Society
The Vedanta Society
The Western arm of the Ramakrishna Mission — Vivekananda’s vehicle for bringing Vedanta to the West.
Society · Founded 1,894 · New York City, USA (Ramakrishna Mission, India) · Active today
Founded by Swami Vivekananda
What it was
Swami Vivekananda founded the Vedanta Society of New York in 1894 after his triumph at the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions, as the Western branch of the Ramakrishna Mission he established in India.
It presents Advaita Vedanta — the non-dual identity of the self with the Absolute — to Western audiences, and seeded a century of Western interest in Hindu philosophy.
Its place in the lineage
The first major institution to carry Eastern non-dual philosophy to the West through organised teaching rather than text alone.
Founders & leaders
Its tradition
Connected orders
The circle · 2 in the Atlas
Each star is a teacher; colour marks how they were tied to the order. Tap a star to open them.

