Class_JB-LSS___

Book

Va TBS.

PRINCIPLES

AND PURPOSE OF VEDANTA

BY

SWAMI PARAMANANDA
Author
of "Path of Devotion"
in Practice"

"Vedanta

Etc.

^gggfrTgg^

THE CARNAHAN PRESS

Washington, D. C.

<& *%*

Copyrighted by

SWAMI PARAMANANDA
1910

(gCi.

280813

CONTENTS.
Introductory
5
Its

Vedanta and

Origin

7 9
10
12

Conception of God

God, Personal and Impersonal

Man's Relation

to

God

Law

of

Karma

14
16
18
21

Reward and Punishment

Reincarnation

Immortality of the Soul

Yoga Karma Yoga Raja Yoga Bhakti Yoga Jnana Yoga

Universality of Vedanta

23 25

26
27

29
31

PRINCIPLES

AND PURPOSE OF VEDANTA

Introductory.

true principle

is

that

which cannot

be influenced by time, space or causation.

Any fundamental
the test of
existent
all

truth can stand equally

is self-

ages, because truth

and not limited by or dependent

on country, nation or individual authority.

Neither

can it be the

exclusive

property of any one people or period.

"There

is

no true existence of the unreal

can never be non-existent;

and the
1

real

the Seers of Truth

know

the nature of

both."

(Bhagavad

Gita)

Therefore

whatever truth has shone in the remote

past will be equally true today and also
for

the

ages

to

come.

Any
or

culture,
spiritual,

whether physical, mental

[5]

Vedanta Philosophy

which has once been attained by human

efforts,

will

always

be

attainable

by

others

who

cofrie after.
riot

Truth stands,

on vain assertions

or imaginations, ;but on the testimony of

wise

Seers

of

all

ages

and

climes.

Therefore,
ideal

however vague or dim an

it

may become,

cannot

die,

but re-

veals itself again

and again through the

reali-

mighty characters, who seek the

zation of the real.
is

Not

a single truth

ever

lost.

It

may

for a time be hidden

it

under superstition and prejudice, but

shines forth effulgently once

more when

the right opportunity comes.

Thus

the

fundamental principles of the Vedas, the

illumined philosophy and religion of the

Aryans,

may have been many

times dim-

med and
to guide

looked upon as mere legends,

but have they been thereby less effective

human

souls to the ultimate goal

of truth and

wisdom?

Vedanta Philosophy

Vedanta and
Vedanta
comes

Its Origin.

from

two

Sanskrit

words, Veda (wisdom) and ant a (end),

and means "end of wisdom" or supreme

wisdom.
It
is

the,

name given

to

the

teachings of the Vedas, which have been

handed down
rial.

to us

from time immemo-

The
it

special feature of

Vedanta

is

that

is

free

from

all

sectarian

and
it

exclusive ideas and for that reason

has

infinite

scope for tolerance.

It

is

not based on any personality, but on

principles;

therefore

it

is

the

common
Sin-

property of the whole

human

race.

cere study likewise enables us to recognize that

all

the noble moral

and

spiritual

teachings

of the

Greek,

German and
found
is

other Western philosophies are neither

new nor
in

original, but are to be

Vedanta; because Vedanta

itself

the revelation of the fundamental principles of the universe.

Vedanta Philosophy
It springs,

not from any human, but

It represents

from a divine source.

special

no

books or doctrines, but explains

It stands

the eternal facts of nature.

as the record of the direct spiritual per-

ception of the ancient Rishis or Seers of

Truth,

who were

not the founders of a

religion or philosophy, but the revealers

of the eternally-existing laws of the universe.

As

the law of gravity did not

originate with Sir Isaac

Newton, so

also

these

laws did not originate with the

Rishis, but

had existed from the begin-

ning of time and had undoubtedly been

discovered by previous Seers of Truth,
for the

Vedas

as

we know them
still

are

full

of references to

earlier authorities.

Thus we
danta run
itself
;

see that the principles of

in parallel line
is

Ve-

with creation
eternal, so are

and as creation

these principles.

Vedanta Philosophy

Conception of God.

As

the source of

all

these principles

Vedanta recognizes one Supreme Being,

one law, one essence,

whom

sages

call

Satchidanandam,

"Existence- Absolute,
Bliss- Absolute/'

Knowledge- Absolute,

Out of
nomena.
the

that

one substance comes the

of
is

manifestation

these

manifold

phe-

"He

the thread on which

different

pearls

of

various

colors

and shapes are strung together."

the Absolute
is

God

this

thread or essence.

