What is Vedānta and how I began studying it

In this journey of self-exploration, destiny put me at an interesting doorway around the same time last year.

I was generally at peace and happy with where I was in life. However, I had many unanswered questions, with the primary one being the purpose of life. I lacked clarity about what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. As I often do when I’m searching for answers, I turned to Google. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t provide the clarity I was seeking. 🙂

Many times, I have felt that when I genuinely wish for something, someone leads me to it. In this instance, it was my longtime college friend. One fall morning last year, I drove to her place to surprise another friend on his 45th birthday. During my visit, she invited me to attend one of her study group gatherings. She also invited me to meet her teacher from Chinmaya Somnath. At the gathering, I had an honest conversation with her teacher. I shared that I was seeking guidance and considered myself spiritual but not religious. I expressed my concerns about learning from the Chinmaya Mission, which is primarily a religious organization. I was very impressed by her thoughtful answers and her non-judgmental attitude. I felt a strong sense of trust in her advice. She encouraged me to enroll in the Foundation Vedanta course offered by the Chinmaya International Foundation. As soon as I returned home, I immediately signed up for the course. Since then, I have completed it and enrolled in the Advanced Vedanta course. I am grateful to my friend, her teacher, and my teacher for helping me embark on this journey.

As I have expressed in my previous reflections, I consider myself spiritual but not religious. I felt uncomfortable associating with any specific religion. I believed that religious people tended to be more judgmental. They seemed more fanatical and hypocritical than those who were not religious. However, I realize now that I was mistaken. Those qualities do not necessarily relate to whether someone is religious. My perception of religion has changed through my study of Vedānta. I now understand its significance in our lives much more clearly. It offers us the tools we need to evolve and lead happy, purposeful lives. Religion is an intelligent mix of rituals and philosophy. So, what exactly is Vedānta?

Vedānta is one of the world’s most ancient spiritual philosophies based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India. Vedānta is a combination of two words: “Veda”  means “knowledge” and “anta” means “the end of” or “the goal of.” The goal of knowledge is realize the true nature of the Self. According to Vedānta, God is infinite existence (sat), infinite consciousness (cit), and infinite bliss (ananda), which is termed as Brahman. Human beings are divine, and their real nature is infinite, pure, and eternal. Weaknesses, good and bad, right and wrong, are all in the mind. The limitations in our mind are caused by ignorance of our true nature. This ignorance disappears in the light of pure knowledge. Vedānta asserts that the goal of life is to realize and manifest our divinity.

It is believed that true knowledge of creation was revealed to enlightened saints during deep meditation. These saints then conveyed these eternal truths to the world in the form of the Vedas, which were written in Sanskrit and continue to be passed down and recited today. The teachings of Vedānta primarily reside in the texts of the Upaniṣads, the Brahmasūtras, and the Bhagavad Gītā. The Upaniṣads outline the ultimate goal, the Bhagavad Gītā offers practical guidance on achieving that goal, and the Brahmasūtras explore the nature of human existence while summarizing the teachings of the Upaniṣads.

According to the Vedāntic teachings, there are four paths we can follow to understand our divine nature. We can choose a path based on our personality or inclination, or we may combine practices from different paths.

• Bhakti Yoga is the path of love and devotion. In this path, the devotees engage in prayer, chanting, and meditation focused on God.
• Jñāna Yoga is the path of knowledge. Seekers on this path use reason and discernment to uncover the divine nature within themselves by shedding all that is false or unreal.
• Karma Yoga is the path of selfless work. Those who follow this path perform their duties as an offering to God, without expecting anything in return.
• Raja Yoga comprises a highly evolved set of exercises commonly known as āsana and prāṇāyāma. Through these exercises, the mind and intellect can be integrated.

These practices mentioned above purify the mind and prepare us for Meditation. Meditation allows us to experience higher states of consciousness and achieve a deeper understanding of our divine nature.

There are several schools in Vedānta, and I’m currently studying Advaita Vedānta. It focuses correct understanding, knowledge, and interpretation of sacred texts, along with direct personal experience. Vedānta emphasizes that the Truth is universal and cannot be limited by race, religion, or personal choice. While it may be expressed in different forms, all interpretations ultimately point to the same Truth.

Studying Vedānta has been immensely helpful to me in providing clarity on many aspects of life. As a result, I feel motivated to continue learning and to deepen my understanding of the subtle knowledge it conveys.