Vedanta Society Greater Houston
State Texas
Website: https://www.houstonvedanta.org
The Vedanta Society of Greater Houston is a branch center of the Ramakrishna Order, dedicated to promoting the teachings of Vedanta as espoused by Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, and Swami Vivekananda.
Key aspects of the Vedanta Society of Greater Houston:
- Activities: The Society holds various activities throughout the year, including Sunday services and weekly classes, a Sunday school for children, celebration of religious festivals (such as Kali Puja, Shivaratri, Christmas Eve, and the birthdays of the Holy Trio), retreats, and interfaith dialogues. You can also visit the center in the evenings for meditation.
- Service Projects: The Society occasionally engages in service projects with the city of Houston, such as delivering supplies to the elderly and donating food to those in need.
- Membership: The Vedanta Society invites individuals interested in spreading the message of Vedanta to apply for membership. Benefits include opportunities for devotion, financial giving, and service to support the Society’s mission.
- Affiliation: The center was founded in 2003 and became affiliated with the Ramakrishna Math in 2016.
- Location: The center is now open in the evenings on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7 PM to 8 PM with Arati and Meditation.
- Core Beliefs: Vedanta is one of the world’s most ancient spiritual philosophies and is the philosophical foundation of Hinduism. It affirms:
- The oneness of existence.
- The divinity of the soul.
- The harmony of all religions.
- The goal of life is to realize this divinity.
- Paths to Divinity: Vedanta proposes four paths, or Yogas, that can be followed to understand one’s divine nature: Bhakti Yoga (path of love and devotion), Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge), Karma Yoga (path of selfless work), and Raja Yoga (path of meditation).
- Support: The Society’s work is supported by donations.
- Testimonials: Members and attendees have expressed appreciation for the Society’s message of tolerance and its caring and loving environment.