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What Vedanta Is
Vedanta is a philosophy taught by the Vedas, the most ancient
scriptures of India. Its basic teaching is that our real nature is
divine. God, or Brahman as it is called, exists in every living
being.
Religion is therefore a search for self-knowledge, a search for the divine within ourselves. We should not think of ourselves as needing to be "saved." We are never lost. At worst, we are living in ignorance of our true nature.
Vedanta acknowledges that there are many different approaches to God, and all are valid. Any kind of spiritual practice will lead to the same state of self-realization. Thus Vedanta teaches respect for all religions.
The Main Ideas of Vedanta
Following are some of the main tenets of Vedanta:
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God is one without a second, absolute and indivisible. Though impersonal, beyond name and form, God assumes various personal forms to reveal itself to us. God is our soul. We are primarily consciousness, part of the cosmic consciousness.
All of the incarnations (manifestations of God
on Earth) are actual embodiments of Divinity. No one incarnation
can be regarded as the only manifestation of that Divinity.
There is no accident in the cosmic universe.
Human destiny is governed by the law of cause and effect.
We are born on earth repeatedly to finish the
unfinished work of realizing our divinity. Although we suffer
because of actions, we can control ourselves and hence our
destiny.
There is a higher state of consciousness which
can be achieved in this human birth.
There are many ways to achieve union with God, through the intellect, emotions, actions, and the will. A specific path or a combination should be followed to realize the aim and objectives of life.
Vedanta stresses the idea of self effort. It encourages every individual to realize God within by the practice of certain methods, called Yogas, which channel the tendencies we already possess and lead us to God. The ideal is to practice a harmonious balance of these four yogas:
- Bhakti Yoga
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This is the cultivation of a devotional relationship with God through prayer, ritual and worship. In this practice, the human emotions are give a "Godward turn." Their energy is used in search for God within.
This Yoga is the approach to God through
discrimination and reason. The goal is freedom. All of our
miseries in life are caused by seeing difference, and so the jnana
yogi tries to break through this delusion by seeing God
everywhere.
The path to God through selfless service to
others is Karma Yoga. By working in this spirit, the God within
each person is worshipped.
This is sometimes called the yoga of
meditation. It is the soul of all the yogas. The emphasis here is
on attuning the mind to God and truth through concentration and
mediation.
Right and Wrong
Conduct A Brief History
There are 13 Vedanta Societies in the United
States and 125 Centers in the world managed by the Ramakrishna
Order. Over 1,000 more centers bear the names of Ramakrishna and
Vivekananda. 
All ethics are merely a means to the end of finding God within
ourselves. "Right" action is action which brings us nearer to the
knowledge of God. "Wrong" action leads us away from that knowledge.
Our ideas of "good" and "evil" are, therefore, only relative values
and must not be used as an absolute standard by which we judge
others. Each of us has an individual problem and an individual path
of development. But the goal is the same for all.
Throughout
the centuries, India has produced many great saints and illumined
teachers. One of the greatest of these was Sri
Ramakrishna (1836-1886). His intense spirituality attracted a
group of young disciples who, on his passing, formed a monastic
community, later to be called the Ramakrishna Order of India. 
One
of the young monks, Swami Vivekananda
(1863-1902), came to America as the representative of Hinduism at
the World's Parliament of religions held in Chicago in 1893. His
success was so great that he was invited to remain. For three years
he toured the United States lecturing and holding classes. With the
help of some of his brother monks, a number of Vedanta centers were
started in America.