Attitude of Vedanta Towards Religion

Sisters and brothers of California, since the year 1893, when our illustrious brother, Swâmi Vivekânanda, delivered his address on the Vedânta philosophy before the Parliament of Religions at the World’s Fair in Chicago, a genuine interest has been created in the minds of the people of this country to make a careful study of the philosophy and religion of ancient India. Since that time many of the wrong impressions and erroneous notions have been removed from the minds of the Western people by the writings of the Swâmis and of such able scholars as the late Prof. Max Müller, Deussen and others. But the majority of those who have not studied such writings often ask such questions: “What is Vedânta? Is it the same as Theosophy? Is it Spiritualim? Is it Buddhism? Or is it the same as the New Thought Movement which makes healing diseases the highest end of life?”