What is Vedanta?

by Sarvapriyananda

The great insight of Advaita Vedanta is, the reality you reach through the God-centred approach or the ‘that’ based approach, and the reality you reach through the Self-inquiry approach or the ‘thou’ based approach, is exactly the same reality. By bringing them together - Atman is Brahman, ‘That thou art’, the stunning insight is - that indubitable personal existence is also the infinitude of God. The unproblematic, infinite nature of God and the indubitable certain existence of the self are brought together. You have an infinite existence which is also beyond doubt.

Your existence is certain, but it is surrounded with problems. Vedanta shows you those problems are not your problems. They are either the body’s problems, or the mind’s problems. Vedanta shows you how you are not the body, or the mind. The moment you see that you are not body-mind, the limitations imposed by the body and mind disappear (they do not apply to you). You realize your infinite Self which is one with God. When you realize this, you see that not only is there no problem now, there never has been one. This whole conception of problems and trying to get out of them is what is called Maya in Advaita Vedanta.

Swami Vivekananda says that this oneness of all existence and the divinity within each one of us is the surest foundation of morality.

Swami Vivekananda held that, because we are one reality, if I hurt someone or cheat someone, I am injuring myself in a profound sense. Just as we take very good care of ourselves, we should take equally good care, if not more, of everyone else. The golden rule is - treat others as you would have them treat you. Variations of this phrase are found in every religion in the world. If you go to the United Nations Headquarters in New York, you will see this golden rule inscribed there. But now we know why is it that we should treat others the way we want them to treat us. Vedanta shows us how I and the other are not separate. This oneness of all beings is the foundation of morality.

Based on this idea of oneness and divinity within, Swami Vivekananda laid out certain principles. He said, ‘that which strengthens you is true. Reject as poison, that which weakens you’. Vedanta gives strength. What unites all of us is true, what divides us, reject it as false, because of the oneness of existence. What makes us more unselfish, that is the truth. What makes us more selfish, reject it as false.