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Vedanta Quotes

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Vedanta Quotes

“The idea of reward and punishment also springs from this law. Whatever we sow, we must reap. It cannot be otherwise. [...] If a person spends all his life in evil-thinking and wrongdoing, then it is useless for him to look for happiness hereafter; because our hereafter is not a matter of chance, but follows as the reaction of our present action. [...] We should, however, never lose sight of the fact that all these ideas of reward and punishment exist in the realm of relativity or finiteness. No soul can ever be doomed eternally through his finite evil deeds; for the cause and effect must always be equal. Thus we can see through our common sense that the theory of eternal perdition and eternal heaven is impossible and illogical, since no finite action can create an infinite result. Hence according to Vedanta, the goal of mankind is neither temporal pleasure nor pain, but Mukti or absolute freedom ; and each soul is consciously or unconsciously marching towards this goal through the various experiences of life and death.”

SalvationKarmaHinduismVedantaHinduVedanta Concepts
Author:Paramananda
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“Shankara’s views were gradually accepted, possibly because he presented brahman both as the cosmic principle and as a personal god (isvara), which added emphasis to the teaching of the later Upanisads and to that of Patañjali. Advaita Vedanta thus reinforced the teaching of the Bhagavadgitä and the concept of liberation (mukti) by grace (prasäda), faith (sraddha), and devotion (bhakti). It succeeded in reviving the ancient belief in the affinity of mankind with the world of nature. From being merely one of the darsanas, the Vedanta became an element that permeated all Hindu cults and dissolved sectarian distinctions. It gave to the Supreme Essence (paramätman), Vishnu and Shiva the common, all-inclusive designation, ‘Isvara’.”

HinduismVedantaVedanta ConceptsUpanishadsIndian PhilosophyShankara
Book:Dictionary of Hinduism: Its Mythology, Folklore and Development 1500 BC - AD 1500
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“Food should be eaten fresh. Food is not only physical substance but shakti, or energy, a manifestation of Consciousness in living beings [...] finally, although rajas and tamas are desirable in moderate amounts, the state of mind in which food is gathered, prepared and consumed should be sattvic. Because food is given by God to sustain life, one eats with gratitude, not fear or desire. See the body as a temple or an instrument of the Divine and treat it with great love and respect. If the ultimate purpose of life is the realization of the Self and meditation the means to it, then one‘s relationship to food is important because it directly affects the quality of the mind. (pp. 72-74)”

VedantaVegetarian DietSpiritual Lifestyle
Book:Meditation: Inquiry Into the Self
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“Das Alleinsein wertzuschätzen ist offensichtlich ein nützlicher Wert, denn man kann sich nicht der Selbsterforschung widmen, wenn man von anderen unruhigen Geistern umgeben und mit ihnen in Verbindung ist. Der bewusst gewählte Rückzug ist von einer Flucht zu unterscheiden, in der wir vor uns selbst oder vor Dingen fliehen, denen wir uns nicht stellen wollen. Wenn eine Aktivität nur der Flucht dient, haben wir ein Gefühl der Unzulänglichkeit. Ein Geist, der das Alleinsein schätzt, ist ein Geist, der es genießt, für sich zu sein. Die Einsamkeit ist die beste Umgebung für die Selbsterforschung. (S. 196)”

MeditationVedantaEinsamkeitAlleinsein
Book:Yoga der Liebe: Naradas Bhakti Sutra aus der Perspektive des Vedanta
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“Our world, according to Dharma, is a place that is replete with inherent meaning, value, and an intelligent design underlying its physical principles and laws, as well as a transcendent purpose that, while not necessarily discernible via empirical means, nonetheless forms a very concrete spiritual basis of all empirical reality. The material, according to Dharma, finds its origin and sustaining ground in the spiritual. The measurable is grounded upon the infinite. The spiritual necessarily precedes the material. The world is here for a purpose – and that purpose is God’s purpose. The word “dharma”, in this more important philosophical sense, refers to those underlying natural principles that are inherent in the very structure of reality, ordering our world as the metaphysical backdrop to the drama of everyday phenomenal existence, and that has their origin in the causeless will and grace of God. Dharma is Natural Law. Thus, if we needed to render the entire term Sanatana Dharma into English, we can cautiously translate it as „The Eternal Natural Way“. (p. 47)”