He

dwells in the heart of every being

;

as consciousness

from the minutest atom

to the greatest of mortals,

He
live

is

present

everywhere.

In

Him we
being.

and movp

and have

our

Without

Him
is

there cannot be

anything.

He

one
be

without

second.

There

cannot

more than one

finity
less.

infinite

Being, since insecond-

means
Such

limitless, boundless,
is

the Vedic conception of

io

Vedanta Philosophy
this

God, and the realization of

the ultimate goal of
its

God

is

teaching.

God Personal and Impersonal.

Although the Supreme Being
is

one,

He
As

appears before us in
it is

many

forms.
is

said in the Rig- Veda,

"Truth

one, wise

men
to

call It

by various names
comprehension )."

(and worship
according

It

under different forms

their

Herein

lies

the secret of tolerance, which

the special characteristic of

constitutes

Vedanta.
infinite
infinite

An
paths

Infinite

Being must have

leading to

Him.

These

names, forms and paths are to

suit

the varying tendencies of His inchildren.

numerable

Therefore

He

is

sometimes personal and sometimes impersonal.

Those who seek

to

realize

Him

as an impersonal or abstract ideal,

following the path of philosophic discrimination, see

Him

in the Self

and the

Vedanta Philosophy
Self in
all

n
this

beings.

Through
limitations

they
find

transcend

all

human

and

absolute peace and bliss in oneness.

"When
any more

the

knower of Self

finds all

beings within himself,

how can

there be

sorrow or delusion for

him

who

sees this oneness."

(Upanishads).
follow the ab-

To
God,

those

who cannot

stract ideal,

He

appears as a personal
love,
infinite

God

of infinite
all

beauty, the source of

blessed qualities.

With

these

He
of

establishes the personal

relationship

loving

Mother,

loving

Father, Child, or Friend; and one

who

sincerely strives through this path of per-

sonal worship with true love and devotion

also

attains

the realization of the Suit

preme.

For

must always be remem-

bered that the worship of the personal

or impersonal takes us to the
" Whoever

same

goal.

comes

to
I

Me

(the Lord) by

whatsoever path,

reach Him.

All

men

12

Vedanta Philosophy
ulti-

are struggling through paths which

mately lead to Me."

(Bhagavad Gita)

Man's Relation to God.

According
this

to the teaching of

Vedanta,

realization
is

of God, or at-onement

with Him,
it

the aim of

human
is

life

nay,
of

is

our birthright.

Forgetfulness

our true nature or Godhood

of
all

the source

misery.

There

is

no

real difference
self)

between Jivatman (individual

and
exa

Paramatman
cept
that

(the

Supreme

Self),

the

individual

has

taken

covering of limitations on him in the

shape of name, form and various qualities,

while the Supreme Self dwells bethese.

It
is

yond
spirit

the

same conscious
;

which
it

exists in both

only in one
to limit-

case

shines partially,

owing
it

ation,

and

in the

other

shines fully

and

freely.

So when through purity and

finds his real Self, then this

wisdom man

Vedanta Philosophy
veil

13

drops off and

man and God become

"The knower of
becomes
said,

one and inseparable.

Brahman

(Truth)
as

one

with

Him;"

or

Jesus

"I

and

my

Father are one."

This relation of

man

to

God

has been

clearly set forth in one of the

Upaniof

shads thus:

Two

inseparable birds

golden plumage are sitting on the same

tree
;

one eats the

fruits of the tree,

some-

times sweet, sometimes bitter; the other,

not tasting the

fruit,

sits

above as witin his

ness, calm, majestic

and merged
Jiva

own
Self)

glory.

So

the

(individual

and God (the Supreme Self) are

on the
tree of
life.

sitting

The
bitter,

Jiva,

after tasting the different fruits of ex-

perience,

both

sweet

and

and

grieving over his

own

impotence, be-

comes bewildered; but when he looks

upon the other bird

His mightiness and

the

Lord, beholds

realizes that they are

14

Vedanta Philosophy
sorrow and delusion

really one, then his

pass away.

This vision of the Self re-

moves
Being.

all

sense of duality and the

One

shines alone as the infinite, omnipotent

Man

can

never

be

robbed

of

this

divine birthright.

