Vedanta Society of Southern California

The Vedanta Society of Southern California is a religious organization devoted to Vedanta philosophy and the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and his disciple Swami Vivekananda. It was founded in 1930 and incorporated as a non-profit religious corporation in 1934 by Swami Prabhavananda. It is spiritually affiliated with the Ramakrishna Order of India. Swami Swahananda was its head from 1976 to 2012, and Swami Sarvadevananda is the current head.

The Society's stated purpose is to promote the harmony of religions and the study of Vedanta philosophy. It also provides facilities for monastics and lay members to pursue spiritual practices leading to Self-Realization or God-Realization. Vedanta, as it presents it, affirms the oneness of existence, the divinity of the soul and the harmony of all religions.

The Hollywood center is the hub of the Society. It runs book publishing, distribution and sales, along with classes, lectures and programs for the public. A monastery and a convent stand nearby. Other centers include the Ramakrishna Monastery in Trabuco Canyon, a convent in Santa Barbara, a monastery in San Diego, Vivekananda House in South Pasadena and a retreat house in Piñon Hills.

Classes are based on scripture, biography and commentary, including the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, and the works of Swami Vivekananda and Shankaracharya. A monk or nun reads passages with the group and offers commentary, and there is always room for questions. The Society also offers worship, including daily arati and special pujas, and chanting and kirtan. It holds day retreats, among them the Antaryoga retreats at Piñon Hills led by Pravrajika Dayaprana, in which scripture is read and meditated upon, group chanting is followed by silence, and participants share a meal.

For those who want to go deeper, a student program offers a monastic experience of up to six weeks. It began in late 1992 to commemorate Swami Vivekananda's 1893 address at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Many programs are streamed live, and talks are kept in video and audio recordings.