Spiritual LifeNatural LawVedantaSanatana DharmaThe Eternal Natural Way
Book:Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way
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“The teachings of 1) the Upanishads, coupled with 2) the Bhagavad Gita and 3) the Brahma Sutras, form the scriptural foundation of Vedanta, which constitutes the highest philosophical teachings of Sanatana Dharma. The term "Vedanta" is composed of two Sanskrit words. "Veda" means knowledge, and "anta" means the end, or culmination. Thus, Vedanta represents the "Culmination of all Knowledge". Of the 108 volumes of the Upanishads, several are extremely esoteric, while some are more easily understandable by modern readers. In either case, the only way to fully understand the teachings of both the Upanishads and any other sacred work of the Vedic literature is to study these works under the expert guidance of an authentic and self-realized guru (spiritual master). It is impossible to understand the inner spiritual essence of the Vedic scriptures without the grace of an authorized guru.”

VedantaSanatana DharmaThe Eternal Natural WayThe Vedic WayThe Guru Disciple Tradition
Author:Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya
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“The Bhagavad Gita presents us with a unitary system of Yoga, one clear and systematic path, wherein all four Yoga techniques of jnana, karma, bhakti and classical ashtanga are - together – all considered crucial for spiritual realization. These four supposedly different paths, in actuality, represent four aspects of one, unified, integral Yoga system. They are akin to the four sides of a square. If one of the sides of the square is missing, then the very structural integrity and being of the square is itself compromised. Indeed, it no longer is logically qualified as a "square" at all. Similarly, the complete and authentic path of Yoga spirituality must include all these four components of Yoga in order to be fully appreciated. It is true that these four Yogas are linked by their common emphasis on devotional meditation upon, and the ultimate loving absorption of our awareness in, the Absolute. However, it is also inarguably clear that Krishna considers bhakti-yoga, or the discipline of focused devotional consciousness, to be not merely one component of these four branches of Yoga, but as the very essence and goal of all Yoga practice itself. Unlike the other aspects of the Yoga path, bhakti (devotional meditation) is distinguished by the fact that it is not only a means (upaya) for knowing God, but it is simultaneously also the goal (artha) of all human existence. As the means, bhakti designates devotional meditation; as the goal, bhakti means devotional consciousness. At no time does one abandon the practice of bhakti, even upon achieving liberation. Rather, devotional consciousness focused with one-pointed awareness upon the Absolute represents the very goal of the entire Yoga system.”

YogaVedantaBhakti YogaSanatana DharmaBhagavad GitaThe Eternal Natural WaySpiritual Realization
Book:Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way
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“God, or Brahman, is the source of all. In the state of illusion, the soul (Atman) sees itself as an exploiter of matter (Jagat), and lives in an unnatural state of illusory separation from God. Thus, the soul psychologically finds himself in a unnatural, unnecessary and discomforting state of self-imposed conflict (virodha) and adversity with God, with other living beings, and with the material world around him. Such an unnatural state is the source of all our suffering. However, in the most ideal of circumstances, God, soul and materiality all exist in harmonious balance, drawn to one another through a metaphysical bond of love, and a unity of transcendent purpose - Atman and Jagat serving Brahman, and Brahman giving Atman and Jagat their sense of purpose and operating as the ontological source and sustaining principle of their very being [...] When we live in such a state of natural balance, we are then living in accordance with Dharma. We are then living our lives naturally and in perfection. (p. 115)”