No amount
it.

of wrong-

doing can ever destroy

His misdeeds
suffer,

may

cause delusion and

make him

but after going through

ences, both sweet

many
he

experiis

and

bitter,

sure

at last to find his divinity

and be freed

from

all

bondage.

Law
Though we
equal.
ity?
all

of Karma.
posses the same

germ
all

of divinity within us, yet

we

are not

What

is

the cause of this inequal-

Why

is

one born happy and an-

other miserable, one intelligent and an-

other dull?

The

difference lies in the

degree of manifestation or unfoldment

Vedanta Philosophy
of the same divine power, which

15

makes

one great in wisdom and enables him to

go through the varying conditions of

life

with courage and serenity, while another,

whose mind

is

veiled, constantly

makes

mistakes and suffers.

God

does not send

happiness to one soul and grief to another

arbitrarily.

"The

All-pervading

One
the

partaketh neither of the evil nor of

good of any

creature.

Wisdom

is

covered by ignorance, thus mortals are

deluded."

The Hindus do not blame an

ble
this

invisi-

Providence for

all

the suffering in
it

world, but explain

through the
If

natural law of cause and effect.

man

is

born fortunate or wretched, there

it; if
it

must be some reason for

therefore

we cannot
it

find the cause for

in
is

in this life,

must have occurred

no

some previous
possible with-

existence, since

effect

out a cause.

All the

good

that

comes

to

Vedanta Philosophy
is

us

what we have earned through our

effort
;

own

and whatever

evil there

is, is

the result of our

own

past mistakes.

As,

moreover, our present has been shaped

by our

past, so

our future will be mould-

ed by our present.

This brings great

hope and comfort, since what we ourselves

make, we can also unmake. Thereover our past

fore, instead of grieving

mistakes,

if

we

direct our present ener-

gies with whole-hearted earnestness to-

wards counteracting the

actions,

results of past

we can make our

is

future better

and brighter.
This
the law of
all

Karma, which

in

accounting for

the inequalities

among
does

human beings on natural grounds, not make God partial or unjust.

Reward and Punishment.

The
idea of reward and punishment

also springs

from

this

law.

Whatever

Vedanta Philosophy

ly

we

sow,

we must

reap.

It

cannot be

otherwise.

An

apple tree cannot be pro-

duced out of a mango seed, nor a mango

from an apple

seed.

If a person spends

all his life in evil-thinking

and wrong-

doing, then
for

it

is

useless for

him

to look

happiness
is

hereafter;

because

our

hereafter

not a matter of chance, but

follows as the reaction of our present

action.

Similarly

man

of

virtuous

deeds must reap as their result happiness,

which none can take away from

him.

The nature
selfish

of sin, which
all

may

be

defined as the sum-total of

our unis

kind and
to

thoughts and deeds,

make

the veil which separates us

from

God thicker. The nature of virtue is to make this veil thinner and thinner. And since God is the source of all bliss, tfce
one must inevitably bring physical and
mental suffering, while the other must
bring peace and joy.

18

Vedanta Philosophy

We
and

should, however, never lose sight

all

of the fact that

these ideas of reward

exist
in

punishment

the

realm

of relativity or finiteness.

No

soul can

ever be
finite evil

doomed
deeds
;

eternally

through his

for the cause

equal.

and

effect

must always be
see through our

Thus we can
sense that the

common

theory of eternal perdition and eternal

heaven

is

impossible and illogical, since

action

no

finite

can create an
to

infinite

result.

Hence according
of

Vedanta, the
temporal

goal

mankind

is

neither

pleasure nor pain, but Mukti or absolute

freedom

and each soul

is

consciously or

unconsciously

marching

towards

this

goal through the various experiences of

life

and death.

Reincarnation.

The theory

of

evolution

is

entirely

based on the law of Karma,

for

it

is

Vedanta Philosophy

19

evident that something cannot evolve out

of nothing.

This law also offers a

satisall

factory and logical explanation for

the

physical

and
at

mental
birth.

tendencies
a

which we have

Whenever
that

man

is

born

with

any extraordinary

power

and
it

wisdom,

know

he
this

possessed

even before coming into

body; because we do not acquire any

power or

quality accidentally, but

ability are

all

our

knowledge and

based on past

experiences or series of causes.

is it

So

also
is

with one

who from

his

very birth

devoid of proper physique or intellectual

faculties.

