About

About Vedanta Forum

The Vedanta Forum is devoted to one of humanity’s oldest and most profound pursuits — thinking. Thinking about who we truly are: the one that remains constant through childhood and old age, through waking, dream, and deep sleep. Thinking about the source and cause of creation, and its relationship to what inheres in us.

Across history, such thinking, both meditative and scientific, has been aimed at these questions. The ancient Upanishads proclaimed, “Tat Tvam Asi” — Thou Art That — revealing the non-dual identity of the individual and the ultimate reality. Centuries later, modern scientists such as Schrödinger and Bohr echoed similar intuitions about the unity of existence.

Over time, many philosophical approaches, traditions, and interpretive schools have arisen from such inquiry, each offering unique perspectives. The Forum will:

Focus on universal approaches and traditions and examine their teachings,
Foster comparative studies, and
Explore the practical benefits to society from such thinking,

through scholarly studies, dialogue, and debate also promoting accessibility to all qualified seekers. Additionally, the Forum will explore how these reflections can enrich life, education, and even technology.

Executive Committee:

Michael Chandra Cohen (New York)

Greg Goode (New York)

Sri Kumar (DC)

S. Neema (Tennessee)

C. Raghavendra (California)

I. Rajapakse (Michigan)

Initial Areas of Focus

Fundamentals

Nature of ultimate reality: As truth, consciousness, infinite.
Knowability and Method: Exploring observation, inference, and intuition; the nature of inquiry — inner and outer; the roles of word, language, negation; principle of superimposition (adhyāropa) and retraction (apavāda) in Vedanta.
Comparative Dialogue: Across Science, Buddhism and other contemplative traditions.

Practical Benefits

For the Individual: Encouraging deeper reflection on the nature of existence; meditative clarity, expanded awareness.
For Society: Investigating how understanding the relationship between the knower and the known can transform education (K–12), health (beyond yoga āsana).

Technology and AI

Developing intelligent tools to enable precise translation of Sanskrit and classical texts, even with limited training data, while preserving authenticity, provenance. Personalized learning augmentation.
Aligning AI for societal good.

Texts for Discussion:

Vedanta writings of Śrī Śańkarācārya and Svāmī Saccidānandendra Sarasvatī
Others - tbd.

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