THE INDIVDUAL AND THE SUPREME:- Each of us has two kinds of consciousness: individual & universal. Individual consciousness, of ego, separates us from God & from other beings. This individuality is self-reinforcing; it binds us to our egocentric view of life. When the ego is completely gone, when we become soul-conscious, we realize the Supreme Truth: the unity of existence. Even before this complete awakening, a vague sense of a shared consciousness moves us to seek peace, harmony, & fraternity with other. Something within moves us to think of God & to develop a larger awareness. We cannot rest, feeling we are completely separate from other; part of us wanta to break the barriers & be free. In our best moments we see that life is essentially divine; we also feel that we are bound by ego, unable to express our full divine potential. THE CONCEPT OF GOD IN HINDU RELIGION:- The Hindus believe that religion is realization—the truth of religion must be intuitively experienced in life. Hindus are not satisfied with an implicit faith in certain dogmas or doctrines about God, the human soul, or the final goal of life. Their rational minds demand the highest truth. Hindus do not submit to the authority of any prophet of teacher. They enjoy absolute freedom of thought, will, & emotion: may even pursue spiritual life without believing in God. The one requirement is that they lead moral lives, earnestly disciplining body & mind, purifying themselves. Religion is a way of life which ennobles their character, enlightens their view of life, & deepens their knowledge of nature, man & God. THE FUNDAMENTAL TEACHINGS OF VEDANTA:- Down through the ages, India has been the eternal source of spiritual inspiration for humanity. “Evidently. . . India was the birthplace of the fundamental imaginings, the cradle of contemplative religion & the nobler philosophy.” This source has been authenticated, amplified, elucidated & rejuvenated by eminent mystics throughout the ages. The Indian mind, despite depressed situations in external life, kept this life-giving & sustaining philosophy & religion in its culture. “In all nations there are minds which incline to dwell on the conception of the fundamental Unity…. This tendency finds its highest expression in the religions writings of the East, & chiefly in the Indian Scriptures, in the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita, & the Vishnu Purana,” declared Ralph Waldo Emerson. VEDANTA & SWAMI VIVEKANADA:- In his lecture, Vedanta & Indian Life, Swami Vivekananda remarked: “The Upanishads are the great mine of strength. Therein lies strength enough to invigorate the whole world; the whole world can be vivified, made strong, energized through them. They will call with trumpet voice to the weak, the miserable & the downtrodden of all races, all sects, to stand on their feet & be free. Freedom, physical freedom, mental freedom & spiritual freedom are the watchwords of the Upanishads.” And in his lecture, the Mission of the Vedanta he said, “Teach yourselves, teach everyone his real nature, call upon the sleeping soul & see how it awakes. Power will come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will come, & everything that is excellent will come, when this sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.” SWAMIJI’S PRACTICAL VEDANTA – I :- Summing up the lessons of India’s political history, Will Durant in Our Oriental Heritage says. “Weakened by division, it succumbed to invaders; impoverished by invaders, it lost all power of resistance, & took refuge in supernatural consolations; it argued that both mastery & slavery were superficial delusions, & concluded that freedom of the nation was hardly worth defending in so brief a life."