscore the universality and timeless relevance of Vedanta. He articulated the philosophy's core principles, advocating for a life beyond organized religion, emphasizing that the concept of an external God is unnecessary. Through his lectures, compiled in this book, he offers a pathway to understanding the divine within oneself.
Structure and Content
The book is a compilation of Vivekananda's speeches and writings, requiring focused attention due to its complex language and profound concepts. The chapters not directly derived from his speeches are particularly challenging, demanding careful and thoughtful reading. Despite its relatively small size, the book's depth necessitates a slow and deliberate approach to fully grasp the shifting subjects across chapters.
Teaching Methodology
Vivekananda's method involves initially embracing other beliefs to thoroughly understand and then logically dismantle them, demonstrating why Vedanta stands as the ultimate path. This approach highlights his intellectual rigor and his commitment to reasoning over blind faith.
Recommendations
This book is highly recommended for readers with some prior knowledge of Vedanta philosophy. It is not a biography of Swami Vivekananda; instead, it is a deep dive into his philosophical teachings. Familiarity with his life and works, perhaps through reading his biography, would enhance the reader's comprehension and appreciation of the context behind his lectures.
Final Thoughts
"Practical Vedanta" is more than a philosophical treatise; it is a guide to spiritual introspection and understanding. Reading it with an open mind and a quest for answers can lead to profound personal insights. For anyone interested in the intersections of spirituality, philosophy, and reason, this book is a valuable resource.
August 11, 2024
The whole motive of Vedanta as described by Swami Vivekanand is to understand any religion and adapt it in life with logic and reasoning. Reasoning is at the heart of his philosophy which should be used in all faces of life with confidence in one-self. Practical Vedanta shows us the way of how Vedanta (wisdom described in Vedas of Hinduism) is learnings from Vedas which are understood by logic and how can we apply it practically in our lives. This philosophy gives the individual human, the power to analyze, even the whole concept of God and in that way understand God by playing with and questioning the idea. This philosophy will eventually take you to God but instead of finding God outside yourself, you'll find that God inside you.
Swami Vivekanand also provides us deep explanations about why we must do any lengths of hard work to gain confidence in self and must project it outwards to move forward in life.
Read this book if you want to understand Swami Vivekanand's Vedantic philosophy, modern religion, modern god and how the modern man can attain God and peace with logic and reasoning.
Swami Vivekanand also provides us deep explanations about why we must do any lengths of hard work to gain confidence in self and must project it outwards to move forward in life.
Read this book if you want to understand Swami Vivekanand's Vedantic philosophy, modern religion, modern god and how the modern man can attain God and peace with logic and reasoning.
January 12, 2022
I never really knew much about Vivekananda's life & his works. Started reading his books recently and wished I had done so earlier.
This book is a collection of his lectures across many countries on Vedanta, especially Advaita Vedanta. A must read for anyone interested in philosophy.
By a happy coincidence, today, ie, Jan-12 is celebrated as the National Youth Day in India after Vivekananda's birth anniversary. I'm looking forward to reading more & more of his books in the future and learn from them as much as possible.
This book is a collection of his lectures across many countries on Vedanta, especially Advaita Vedanta. A must read for anyone interested in philosophy.
By a happy coincidence, today, ie, Jan-12 is celebrated as the National Youth Day in India after Vivekananda's birth anniversary. I'm looking forward to reading more & more of his books in the future and learn from them as much as possible.
May 29, 2021
Rediscovered Vedanta after a conversation with someone on it's universality. He claimed that christian and Buddhist teachings are aligned with Vedanta and if people understood it, nothing more would be required. Would like to read more on vedanta. What struck me was the overlap in Vedanta and Carl Jung's concept of shadow. Thou are that. Tat tvam asi.
December 31, 2022
Though the book is small -its more of a booklet, its quite complex to understand. Needs a good amount of editing and commentary and side notes to make it more simpler.
But there are certainly some gems of the veda, the concept of Advaita's nondualims is explained.
The booklet certainly encoruages one to discover more on Advaita.
But there are certainly some gems of the veda, the concept of Advaita's nondualims is explained.
The booklet certainly encoruages one to discover more on Advaita.
April 30, 2021
Very deep and, obviously practical, introduction to Vedanta.
Very powerful and inspiring! Swamiji professes our own true nature, our essential divinity, in every word and we are left with a feeling of having been specifically blessed.
Very powerful and inspiring! Swamiji professes our own true nature, our essential divinity, in every word and we are left with a feeling of having been specifically blessed.
May 18, 2021
Awesome
What a Beautiful Expression for Vedanta Philosophy. Well I found him to be most straight forward Philosopher till date. Strongly recommend
What a Beautiful Expression for Vedanta Philosophy. Well I found him to be most straight forward Philosopher till date. Strongly recommend
July 30, 2021
It's a book which was earlier the part of Jnana Yoga but later got a seperate form. This is a book based on his lectures. I think there is no more things to say because it's from Swami Vivekananda.
October 24, 2021
Great little book.
January 2, 2022
Slightly dense but really drives the points of self realization home! Highly recommend the book or the series of lectures themselves if they’re available anywhere.
April 7, 2023
Upanishads summary
Excellent read
In depth detailing
Talks about Upanishads
Every story is different and basically number of upnishads are explained in easy to understand learning
Excellent read
In depth detailing
Talks about Upanishads
Every story is different and basically number of upnishads are explained in easy to understand learning
November 15, 2024
Amazing Vedanta Book
Beautiful book. So much wisdom. I'll read 📚 all Vivekananda's books I can find. Immense value 💎
Thank you 🙏
Beautiful book. So much wisdom. I'll read 📚 all Vivekananda's books I can find. Immense value 💎
Thank you 🙏
March 31, 2025
As ever wonderful to read swamy vivekanandas works , clear and well articulated
July 31, 2025
What a spiritual guy. If he would have lived longer he would done some more essential work for society as a whole.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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