According
nation
various

to the theory of Reincar-

every soul passes

experiences
it

through the

of births
its

and

re-

births until
tion.

attains

original perfecis

Each time a
it

soul

born here
all
its

it

brings with
vious

the fruit of

preits

existence,

which

determines

20

Vedanta Philosophy
life.

character and environment in this

Since

these are the result of a

man's
in-

own
from

effort, it

cannot be said that he

herits his virtuous or vicious tendencies

his parents, but souls are
is

drawn

to

that environment which

in accordance

with their merits and best suited for

their growth.
tracts like, so

As furthermore like atwe often find children and

parents resembling one another.

Vedanta recognizes that the theory of

evolution
is

not complete

if

confined only

to material

phenomena.

It

must

also ex-

tend through the higher realms of man's

spiritual consciousness.

Each individual
unfoldment
or

has within him the germ of perfection,

which does not reach

its full

with the attainment of a

in

human body
it is

one

life-time.

Therefore
to

necessary

for

the

embodied soul

continue to

evolve through manifold experiences of

pleasure and pain until this

germ has

Vedanta Philosophy
reached
its full

21

manifestation of spiritual

consciousness.

The
that

object of our com-

ing into

human edge and when

divine

life is to
is

gain self-knowl-

attained the

bond

of slavery breaks forever,

man becomes
to

and does not have

come here
of Rein-

again like a slave.

carnation,
as

The theory
thus
see,
is

we

nothing

more than

the theory of evolution carried

to its logical conclusion.

Immortality of the Soul.

The immortality
philosophy.

of the soul

is

another

fundamental principle of the Vedanta

The

Self of
it

man
is

is

not sub-

ject to change, nay,

birthless
all

and

deathless.

Birth, death

and

that lies

between have to do only with the physical

body,

which has beginning and must

necessarily

come

to

an end.

They do
is

not touch the soul.

born,
neither

"The
die,

Self

not

does It

nor having

22

Vedanta Philosophy
It

been does

cease

to

exist.

Unborn,

eternal, unchangeable, ever-existent, It is

not

destroyed

when

the

body

is

destroyed."

(Bhagavad Gita)

Body
meates

decays, but not the soul, which

only dwells within the body and perit

with
is

life

and consciousness,

but which

not tainted by any bodily

action or condition any

more than the

For a true

sun

is

affected by the dust-covered winit

dow through which

Seer the body
is

shines.

only a dwelling-house

or an instrument which he uses for the

attainment of his original state of Godconsciousness.

Death

is

nothing

but
until

going from one house to another,

the soul has freed itself
to

from attachment
its

ephemeral things and gained

re-

lease

from the bonds of Karma.

no power over the
real

Karma
Self.
It

has

binds only the apparent or external man,

who

identifies himself

with nature and

Vedanta Philosophy

23

thus comes under the law of action and

reaction or cause

and

effect.

Through

wisdom alone
cend
ties

the individual can transrise

this

law and

above the duali-

of heat and cold, pleasure and pain,

realize his

and

immortal nature.
immortality necessarily

The

idea

of

presupposes our pre-existence, since eternity cannot extend in

It is

one direction alone.

evident that that which has no end

can have no beginning.

life will
life,

As

this present

be a pre-existence for our future

so in the same way, the present must

lives.

have been preceded by other

Self
is

The

always the same in past, present

;

and future
folds,

but only

when our
Its

heart un-

do we

perceive

everlasting

glory and thus conquer our last enemy,

death.

Yoga.

The

practical part of the teaching of

is

Vedanta

called

Yoga, which

literally

24

Vedanta Philosophy

means "joining" or union between the

lower
tain
self

and higher

Self.

It offers cer-

methods for the training of mind

fit

and body to make them

already in every
the
limited

instruments

for the manifestation of the perfection

human being. When apparent man finds his

and unites himself
Jesus

limitless Self within

with

it,

he becomes illumined.

expresses the same idea

of

when He speaks
God."
This

"communion
what

with

method of communion with the Divine

is
is

meant by Yoga.
it,

There

is

no
a

mystery

in

as

many

suppose.

It is

science entirely based on the direct ob-

servation

and experience of perfected

is

Yogis, or illumined souls, and

logical

a dear,

system

for

the

unfoldment of
us

our spiritual nature.

to stop frittering
sarily

It teaches

how

our energies unneces-

and

to use

them properly for our

Its

greatest

good.

main object

is

to

Vedanta Philosophy
unite
into
all

25

our mental and physical forces

one strong current, which will carry

us to the realization of the Supreme.