VedantaBrahmanAtmanSanatana DharmaThe Eternal Natural WayIllusory Separation From God
Book:Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way
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“„If action yoga suggests a change in attitude toward action, knowledge yoga requires a change in the way we think. Ordinarily, because the intellect is Self-ignorant and under ego‘s passionate influence, its concepts cause suffering. To right the inner disharmony, knowledge yoga aims to detach intellect from ego and train it to identify with and think from the Self. „Thinking from the Self“ means that impersonal truth, not personal prejudice, becomes the center of one‘s thought life, the point from which thoughts originate and to which they return. Self-ignorance manifests first as a confused and unrealistic thought life, then trickles down to disturb and delude the emotions, eventually contaminating in one‘s contact with the outer world. Because it eliminates incorrect, ignorance-born, ego-centered thoughts, reality-based knowledge produces a harmonious, clear and luminous subtle body, one suited to meditation. (p. 64)”

EnlightenmentYogaVedantaSelfknowledgeJnana Yoga
Book:Meditation: Inquiry Into the Self
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“So wie ein Mensch, dessen Haare in Flammen stehen, augenblicklich in den nächstbesten Teich springen wird, um die Flammen zu löschen, so beeilt sich ein qualifizierter Schüler, der von den täuschenden Flammen der Dualität verbrannt wurde (samsara), einem kompetenten Lehrer zu dienen, der, weil er sein angeborenes, ewig freies Selbst entdeckt hat, in ungestörter Gelassenheit ruht. (Vedanta-sara 1.30)”

VedantaMokshaErleuchtungNondualitätNaradas Bhakti Sutra
Book:Yoga der Liebe: Naradas Bhakti Sutra aus der Perspektive des Vedanta
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“Maya, die Ursache von samsara, der Glaube, dass die Realität eine Dualität ist und dass die Objekte Freude in sich bergen, ist eine wunderbare, intelligente Kraft, eine machtvolle Verführerin, welche die Welt anziehend und aufregend erscheinen lässt. In der „Bhagavad Gita“ warnt Kṛṣṇa: „Diese, meine göttliche maya, bestehend aus drei gunas, ist wahrlich schwer zu begreifen. Nur jene, die sich mir ergeben, können sie überwinden.“ (Bhagavad Gita 7.14) (S. 138)”

VedantaMokshaMayaBhagavad GitaErleuchtungNondualität
Book:Yoga der Liebe: Naradas Bhakti Sutra aus der Perspektive des Vedanta
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“The oldest Vedantic school, Advaita [‘Not two’], represents an extreme and purist position in arguing that Brahman alone is real. The self and the world are within Brahman, with any apparent difference arising from illusion [maya] and ignorance [avidya]. It is as with a rope, which seems to be a snake, or a seashell, which seems to be of silver. This world is like the foam on the sea, or a peacock’s egg, created simply for play [lila]. Since Brahman is all, Brahman is without attributes. When the mind, which is given to maya, tries to conceive of Brahman, it sees Ishvara in one of his many forms. If certain Upanishadic statements appear to be theistic, it is because their author (nominally, Brahman) is catering to his audience. Only in deep sleep, when we are no longer dreaming, might we experience something of the formlessness of Brahman. We are then pure, disengaged consciousness, like the sun after it has set. This is the experience of disembodied Atma, of death, of home.”

DeathSleepConsciousnessHinduismVedantaBrahmanAtmanVedasThe SoulUpanishads
Book:Indian Mythology and Philosophy: The Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Kama Sutra… And How They Fit Together
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“A deep, wise, and wonderful exploration of the Vedanta path for relationships both with yourself and with others. In this book, Shubhraji provides everything you need to create healthy, fulfilling relationships, using ancient wisdom, beautiful stories, tools, and exercises. This book is a must read for those on a serious spiritual journey.”

NeedsBookStoriesBeautifulSpiritualPathWiseWonderfulJourneySeriousExerciseHealthyToolsAncientExplorationFulfillingSpiritual JourneyVedantaAncient Wisdom
Author:Arielle Ford
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“The Vedanta teaches men to have faith in themselves first. As certain religions of the world say that a man who does not believe in a Personal God outside of himself is an atheist, so the Vedanta says, a man who does not believe in himself is an atheist. Not believing in the glory of our own soul is what the Vedanta calls atheism.”

