Introduction to Vedanta

by Dayananda Saraswati

We spend all our lives in the pursuit of varied pleasures, wealth and fame expecting these will give us total fulfillment. Yet, each moment of joy is only that: momentary, showing up the rest of our lives to be unsatisfying, somehow lacking and incomplete. On the other hand, Vedanta, the body of knowledge found at the end of the Veda, asserts with breathtaking boldness that one's true nature is completeness and limitlessness. Vedanta also promises that moksa, liberation from all forms of limitations that seem to bind a human being, is possible here and now. In this lucid, lively introduction to Vedanta, Swami Dayananda shows how man's constant struggle to overcome these limitations through the ceaseless pursuit of security and pleasure are predestined to failure for the simple reason that they are misdirected: they stem from a failure in understanding the real nature of the fundamental problem itself. All effort howsoever great or unremitting being limited, the result of such effort is also bound to be equally limited, inadequate. The road to freedom from limitation, then, can scarcely lie that way. Indeed, asserts Vedanta, it is only to be found in the correct knowledge of one's true nature as absolute. This vital first step, a clear understanding of man's fundamental problem of ignorance and error about his real nature. Is what this book is all about.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Hinduism, Nonfiction, India

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1998

About the author

Swami Dayananda Saraswati (दयानन्‍द सरस्‍वती) (born August 15, 1930, died September 23, 2015) was a monk of the Hindu monastic order, a renowned traditional teacher of Advaita Vedanta and a scholar in Sanskrit in the tradition of Sankara. He has been teaching Vedanta in India for more than five decades and around the world since 1976. His deep scholarship and assimilation of Vedanta combined with a subtle appreciation of contemporary problems make him that rare teacher who can reach both traditional and modern students. A teacher of teachers, Swami Dayananda taught six resident in-depth Vedanta courses, each spanning 30 to 36 months. Four of them were conducted in India and two in the United States. Each course graduated about 60 qualified teachers, who are now teaching throughout India and abroad. Under his guidance, various centers for teaching of Vedanta have been founded around the world; among these, there are three primary centers in India at Rishikesh, Coimbatore, Nagpur and one in the U.S. at Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. There are more than one hundred centers in India and abroad that carry on the same tradition of Vedantic teaching. In addition to teaching, Swami Dayananda has initiated and supported various humanitarian efforts for the last forty-five years. The most far-reaching of these is the establishment of All India Movement for Seva in 2000. Awarded consultative status with ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) by the United Nations in 2005, this organization is devoted to serving people in the remote areas of India, mainly in the field of Education and Health Care. Swami Dayananda Saraswati has also promoted several international events and participated as a speaker in several global forums, among which are: the United Nations gathering of NGO's, the UNESCO Seoul Global Convention, the United Nations 50th Anniversary Celebration, the Millennium World Peace Summit, the International Congress for the Preservation of Religious Diversity, the Conference on the Preservation of Sacred Sites, the World Council for Preservation of Religious Diversity, the Youth Peace Summit, the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders, a Hindu-Christian dialogue with the World Council of Churches, and the Hindu-Jewish Leadership Summit.

Reviews

[Harini Gopalswami Srinivasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read much non-fiction, and have never got through a single philosophy book unless it's sugar coated like 'Sophie's World', and even then it is difficult for me to stick with it. Why I'm saying this, is to underline how wonderful and compelling this book is! Swami Dayananda's Introduction to Vedanta is simple, practical, wise and mind-blowing. It makes you slap yourself on the forehead and say- Of course! It stands to reason! I love the homeliness of the ideas and the staggering magnificence of the Idea. I won't venture to paraphrase, but will just urge -- go get yourself a copy and read it. You can't afford not to! And don't worry -- this is NOT a religious book, just a way to understand oneself and one's relationship to the universe.

[Rucha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swami Dayananda gives a very simple and thorough introduction to Vedanta. This book is exactly what it says on the cover-understanding the fundamental problem, meaning, it is not so much about Vedanta itself, but why we need Vedanta, the purpose of it, how we should approach the study, how it differs from material knowledge.