Yoga

is

divided into

four principal

paths to suit different temperaments

Karma Yoga.
Karma Yoga is the path of work and teaches us how to perform all our duties
without creating bondage.
Activity
is

an

inherent

tendency

in

every
it

lhr.ng

being, but to learn to direct

through
is

the proper channel without waste

the
fol-

aim of Karma Yoga.

lower of
this

A
desire

faithful

path works like others, but

he gives up

all selfish

and attach-

ment and thereby avoids reaction and

suffering.

His

ideal

is

to

work

for the

love of the work, without any uiterior

motive.

If

good

result comes,
it,

he does

not take the credit of

neither does he
if

take on himself the discredit

he

fails;

26

Vedanta Philosophy
all

but he offers

the fruits of his actions,

both good and bad, unto the Lord,

is

who
is

the real

Doer of

all

action.

This

the secret taught by Sri Krishna in th6

Gita

when He

says:

"To work we have

him every

the right but not to the fruits thereof."

He who knows
leads

this secret, to

action becomes an act of worship and

him

to the highest realization.

Raja Yoga.
Raja Yoga teaches us how
to control

both our internal and external nature.

The

first

step

is

to

govern the forces

our
physical

which

manifest

through

body and focus them

this

into one.

Through
Health

we

gain proper balance or perfect

is

health in our outer nature.

absolutely

necessary
the

for

our
is

spiritual

growth,

since

body

the

instru-

ment
and

for the manifestation of the spirit

if

not in proper condition, becomes

Vedanta Philosophy
an obstacle.

27

Therefore the Yogis have

prescribed certain postures and methods

of
breathing,

through which we

may
is

purify our system and prevent disease.

The next and more important step

control our

to

mind and
is

senses, or internal

nature. This

done through the practice

of

concentration

and meditation.

The

study of Raja
ally

Yoga

thus leads us graduto the subtler forces

from the grosser

of our organism and shows us

how

to

bring them under our control and unite

them

into

one concentrated energy.

this,

The

purpose of

however,

is

not merely

to bring health or psychic power, but to

gain absolute self-mastery.

Bhakti Yoga.
Bhakti
devotion.

Yoga

is

the path of love

and
to

It is the

most natural path

all

follow, because
hearts.

we

have love
is

in

our

As long

as this love

given to

28

Vedanta Philosophy

the changeable and ephemeral things of

this world,

so long

it

causes us disap-

pointment, suffering and bondage; but

when

it

is

withdrawn from these and

God, then
it

turned towards
Bhakti.

becomes

Hence Bhakti Yoga teaches us

can direct
all

how we
feeling

our emotion and

is

toward the Supreme, who

all

the

source of

beauty and

bliss.

Since

He

is

the one eternal and unchangeable

Being, in

Him
to

alone

we can

find un-

broken happiness.
devotion

Thus Bhakti means

attachment
to

God;
is

any

worldly object
love
is
is

not Bhakti.

This ideal

almost inconceivable as long as

thirst for

there

money, name, fame,

all

power, or sense pleasure; but when

trace of selfishness
is

and worldly desire

realize

wiped

out,

we

that nothing

external

or

transitory

can satisfy the

hunger of our

heart, but that

He

is

the

only object worthy to be loved.

Vedanta Philosophy

29

To

a devotee

God

is

not a mere theory

or abstract ideal, but an actual living

Being,

with

whom

he communes and

with

whom
these

he bears a definite relation,

child, or friend, or servant.

such as of
All
in

relationships

are

established

order that

a claim
to

we may on God and a

this

feel that

we have

sense of nearness

Him.

Love has wonderful uniting

Divine love dawns

power and when

in the heart of the devotee,

he

feels in

direct

touch

with

the

Ideal

and
is

his

every thought, word and action

as a service to the Beloved.

offered

Jnana Yoga.
Jnana Yoga
discrimination
to
is

the path of philosophic

is

and

especially

suited
Its

those
is

of

intellectual

tendency.

aim

to find the

luminous

spirit within,

for a Jnani does not accept

any other
is

God than

his

own

Self,

which

the

30
Self

Vedanta Philosophy
of
all.

This
process

is

accomplished
"Neti, Neti,"

through

the

of

"Not

this,

Not

this," or

by distinguish-

ing the real from the unreal, the true

from the

false.