MenWorldFirstsBelieveDoeSoulCertainFaithTeachAtheismGloryAtheistHave FaithVedanta
Book:Vedanta: Voice of Freedom
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“We have lost faith in ourselves. Therefore to preach the Advaita aspect of the Vedanta is necessary to rouse up the hearts of men, to show them the glory of their souls. It is therefore that I preach this Advaita, and I do so not as a sectarian, but upon universal and widely acceptable grounds.”

MenHeartSoulShowsFaithLostGloryAspectUniversalAcceptableVedantaLost Faith
Book:The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
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“It is weakness, says the Vedanta, which is the cause of all misery in this world. Weakness is the one cause of suffering. We become miserable because we are weak. We lie, steal, kill and commit other crimes, because we are weak. We die because we are weak. Where there is nothing to weaken us, there is no death nor sorrow. We are miserable through delusion. Give up the delusion and the whole thing vanishes.”

WorldGivingWholeLyingSufferingDiesCausesStrengthCrimeThis WorldSorrowGiving UpWeaknessWeakMiseryStealingCommitMiserableDelusionVedanta
Author:Swami Vivekananda
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“Brave, bold men, these are what we want. What we want is vigor in the blood, strength in the nerves, iron muscles and nerves of steel, not softening namby-pamby ideas. Avoid all these. Avoid all mystery. There is no mystery in religion. Is there any mystery in the Vedanta, or in the Vedas, or in the Samhitâs, or in the Puranas? What secret societies did the sages of yore establish to preach their religion? What sleight-of-hand tricks are there recorded as used by them to bring their grand truths to humanity?”

MenWantIdeasHandsMotivationalUsedHumanitySecretMysteryBloodBraveTricksMusclesIronOld ManNervesSteelSageVigorVedantaSecret SocietyVedasSleight Of Hand
Book:Lectures Vol. 3
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“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”

ThinkingWayLifeInspirationalIdeasWisdomDreamBodyMotivationalSuccessGoalInspiringBusinessBrainSuccessfulWise WordsSucceedYour BodyMeaningfulHard TimesMusclesBeing SuccessfulConcentrationNervesSuccessful PeopleSuccess In LifeEncouragingKey To SuccessRoad To SuccessRecipe For SuccessMeaningful LifeDon't Give UpLoving LifeGreat SuccessVedantaMotivational SuccessSuccesInspirational SuccessSuccessful LifeBest SuccessHappiness And SuccessBe Your BestAchieving DreamsWill To SucceedParts Of The BodyDefinition Of SuccessLife DreamFormula For SuccessLadder Of SuccessAchieving Your DreamsLife Is A DreamSucceeding In LifeFocus And ConcentrationPower Of IdeasWay To SuccessBrain PowerLife And DreamsThoughts And IdeasSuccess And LifeSuccess Of OthersSucceeding In BusinessSuccess HappinessDreaming And SuccessPersonal AchievementChasing SuccessFresh IdeasLuck And Hard WorkStarting New BusinessInteresting Personalities
Book:Swami Vivekananda's Rousing Call to Hindu Nation
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“The Vedanta recognizes no sin it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.”

SinPowerCreaturesWeakErrorsMiserableSinnerVedanta
Book:The Complete Works of the Swami Vivekananda, Comprising All His Lectures, Addresses and Discourses Delivered in Europe, America and India: All His Writings in Prose and Poetry, Together with Translations of Those Written in Bengali and Sanskrit; Reports of His Interviews and His Replies to the Various Addresses of Welcome; His Sayings and Epistles,--private and Public--original and Translated; with an Index; Carefully Revised & Edited
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“From the high spiritual flights of the Vedanta philosophy, of which the latest discoveries of science seem like echoes, to the low ideas of idolatry with its multifarious mythology, the agnosticism of the Buddhists and the atheism of the Jains, each and all have a place in the Hinduism religion.”

IdeasPhilosophySeemsSpiritualAtheismLowsDiscoveryMythologyFlightBuddhistHinduismEchoesIdolatryAgnosticismVedantaHindu Religion
Book:Essentials of Hinduism
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