Vedanta is one of the oldest spiritual philosophies of the world and one of the broadest. Based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of Hinduism, Vedanta is universal in its nature and is equally relevant to all cultures and religious backgrounds.
The Society is an official branch of the Ramakrishna Order of India.
Vedanta
Vedanta affirms:
- The oneness of existence
- The divinity of soul
- The harmony of all religions
Vedanta teaches that our real nature, our real Self, is pure, luminous, immortal, and free – a manifestation of the Infinite Divine Reality or Godhead. The aim of our life on earth is to realize this divinity. To help us achieve this goal, Vedanta teaches various methods suited to individual needs and capacities, by which this divine perfection of the Self can be actually experienced.
Our Purpose
This Society exists to encourage its members and friends to spiritualize their lives, regardless of their choice of faith. In the Vedanta Society, all of the world’s great religious leaders and teachers are given due reverence. Through their lives and teachings, one sees the living Vedanta.
Vedanta is not confined to any religion or any culture of the world. Vedanta is the essence of religion itself. Vedanta describes spiritual principles which operate throughout the universe.
The Society seeks to increase mutual understanding and appreciation among followers of all religious paths and to aid those who have no path.
Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity by controlling nature, external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these – and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details.
Swami Vivekananda
Vedanta Society of Kansas City 