In order to find this

first re-

cosmic ego or universal Self, he

moves

all

limited egoism, differentiating

himself from the body, mind, senses and

all

the gross objects of this perishable

world.

This can only be done by the

self,

constant rigid denial of the lower

but he

who

perseveres with earnestness

will

and determination
behind him
all

gradually leave
of
the

the

unrealities

phenomenal universe and

Self within.

find his true

Then he

is

able to declare

with conviction "I

am He,"

"I

am

the

Truth," "I
"I and

am

the Absolute

Brahman,"

my

Father are one."

It

does not necessarily

mean

that be-

cause there are four distinct methods,

we

Vedanta Philosophy
cannot combine
all

31

in
is

our practice of
perfect which
is

Yoga.

No

character

lacking in any of these.

In

fact,

we

cannot follow one successfully without

the help of the others.

Nobody can be
to his

a true worker without having discrimination, self-control

and devotion
one

work.

Neither

can

become

true lover without possessing properlydirected

activity,

right

judgment and
all

self-control.

Therefore

these

must

go hand
one

in hand.

But

in every character

tendency

invariably

predominates
special

and that

determines the
in

path.

But we must bear

mind

that

all

these

paths lead to the same goal.

Universality of Vedanta.

"As

the different streams, having their

in

sources

different

places,

all

mingle

their waters in the great sea; similarly,

the

different

paths

which

men

take

32

Vedanta Philosophy

through different tendencies!, however

divergent they

may

appear, crooked or

straight, all lead to

Thee,

Lord."

From

the

crudest
loftiest

form of symbolconception of ab-

worship to the

stract truth, every

phase of religion has

It

a place in the religion of Vedanta.

enables a dualist to find his highest ideal

of self-surrender at the feet of the Lord;

and a monist

to

realize
all,

his

true

Self

within as the Self of

without depend-

ing on any external form of God.

An
fine

Infinite

Being must be both with

form and without form.

The

sages de-

Him
to

as
it

unknown and unknowable,

impossible for the
Infinite
finite

because

is

mind

comprehend the

fully.

Therefore the teaching of Vedanta never

labels the path of
sect,

God by one name

or

but recognizes the necessity for insuit the

numerable forms of worship to

varying degrees of development

among

Vedanta Philosophy

33
interfere

human

beings.

It

does

not

with any man's natural

way

of thinking,

but furthers his growth by lending him a

sympathetic and helping hand wherever

he

stands.

It

accepts

all

the

Sacred

Scriptures of the world and

in

bows down
and
the

reverence before
It

all

Saviours

prophets.

believes
is

that

same
the

Gospel of Truth
only difference
is

preached by

all,

that of language

and
is,

not of the essential meaning.

therefore,

There

no room for proselytizing

in

Vedanta.
It teaches

each one

how

to attain the

highest in his
that he
to

own

religion, but tells

him

must allow the same

brother,

privilege

his

who may be
of

following
path.

some other apparently

In
the
religion

different
all

Vedanta

are

children of

God and have

it

equal claim on

Him.

Thus

leaves no place for dis-

sensions;

but

seeing

the

one

Divine

34

Vedanta Philosophy
all

Power behind
proclaims
similation,

forms of worship,
tolerance

it

universal

and

asthis

and

to

all

mankind gives

benediction

"May He who

is

the Father in

Heaven

of the Christians, Allah of the

Moham-

medans, Buddha of the Buddhists, Ahura

Mazda
grant

of the Zoroastrians, and Divine

Mother and Brahman of the Hindus,

unto
all

peace

and

blessing.

Peace! Peace! Peace be unto us and to

all

living beings

!"

Vedanta Philosophy

35

phies,

"Vedanta is the most sublime of all philosoand the most comforting of all reliProf,

gions."

Max

Muller.

"On
fairer
fruit

the tree of Indian

wisdom

there

is

no

flower than the Upanishads, no finer

than the Vedanta philosophy."

Paul Deussen.

"When we
and
above
truth,
all,

read with attention the poetical

philosophical

monuments

of

the

East,

those of India, which are beginning

to spread in Europe,

we

discover there

many

and truths so profound, and which make such a contrast with the meanness of the results at which the European genius has sometimes stopped, that we are constrained to bend the knee before the philosophy of the East, and to see in this cradle of the human race
the native land of the highest philosophy."

