Context: Swami Vivekananda delivered his iconic speech on Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago on September 11, 1893. This historic address marked his introduction of Vedanta, Hinduism and Indian spirituality to the Western world.
Relevance of the Topic:Prelims: Key facts about Swami Vivekananda; Vedanta Philosophy. Mains: Relevance of Swami Vivekananda’s ideals in the modern world.
Swami Vivekananda, born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk, spiritual leader, and advocate of Vedanta philosophy in India.
Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago:
- The 1893 World's Parliament of Religions marks the first formal gathering of representatives of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. It was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths.
- In a landmark speech on September 11, 1893, 30-year-old Vivekananda preached about religious tolerance and called for an end to fanaticism.
Swami Vivekananda introduced Vedanta to West:
- He presented Vedanta (philosophical position of radical non-dualism) as an inclusive, universal religion.
- His speech helped spread the ideals of Vedanta, Hinduism and Indian spirituality to the Western world. They included:
- importance of tolerance and acceptance of different religious beliefs.
- idea that all religions ultimately lead to the same truth.
- need for harmonious co-existence of different faiths.
- importance of recognising the divinity within each individual.
- He highlighted the need for a balanced synthesis of Eastern spiritualism and Western materialism to foster global happiness and progress.
- His teachings also popularised the practice of meditation and Hatha Yoga (now known only as yoga) in the West.
What is Vedanta Philosophy?
- The term Vedanta literally means the “conclusion” (anta) of the Vedas. Vedanta is one of the six systems (darshans) of Indian philosophy.
- The roots of the Vedanta philosophy are in the Upanishads (which were elaborations of the Vedas), and to the school that arose out of the study (mimamsa) of the Upanishads.
- There arethree main concepts in Vedanta:
- Brahman or Ishvara which is the ultimate reality.
- Atman or the individual souls.
- Prakriti or the physical world.
- Three fundamental Vedanta texts:
- Upanishads (Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Taittiriya, and Katha)
- Brahma-sutras (also called Vedanta-sutras): brief interpretations of the doctrine of the Upanishads.
- Bhagavad Gita (Song of the Lord).
Various Schools of Thought:
When it comes to the relationship between the three concepts (Brahman, Atman and Prakriti), there are many schools of thought.
- Advaita Vedanta: Brahman and Atman are one and the same. It believes that all souls across space and time are one entity. It rejects rituals and advocates renunciation. The prominent teachers were Gaudapada (500 CE) and Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE).
- Dvaita Vedanta: Brahman and Atman are always totally different from each other. This is the opposite of Advaita. The most important philosopher was Madhvacharya (1238-1317 CE).
- Vishishita Advaita Vedanta: Atman is different from the Brahman though connected to it as its root. The most famous philosopher was Ramanuja (1017-1137 CE), who stressed the importance of bhakti (devotion) to a personal god.
- Neo-Vedanta (19th century): Combined Vedantic thoughts with nationalism. This school maintains that different schools of Vedanta are all different interpretations of a single truth. Prominent thinkers of this school include- Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo.
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