Vedanta Society of Portland

“Dare to be free, dare to go as far as your thought leads, and dare to carry that out in your life. ”

“God is everywhere but He is most manifest in man. So serve man as God. That is as good as worshipping God.”

"As clouds are blown away by the wind, the thirst for material pleasures will be driven away by the utterance of the Lord's name."

The Vedanta Society of Portland, Oregon is an affiliated branch of the Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, Howrah, India. The Center was established in the year 1925 by Swami Prabhavananda. It gradually developed into its present stature through the efforts of illustrious monks such as Swamis Vividishananda, Devatmananda, Aseshananda, Shantarupananda, and many dedicated devotees.

The city of Portland is at the confluence of two perennial rivers - the Willamette and the Columbia, making it equivalent to a Prayag. It is surrounded by snow-clad Mt. Hood, Mt Adams, Mt St. Helens, other mountains of the Cascade range, and the Pacific Ocean. It is the largest city in the state of Oregon, the seat of Multnomah County in the Pacific Northwest, situated at about 45.52 latitude and - 122.68 longitude. It has the following facilities-

a) A Vedanta Temple at 1157 SE 55th Ave, Portland

The Temple offers encouragement and guidance to spiritual seekers through lectures, readings, discussions, publications, retreats, rituals, and personal guidance based on Universal teachings of various scriptures and teachers by cultivating Self-knowledge and building character. Karma Yoga, the selfless offering of services, is encouraged through a few programs such as "Serve God in Man", "Friends of the Vedanta Retreat" etc. Hatha Yoga is promoted for physical well-being and other cultural activities are promoted for intellectual expansion such as the study of Sanskrit and other languages.

b) A room for a devotee retreatant who is associated with us for meditation, contemplation, reading, and volunteering with prior permission.

c) A 289-acre beautiful forest sanctuary at 23000 NW Gilkison Road, Scappoose for promoting the Harmony of Religions in the lap of Nature by maintaining shrines of various religions and by organizing interfaith meetings inviting religious leaders from various streams. This beautiful, pristine forest was developed by dedicated volunteers on a parcel of clear-cut land of 120 acres and the adjacent 169 acres of land property has been added to the Vedanta Retreat on March 17, 2020. It is open to the general public to enjoy the peace and beauty of this hallowed place.

It takes a lot of resources to maintain the above facilities, buildings, shrines, trails, etc. Support from generous public and benevolent institutions will be appreciated and acknowledged.

Support Vedanta generously..

All are welcome

All the services are available

for all interested devotees

Program at the Vedanta Temple, Portland

Open Daily even on holidays

Daily Hours 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Everyday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship and Meditation

Everyday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Evening prayers, Singing songs,

Reading from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, meditation

on Sundays: singing Rama-Nama after Vesper.

Regular weekly classes

All are welcome

Please check the monthly Bulletin given at the bottom of the home page for exceptions

Sundays at 11 a.m. Srimad-Bhagavad Gita

5:00 - 6:15 pm Guided Meditation

Thursdays at 7:35 p.m. Vedantasara

Fridays at 7:35 p.m. Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play

Sundays: 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. (for Young and adults)

Veda Chanting and singing of Bhajans

Links for Zoom and YouTube

Please click the links given below for the classes on the mentioned day at Pacific Standard Time

Guided Meditation: in person

Zoom - https://tinyurl.com/vedantaPdxZoom.

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnMUMOfVo-5fysQ125_wGYw/videos

What is Vedanta?

The word Vedanta means the essence, the gist, or the conclusion of the knowledge enshrined in the Vedas especially in the Upanishads. Vedas are the most ancient and sacred scriptures of India believed to be about 8,000 years old. It is the oldest, broadest, and most rational philosophy to discover the ultimate reality. It teaches a universal way of living and accepts all paths are valid paths to realize God if done earnestly and sincerely.

The pure-hearted seers (Rishis) sought the ultimate Truth, the secret Reality with an open and earnest heart. The spiritual principles were revealed to such earnest seekers which are called Vedas. Vedas, then were passed on to many generations through oral tradition and later recorded. These seers were like spiritual scientists who discovered these spiritual principles which are universal in nature, rational in approach, and immensely practical for our everyday lives.

Essential Teachings: Rigveda says- "That which exists is One; sages call it variously. Swami Vivekananda put it in a nutshell- "Each soul is potentially divine, the goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature: external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy -- by one, or more, or all these -- and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details."

Vedanta philosophy is the philosophical foundation of Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal religion ordinarily known as Hindu Dharma. Hindu Dharma includes aspects of Indian culture, and Vedanta is universal in its approach and application. It is equally relevant to all countries, all cultures, and all religious backgrounds. Vedanta affirms the following-

1. The unity of Existence,

2. The divinity of all individual Selves

3. The many paths lead to reach the same Goal,

4. Sincerely and earnest yearning is essential for progress.

5. The Goal of Life - Freedom, Devotion, Knowledge, and Bliss.

6. Ultimate Reality is the source and cause of the whole existence. This Reality is Uncreated, self-luminous, all-pervading, and Eternal. It is the only Truth behind all tangible and intangible, sentient and non-sentient, animate and inanimate. Does it mean it is beyond our reach? No. This is the essence of and closest to us. This Truth is present within our hearts so It is accessible to all.