Victor Cousin.

"Even the

loftiest

philosophy of the Euroit is

peans, the idealism of reason, as

set forth

by Greek philosophers, appears in comparison with the abundant light and vigor of Oriental
idealism, like a feeble
full

flood of heavenly glory of the

Promethean spark in the noonday

36

Vedanta Philosophy

sun faltering and feeble, and ever ready to be extinguished."

Frederick Schlegel.

'

extracts from the Vedas I have read, on me like the light of a higher and purer luminary which describes a loftier course through a purer stratum, free from particufall

"What

lars,

simple, universal.

The Vedas

contain a

sensible account of God."

Thoreau.

"In the whole world there

beneficial

is

no study

so

and so elevating as that of the Upanishads (Vedanta). It has been the solace

of

my

life, it

will be the solace of

my

death."

Schopenhauer.

"If philosophy

is

meant to be a preparation

for a happy death, or Euthanasia, I

know

of

no better preparation for

philosophy."

it

than the Vedanta

Prof.

Max

Muller.

"The history of Indian philosophy

abridged
world."
history

is

the the

of

the

philosophy

of

Victor Cousin.

Vedanta Philosophy
"It
is

37
Vedanta,

impossible
fine

to

read

the

or the
of
it,

many

compositions in illustration

without believing that Pythagoras and

Plato derived their sublime theories from the

same fountain with the sages of India."

Sir William Jones.

"Indeed,

if

may

nism, the Hindus were Spinozites

be allowed the anachromore than Spinoza;

2,000 years before the existence of

and Darwinians many centuries before Darwin and evolutionists many centuries before the doctrine of evolution was accepted by the scientists of our time, and before any word like evolution existed in any language of the
;

world."
Sir

Monier Monier Williams.

evolution

"To say nothing of Indian Sages to whom was a familiar notion, ages before Paul of Tarsus was born."
Huxley.

Vedanta philosophy leaves to wide sphere of real usefulness, it leaves him a Deity to worship as omnipotent and majestic as the deities of any other religion. It has room for almost every religion, nay, it embraces them all."
the
a

"Thus

every

man

Prof.

Max

Muller.

The following books may be had from

VEDANTA SOCIETY,
135

West 80th

Street,

New York

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1443

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CO.,

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BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR

THE PATH OF DEVOTION

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CONTENTS.
J.

Devotion.

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Purity.

III.

Steadfastness.

V. Self-Surrender. IV. Fearlessness. VI. Sanskrit Prayers and Salutations.

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to

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emulate."
will
. .

lucidity of

a style, the simplicity, directness, and which many a Christian Divine might do well

Cleveland

Plain-Dealer.
is

"The purpose
that
.
.

of the author

to

furnish suggestions

solve

the problems of

the

day

as

they arise.

author breathes a spirit of deep Oriental occidental prototype religious that has for its fervor nothing this side of the devotees of mediaevil times." San Francisco Call. Its "This is not a book of theory, but of practice. theme is one outside of philosophy. It gives wisdom for the inner life and its outer manifestations. Without Detroit doubt, the book will have a wide reading."

The

Times. "This book has

the same ring of strength, boldness and universal sympathy that is to be found in every page of Swami Vivekananda's writings. The words are so alive that they seem rather spoken than written. No one can read the book without gaining a new impetus for the spiritual life and fresh courage to meet
.

the

difficult

conditions

of

life

in

the

world."

Indian

Review.

"A
meates

spirit

the

Lawrence. Kansas City.

of deep religious fervor and strength perwhole book and reminds one of Brother It is a book to be read with profit." Unity,

1910

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I.Need of Spiritual Life. Ill Building of Gharacter.
II.Right Discrimination. of Goncentratration. V. Self-Realization. VI. Selections from the Upanishads and other Scriptures.

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of
to

life.

a thoughtful companion anywhere on the way first book for one who wishes become acquainted with Oriental philosophy at its
is

This makes a good

best.

The book

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. . .

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There are

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of

polished
the

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Evening Post. under the title

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'Vedanta
takes to

in

Practice,'

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show

that the philosophical religion of India, as

exemplified by the Vedanta,

by, but

dream
exist-

may be

so applied to every phase of

human

ence as to constitute the most practical code of living according to the best that is in man. The breadth .
. .

author in reference to other religions, commend themselves to fair-minded readers." San Francisco Chronicle.
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"An

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