This book is a refreshing and new way of looking at ourselves. Swami Dayananda uses the word "inadequate" to describe the human problem, that we continuously see ourselves as inadequate, searching to become adequate. This word conveys the fundamental human problem, and Swami Dayananda does a beautiful job of expanding on this idea.

One of the things that resonated with me, was, how we (humans) use methods that are limited to achieve results that are limited in hopes of making us feel complete, never realizing our limitlessness that is already there, but covered by ignorance, of which only knowledge can rid us of that ignorance. It is a beautiful way of understanding that what we seek is already within us, but we always look outside of ourselves for peace, happiness, and fulfillment.

I appreciate that he gives the definitions and expands on Sanskrit terminology. This book is based on opening talks Swami Dayananda gave at the start of a 3-year course on Vedanta in 1979 in California, so it makes sense that he reviews what he has already gone over in each chapter (for us, as readers) as he builds on ideas and brings them together to give more well-rounded knowledge.

My favorite chapter, if I had to choose one, is the last chapter on Vedanta. He makes clear that Vedanta, refers to the end chapter in each book of the Vedas (Rigveda, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva), also the second section of each book. He explains the differences in the first section and second section in the Vedas and who is fit for the study of Vedanta.

There are so many other nuggets of wisdom in this book- I highly recommend you read it for yourself!

This is a quick read (I read it in a couple of days).

[Dan Dumitrescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone is born with ignorance in abundance.
Knowledge is covered with ignorance. All one does is remove ignorance; then knowledge is so to speak gained.
Dayananda is a bit more complicated then Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda as he goes deep in the studies of the Jnana yoga and the Vedes, actually this book is about what is at the end of the Vedes, is about the Vedanta. Where Vedanta is the Traditional Teaching of Self-Knowledge. The first part is covering the actions, the karma, and when this parts is grasped it continues with the understanding of the knowledge.
"For self-knowledge, self-inquiry is necessary. Inquiry is necessary because of the contradictory information my experiences have given me about myself. I have had two types of experiences: one type of experience has led me to conclude that I am inadequate; another type has shown me to be an adequate being. I need to reconcile these two types of experiences to see the fact that I am an adequate being. To accomplish this reconciliation I must conduct a self-inquiry called atma-vicara. This inquiry into the self which leads to discovery of the nature of oneself, is called Vedanta."

[Ankit Agarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing piece of work to whet the taste of anyone who is as much as curious about Indian philosophy. The simplicity of language, rigor of logic and relevant examples make this book particularly captivating. Highly recommended to every curious mind.

[Ishaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not talk about the nitty gritty of Vedanta. It gives a logical examination of life and the way to approach the learning of Vedanta. Really interesting and written in simple language with examples that shed light on the subject. Recommend reading it.

[Pythagorean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it's sometimes a bit repetitive, this is a good intro to Advaita Vedanta. I learned several of the Sanskrit terms and am ready for more advanced reading on the subject.

[Ben Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspired another amazing conversation with my friend Jai. For that and other reasons I give this book 5 stars.

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atma Vicara. Understanding the fundamental problem. Great introductory book to Vedanta.

[Tamara Indulekha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every true seeker. This book is about locating the essence. Purely philosophical, yet explained in an understandable way.

[Shantharam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read. Another master piece from Swamiji

[Stefanie Dettmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by one of my Vedanta teachers and it is indeed a perfect introduction. Easy to read and on point. A must read for every yogateacher - and any other human being... The way out is in.

[Paolo Bagnato · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veramente un’eccellente introduzione. Ha la particolarità (che può essere sia un pregio che un difetto a seconda dei punti di vista) di non affrontare il discorso partendo da un punto di vista religioso. Libro consigliatissimo

[Chakravarthy Meduri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written and concise...clear rational and logical explanation. Would recommend to anyone who is interested in philosophy (I mean, Indian philosophy)

[Erik Steevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book!!!

[Srikanth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book tries to prove the point that Vedanta is the knowledge that needs to be imbibed in order to attain 'Moksha', i.e liberation. The remaining pages tell you that you need to have a proper mindset and should approach a knowledgeable teacher in order to achieve this knowledge. I feel that the contents of this book could have easily been written as a small booklet of a few pages.