Cause, the way, and our Birthright: Everyone is divine. It is as tangible a truth as a fruit lying in the palm of one's hand. But the desire for worldly enjoyment drags one down to the lower nature. These desires are to be cleansed either by renouncing them from one’s heart or by deifying them or by surrendering everything to God. Real nature manifests itself in the absence of the lower nature. Through the experience of God, one's doubts about oneself disappear totally; the 'knots of the heart are cut asunder’. One achieves immortality; one becomes 'perfect as the Father in Heaven is perfect'.

Not only everyone can realize one's own Real nature, one's Real identity, or God but also it is our birthright to do so. This attainment of immortality is not the prerogative of a chosen few, but the birthright of all. This is the teaching of Vedanta.

Realization is essential. From a religious standpoint, Advaita Vedanta is monotheistic, and from a philosophical standpoint, it is non-dualistic. It also admits all other views, such as qualified non-dualism, dualism, etc. According to Vedanta, religion is experiential and not mere acceptance of certain time-honored dogmas, doctrines, or creeds. To know God is to be one with Him. One may study scriptures, engage in rituals, perform social services, or pray with regularity, yet, unless one is lifted to the Divine awareness in one’s own heart, he/she is still a phenomenal being and a victim of distorted identity.

Unity in diversity: The Vedanta philosophy asserts that God, the individual Self, and this seemingly diverse universe are essentially One. The apparent distinctions are being created by names, forms, and utilitarian values. These distinctions vanish when realized from the Ultimate standpoint. Existence appears as Non-dual, Qualified non-dual, and Dual according to one's mental status. They are various expressions of the same reality. Therefore, all expressions are true and all religions are true and those are so many paths to reach the Supreme Reality. Accordingly, various deities of the different faiths are in fact, diverse manifestations of the same Divine or God. In modern times Sri Ramakrishna, a Godman from India realized this Unity in variety in His own life by practicing various spiritual ways one by one and taught to the world through Swami Vivekananda and other disciples.

Other Weekly Programs

1st Saturday - 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. (April - October)

Karma Yoga by the Friends of Vedanta Retreat

2nd Sunday - 5 pm. -6 p.m.

Serve God in Man Food offering

3rd Saturday - 10 a.m.

Karma Yoga Vedanta Temple, Portland

or a program at the Vedanta Retreat, Scappoose

(TBA)

4th Saturday - 10 a.m. to 1 pm - (TBA)

Awakening Vedantin

Or Mother's Cooking Tips

5th Saturday* - 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. (TBA)

Open Devotional Music session

at Holy Mother's House Other functions

*occasional/ To Be Announced

For annual and monthly programs please see Annual activities and monthly bulletins below

Upcoming Special Events

Please browse down to find the monthly calendar near the bottom.

These programs do not need registration and are free; donations are welcome.

On Birth Anniversaries

Puja in the morning, along with daily Puja

Reading after the Vespers

July 4, 2025, Friday, 10 am

Interfaith Freedom Fest

At the Vedanta Retreat, Scappoose

July 10, 2025, Thursday, 9 am

Guru Purnima

Method:

Whatever we are today it is due to the effect of our past actions and accumulated impressions. Our past actions were inspired by our thoughts and beliefs. So, if we want to be a better human being we need to improve our thoughts. Our actions will follow our thoughts which in turn will improve our habits, and then will transform our behavior patterns and character.

The misery, weakness, and incompleteness that we experience today are due to the ignorance of our Real Self. The following ways are practiced to remove these weaknesses

Jnana Yoga: By cultivating the right knowledge of our Real Self. The following methods are practiced:

(A) Shravana (hearing, absorbing) —repeated hearing of the Truth with one-pointed devotion that our Real nature, the Innermost Core is Divine.

(B) Manana (cogitation, contemplation) —removal of all doubts by positive contemplation based on robust common sense. Vedanta emphasizes leading a life of virtue and righteousness and also seeking guidance from our Innermost Core. Following this method one sheds off ignorance and a strong conviction grows within for goodness and the Divinity of the Self.

(C) Nididhyasana (being and becoming) —Realization comes to an aspirant based on this conviction. It is being and becoming by constant meditation on the Real Self then translating those thoughts into one’s own natural behavior pattern.

Bhakti Yoga: Same Goal can be achieved through devotion to the personal God with nine kinds of endeavor where wholehearted total surrender to God is the essential part.

Karma Yoga: Similarly, the same Goal can be achieved through selfless service to God that reside in all beings.

Raja Yoga: An aspirant may achieve the same Goal by cessation of all mental waves through meditation and one-pointed concentration.

The Ramakrishna Order, with headquarters in Kolkata, is one of the largest and most respected religious orders in India and in the world. The Order was inspired by the great saint, Sri Ramakrishna, who was born in Bengal in 1836. Shortly before his passing away in 1886, Ramakrishna encouraged his young disciples to formally renounce the world by giving them the ochre cloth of renunciation. He entrusted the care of these young men to his foremost disciple, Swami Vivekananda, who later, in 1897, founded the Ramakrishna Order.