7 min
Talk · Anandmurti Gurumaa
The Root Cause of a Restless Mind
A 7-minute English talk exploring why the mind stays chronically restless and what actually causes discontent.
Overview
What does vedanta point to?
Vedanta is the philosophical tradition built on the Upanishads, concerned with the relationship between the individual self (Atman) and the ultimate reality (Brahman). Its best-known school, Advaita ('non-dual') Vedanta, traces to the teacher Shankara and holds that Atman and Brahman are, on investigation, not two, a conclusion reached through structured study and inquiry rather than assumed at the outset.
Contemporary Vedanta is carried both by monastic orders such as the Ramakrishna Order (following Ramakrishna and Vivekananda) and by individual teachers who combine textual scholarship with meditation and Self-inquiry. It is worth distinguishing from the broader modern 'Non-duality' scene: many teachers there draw on Vedantic language and insight, but without the textual grounding, scriptural study and lineage transmission that classical Vedanta considers essential.
That which does not change while everything else does: that is what you are.A central teaching within Vedanta
Teachers
Voices within this path.
Compare background, approach and format before choosing a teacher to follow.
In memoriamRM
Self-Inquiry
Ramana Maharshi
Indian sage of Arunachala (1879–1950), one of the most influential modern teachers of Advaita Vedanta, known for the practice of self-inquiry: asking "Who am I?"
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Vedanta
Ramakrishna
Bengali mystic and priest (1836–1886) at the Dakshineshwar Kali Temple, whose teaching on the harmony of religions inspired his disciple Swami Vivekananda and the Vedanta movement.
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Vedic studies
David Frawley
American-born Vedic scholar and founder of the American Institute of Vedic Studies, teaching Vedic astrology, Ayurveda and ritual.
View profile →LW
Vedic Meditation
Light Watkins
American Vedic Meditation teacher and author, offering weekend trainings and retreats built around an accessible entry into mantra meditation.
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Advaita Vedanta
Swami Sarvapriyananda
Monk of the Ramakrishna Order and head of the Vedanta Society of New York, known for clear, accessible teaching on classical Advaita Vedanta.
View profile →D
Vedic Meditation
davidji
American Vedic Meditation teacher trained under Deepak Chopra, now running his own Meditation Teacher Training academy.
View profile →Upcoming events
Upcoming events in vedanta.
Retreats, dialogues and online gatherings connected to this path.
24JUL
Weekly classes with Swami Sarvapriyananda
New York, United States · Weekly classes
See event pageWeekly classes
02AUG
Satsang — Informal Q&A
Somerset, New Jersey, United States · Weekly satsang
See event pageWeekly satsang
26AUG
Michael James Online Satsang
Online · Twice-monthly online satsang
See event pageTwice-monthly online satsang
30AUG
Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
New York, United States · Weekly class
See event pageWeekly class
Talks & videos
Selected talks.
Talks and conversations from teachers within this path.
9 min
Talk · Anandmurti Gurumaa
Overcoming Negative Feelings
A 9-minute English talk on recognizing and moving through negative emotional states.
9 min
Talk · Anandmurti Gurumaa
How to Deal with Hard Times and Stay Strong
A 9-minute English talk offering a spiritual perspective for staying steady through difficult periods of life.
15 min
Talk · Anandmurti Gurumaa
Life Is Precious, Use Your Time Wisely
A 15-minute English discourse urging the listener to stop wasting the limited time of a human life.
Listen
Recordings from vedanta.
Voices from this path and the schools within it, playing from the platforms the teachers publish on.
Swami SarvapriyanandaVedanta
S Spotify
Ask Swami with Swami Sarvapriyananda | June 15th, 2025
A question-and-answer session from Vedanta Talks, Swami Sarvapriyananda's own channel.
From the podcast Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda
Listen on SpotifySwami SarvapriyanandaVedanta
S Spotify
Ask Swami with Swami Sarvapriyananda | September 29th, 2024
A question-and-answer session from Vedanta Talks, Swami Sarvapriyananda's own channel.
From the podcast Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda
Listen on SpotifySwami SarvapriyanandaVedanta
S Spotify
Swami Vivekananda on Karma & Freedom
A talk from Vedanta Talks, Swami Sarvapriyananda's own channel.
From the podcast Vedanta Talks - Swami Sarvapriyananda
Listen on SpotifyJames SwartzVedanta
↗ yoga-vedanta-tantra.org
Podcast - James Swartz talks about the Bhagavad Gita Part 32
The final instalment of the Yoga Vidya recordings of Swartz's Bhagavad Gita teaching.
From the podcast James Swartz - Vedanta Talks on the Bhagavad Gita
Listen on yoga-vedanta-tantra.orgReading Room
Source texts
The source texts beneath this path, free to read.
The Bhagavad Gita
Translated by Sir Edwin Arnold · 1885
The poetic translation that influenced Gandhi; still very readable.
The Upanishads
Translated by Swami Paramananda
A clear, devotional rendering by an Indian teacher rather than a Victorian academic.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Translated by Charles Johnston
Published as The Book of the Spiritual Man — a readable, contemplative rendering.
The Gospel of Ramakrishna
Translated by Swami Abhedananda · 1907
Mahendra Nath Gupta's recorded conversations with Ramakrishna, revised into English by his direct disciple.
Discernment
Clarity should include the human context.
Vedanta's conclusions can sound identical to popular non-duality teaching, but the path there traditionally runs through years of guided study, not a single insight. Claims of realisation are worth weighing against that context.
Ask about contextIs a statement philosophical, meditative, relational or practical?
Notice powerHow are authority, money, intimacy and complaints handled?
Include embodimentDoes the teaching make room for emotion, the body and nervous-system limits?
Keep agencyA useful teacher supports clear choice rather than demanding surrender of judgement.