Chapter 5.1 - The Four Lectures on Practical Vedanta

Vivekananda went to Western World with his message of Vedanta, which can be regarded as Vedanta in practice or practical Vedanta. Here Vivekananda accepted ‘Vedanta’ in a broad sense, including Veda, Upanishad, and Gita. Vivekananda’s mission was to show the entire world that Vedanta is not only an intellectual exercise in search of ‘Reality’ alone, Vedanta bears also a practical aspect. It was his conviction that Vedanta can be guiding principle of our life and it can re-order, re-generate our life and society. So, Vivekananda stated, “The Upanishad in the past was only for the sannyasin. Sankara made it available also to the house-holder. But it is in the Gita, the best commentary on the Veda, that it is made available for everyone in every occupation of life.”^[1] Further we can add that Vivekananda showed this practical aspect of Vedanta to the whole World. In 1896, he delivered several lectures on practical Vedanta in London. Vivekananda realized that, theory is good but, without practical application, it has no value. Such kind of theory just becomes intellectual gymnastics. He says “theory is very good indeed, but how are we to carry it into practice? If it be absolutely impracticable no theory is of any value whatever, except as intellectual gymnastics. The Vedanta, therefore, as a religion must be intensely practical. We must be able to carry it out in every part of our lives.”^[2]

[(i) The First Lecture];

[(ii) The Second Lecture];

[(iii) The Third Lecture];

[(iv) The Fourth Lecture].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Abhedananda, Swami, Universal Religion and Vedanta, p-46.

[2]:

[Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda] vol. 2, p-291.