A Comprehensive Collection - Swami Vivekananda

"""""VEDANTA IN INDIAN LIFE. 403jH our sects agree is here, that we all believe in theScripture the Vedas. This, is perhaps, certain that nomau can have a light to be called a Hindu, who does notudmit the supreme authority of the Vedas. All theseVedas, as all of you are aware, are divided into two portions the Karma Kanda and the Gnana Kanda, the KarmiKanda including various sacrifices and ceremoni>is; ofwhich the ikrger part has become disused in the present.age. The Gnana Kanda, as embodying the spiritualteachings of the Vedas known as the Upanishads and theVedanta, has always been cited as the highest authorityby all our teachers, our philosophers and our writers,whether Dualist or Qualified Monist or Monist. Whatever be his philosophy or sect, every one in India has tofind his authority in the Upanlsbads. If he cannot, hissect would be heterodox. Therefore, perhaps, the onename in modern times, which would designate every Hinduthroughout the land, would be Vedantist orVeidik,"as you may put it and in that sense I ; always use the"words Vedantism and Vedanta." I want to make ita little clearer, for, of late, it has become the custom ofmost people to identify the word Vedanta with the Adwaiticsystem of the Vedanta Philosophy. We all know thatAdwaitism is only one branch of the various philosophicsystems that have been founded on the Upanishads. Thefollowers of the Visishtadwaitic system have as muchreverence for the Upanishadsas the followers of theAdwaita, and the Visishtadwaitists claim as much authorityfor the Vedanta as the Adwaitist. So do the Dualists ;so does every other sect in India ;but the word Vedantisthas become somewhat identified in the popular mind withthe Adwaitist, and, perhaps, with some reason ; becausealthough we have the Vedas for our Scriptures, we have