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Vedanta: The Way of Wisdom

Historically, Vedanta refers to the Upanishads or wisdom “at the end of the Veda.” Vedanta is also a philosophical teaching that requires a transfer of revolutionary knowledge (jnana) through the guidance of a teacher (guru).... Read more about Vedanta: The Way of Wisdom

Bhakti: The Way of Devotion

Bhakti – devotion to the divine – is based on another interpretation of Vedanta: that the soul and the Divine are not One, but inexpressibly, mysteriously, both One and distinct, allowing for a relationship of love. This loving devotion, bhakti, is expressed through songs, hymns, offerings, dances, and plays. ... Read more about Bhakti: The Way of Devotion

Karma: The Way of Action

Karma (literally “action”) is a teaching on the consequences of actions: every action that a human being performs will leave an “imprint” or have its consequences. Teachings on the path of karma from the Bhagavad Gita and Mahatma Gandhi encourage Hindus to live a life of renunciation while engaging actively in the world.... Read more about Karma: The Way of Action

Dharma: The Social Order

Dharma is a concept of social order and duty that sustains the whole universe. A person’s placement in a caste (varna) and birth group (jati) is one element of dharma. Jati is historically also used to determine social interactions and marriages, as dharma guides every aspect of daily life. ... Read more about Dharma: The Social Order

Abodes of God: Temple and Image

Hindu temples house the images (murti) of the gods. Temples are used for daily worship, festivals, pilgrimages, and for seeing the gods’ images (darshan). Sacred locations like hilltops or rivers, called tirthas (“crossings” or “fords”), are sites of pilgrimage.... Read more about Abodes of God: Temple and Image

The Hindu Diaspora

Today Hinduism is practiced and reinterpreted all over the world. There are Hindus in South Africa and East Africa, in Trinidad and Mauritius, in Australia and Austria, in the United Kingdom and in the United States.... Read more about The Hindu Diaspora

Hinduism in America

Trade and Transcendentalism

Hindu influence in the United States likely started with trading ships that traveled between ports in India and New England in the early 19th century. Prominent transcendentalist writers and thinkers, including Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, were also influenced by Hindu teachings and sacred texts.... Read more about Trade and Transcendentalism

Vivekananda at the Parliament

Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu religious reformer who spoke in Chicago at the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions, made an impression in America as one of the first Hindus to speak for his own religious tradition before a large audience. Vivekananda traveled across the country and spoke in various public and religious contexts, including two speaking engagements at Harvard.... Read more about Vivekananda at the Parliament

The Vedanta Society

Swami Vivekananda opened the first American Vedanta Society in New York in 1894, and the second Vedanta Society in San Francisco in 1899. Vivekananda’s teachings through these societies focused on Vedanta and on yoga practice. The Vedanta society contributed to yoga’s later rise in popularity.... Read more about The Vedanta Society

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