Vedanta which literally means self-realization or fulfilment is not merely an abstract philosophy belonging to the realm of speculation and divorced from the actual mode of life. It has an intensely practical side also. As one of its greatest exponents Swami Vivekananda said, the ideal of Vedanta lived by the recluse outside the pale of society can be practised even from hearth and home and applied to all our daily schemes of life.
Whatever may be the avocation of man, he can follow its
fundamental principle which means service of man, knowing him to be the
manifestation of God. It also teaches men to have faith in themselves and
imbibe the virtues of courage and optimism as opposed to cowardice and
pessimism.
Finally, Vedanta as a religion does not tolerate bigotries,
narrow prejudices and religious conflicts. It preaches religious tolerance,
catholicity and the universal acceptance of all religions. I cannot do better
than quote the words of Swami Vivekananda who illustrates this characteristic
of Vedanta in his inimitable way:
“I accept all religions that were in the past,” said the
Swami, “and worship with them all, I worship God with every one of them, in
whatever form they worship Him. I shall go to the mosque of the Mohammedan, I
shall enter the Christian’s church and kneel before the crucifix, I shall enter
the Buddhistic temple where I shall take refuge in Buddha and in his laws. I
shall go into the forest and sit down in meditation with the Hindu who is
trying to see the light which enlightens the heart of every one. Not only shall
I do these but I shall keep my heart open for all that may come in the future
"
Such is the catholicity of the Vedantic religion and
naturally Swami Vivekananda laid great stress on the dissemination of the ideas
underlying it among the people. In fact, one of the objects with which the
Ramakrishna Mission was founded was "to spread among the people in general
Vedantic and other religious ideas in the way in which they were elucidated in
the life of Sri Ramakrishna."
Source – Forward to book titled - Vedanta Through Stories -
by Swami Sambuddhananda by Syama Prasad Mookherjee