Study of Vivekacūdạ̄manị, aphoristic work on Vedanta philosophy; includes complete text with translation and commentary.

What is Advaita Vedanta? What means or instruments does it utilize in its attempt to comprehend Reality? What is the nature of its aim? If we begin by answering these questions, we will be ready to follow with the right intelligence the message given by the great SANKARA in Vivekacudamani. The path which is outlined here is not for the majority, quite the contrary. It is for those who, having attained "maturity," tend towards full Awakening. It is for those who want to bring about a profound revolution within themselves; and this requires an act of courage, of steadfastness and, at the same time, of great humility. Advaita Vedanta is for those who, tired of a long pilgrimage, have finally stopped and in the silence of their own hearts have decided to launch a powerful attack on that terrible and treacherous enemy who lives not outside of us but right within us, and thus realize full liberation from all psycho-physical conflict and bondage. As darkness and its effects vanish when the sun rises, so, when realization of non-dual beatitude dawns, do bondage and suffering vanish without a trace (Vivekacudamani, sutra 319) SANKARA has been one of the greatest philosophers of India. He dedicated his brief and intense life (788-820) to re-establish the authority of the ruti, to codify the Advaita Vedanta, the doctrine of Non-duality, and to anchor the Metaphysical Tradition of the Veda through the foundation of monasteries (ma]ha) and monastic orders. With his bhasya (commentary) to the Upanisad, the Brahmasutra, and the Bhagavadgita, and with his own writings, Sankara has profoundly influenced not only India's philosophical development, but that of the entire world. RAPHAEL is author and Master in the Western Metaphysical Tradition as well as the Vedanta. For over 35 years, he has written a series of books on the pathway of Non-duality (Advaita). He has translated directly from the original Sanskrit and Edited a number of key Vedanta texts. His entire work is a conscious reunification of both Western and Eastern Traditions into Unity of Tradition.

A classic text on the path to God through knowledge. The basic teaching is that God alone is the all-pervading reality; the individual soul is none other than the universal soul. Shankara was under no illusions about this world. For this reason, he is able to describe so powerfully the complete transformation of the universe that takes place before the eyes of the illumined seer, when the world indeed becomes a paradise.

This book is a discourse on the subject delivered by Swami Ranganathananda, the thirteenth president of the Ramakrishna Order, noted for his humanitarian and progressive views and scientific temper. The nature and the working of the divine grace and many other allied topics, such as self-surrender and self-reliance, are clearly elucidated in this lecture. This lecture, with elaborate quotations from the saints and philosophers of both the East and the West, will help spiritual seekers comprehend the subject from various perspectives and unravel the mystery surrounding the working of the divine grace.

The Message of the Upanishads is a study, verse by verse, of three of the principal Upanishads, namely, Isha, Kena and Katha, in the light of modern thought and modern needs. Though constituting a small portion of the total Upanishadic literature, they yet contain a lucid exposition of all the essential ideas of this immortal literature. The spiritual insights of the Upanishads are an exception to the tyranny of time. Subsequent scientific advances have not only affected their truth-value but have, on the contrary, only helped to reveal the rational basis of their insights and enhanced their spiritual appeal. This is no wonder, because these insights are the products of an equally scientific investigation into a different field of experience, namely, the world of man’s inner life. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math.

Commentary by Swami Tejomayananda. In this short and beautiful composition, Adi Sankara, the Master, has condensed the essence of Vedanta in just 31 verses, which are very useful to all serious seekers.