VEDANTA SOCIETY OF
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Explore Sri Ramakrishna "He is born in vain who, having attained the human birth, so difficult to get, does not attempt to realize God in this very life."
(1836 - 1886) Explore Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi "I tell you one thing – if you want peace, do not find fault with others.
Rather see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own.
No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own."
(1853-1920) Explore Swami Vivekananda "My ideal, indeed, can be put into a few words, and that is: to preach unto mankind their divinity, and how to make it manifest in every movement of life."
(1863 - 1902) Explore The First Hindu Temple
in the West, Built in 1905 Explore

Vedanta is the oldest of the major living religions of the world. It affirms that all religions lead to the same Truth — “Truth is one; sages call it by various names” (Rig Veda). Vedanta teaches that the essence of all beings and all things is Spirit, infinite and eternal, unchanging and indivisible. It emphasizes that a person’s true nature is this divine Spirit, identical with the inmost being and reality of the universe and that the goal is to actualize this truth in one’s life.

Our Temple is Open

We have reopened the temple for visitors.

  • New Temple is open to visitors all weekdays except for Tuesdays from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
  • Please contact the Vedanta Society office at 415-922-2323 for additional details concerning all of our services.

Upcoming Special Programs

CHRISTMAS LECTURE
Monday • December 25 • 11 a.m.
“A Christmas Message” by Swami Tattwamayananda

On Christmas morning a special lecture in honor of the birth of Jesus Christ will be given by Swami Tattwamayananda. Preceding the lecture, an account of Christ’s nativity, as recorded in the New Testament, will be read.

Links: YouTube • Livestream • Facebook

 

NEW YEAR’S EVE MEDITATION
Sunday • December 31 • 11:30 p.m.
On New Year’s Eve, a meditation will be held in the auditorium beginning at 11:30 p.m. with chanting from the Upanishads and other scriptures.

SRI SARADA DEVI'S BIRTHDAY

• SRI SARADA DEVI’S BIRTHDAY • NEW YEAR’S DAY & KALPATARU DAY
Monday • January 1, 2024 • 10 a.m.
New Temple Auditorium

We will celebrate the birthday of Sri Sarada Devi, the Holy Mother, on Monday, January 1, 2024, at 10 a.m., along with Kalpataru Day and New Year’s Day. The program will include a worship (puja), fire ceremony (homa), devotional singing, flower offerings by devotees, a talk by our special guest swami, and a prasad luncheon. Swami Shivarchanananda of the Vedanta Society of St. Louis will be our special guest. Other Bay Area swamis will also participate in the program.  More information will be in a special invitation as well as in the January bulletin.

W I N T E R R E T R E A T

Saturday, January 6 – Sunday, January 7, 2024
10 a.m. • Vivekananda Hall • New Temple

“The Nature of Consciousness
And Its Application in Spiritual Life”
by Swami Tattwamayananda

 Saturday, January 6: Morning & Afternoon Sessions
Sunday, January 7: Morning Session

Talks •  Q&A • Meditation
All Are Welcome!

UPCOMING EVENTS

REGULAR EVENTS

08 Dec 2023
Bhagavad Gita Class View
Friday, 07:30 PM
Bhagavad Gita Class
by Swami Tattwamayananda

MONTHLY BULLETIN

Current month's programs
Current month's programs

OFF-CAMPUS LECTURES

From The Lectures Of Swami Tattwamayananda, Minister-in-Charge

Explore

The Yoga Sutras give a comprehensive guide to the mind and how to befriend the mind. Swami Tattwamayananda emphasizes the importance of Yamas and Niyamas

May 1, 2020 Watch

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verses 49-54. The lecture was given by Swami Tattwamayananda on May 17, 2019. - Why does the mind refuse to cooperate?  

January 3, 2016 Watch

QUOTES

http://Holy%20Mother

My child, you have been extremely fortunate in getting this human birth.  Have intense devotion to God.  One must work hard.  How can one achieve anything without effort?

Holy Mother

http://Sri%20Ramakrishna

Rely on Him, be like the dry leaf at the mercy of the wind.

Sri Ramakrishna

http://Swami%20Vivekananda

Only he who loves, can rule.

Swami Vivekananda

View More Quotes

LATEST VIDEOS

Vedanta Society of Northern California

Vedanta Society of Northern California (sfvedanta.org) was founded in 1900 by Swami Vivekananda. Swami Vivekananda, along with his brother disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, also founded the Ramakrishna Mission in India. Sri Ramakrishna was Swami Vivekananda's Guru and learned Advaita Vedanta from Tota Puri. Puri is one of the 10 monastic orders founded by Adi Shankara Acharya.

Swami Tattwamayananda, the ex-Acharya of Belur Math, is the minister in charge of the society.

Shanti Ashrama Pilgrimage Lectures: Once a year, members from nearby Vedanta Societies, including those from San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, Sacramento, and Portland visit the Shanti Ashrama. Discourses by Swami Prasannatmananda (BerkeleyVedanta.org) and Swami Tattwamayananda (SFVedanta.org) delivered in 2014 are also available on this channel.

Vedanta Society of Northern California
The Foundational Texts of Indian Philosophy - Rāmānujā Viśiṣṭādvaita by Swami Tattwamayanandaji (Hosted by the Stanford Hindu Students Association) Sundays, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. PDT Classes will be held only online each Sunday evening. YouTube Link: https://rebrand.ly/Stanford-Vedanta-Lectures-YouTube Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sfvedanta/ Zoom Link will be available on our Website. Podcast: https://sfvedanta.org/podcast/ Description: Indian Philosophy, spanning over more than six thousand years, represents a unique intellectual, cultural and spiritual heritage of human civilization. It is not only “love of learning” (as philosophy is usually defined) or just an intellectual journey in search of the highest truths of life and existence, but it is also a quest for their practical realization in our everyday life. The different schools of Indian philosophy were established by great preceptors from time immemorial to enable their students to manifest the highest ethical and spiritual values in their lives. In interpreting the doctrines of particular schools of thought I have attempted to keep in touch with their respective foundational texts in Sanskrit or, in dealing with the Buddhist schools, with the texts in Pali. In phase 1 we will be discussing the different schools of Vedanta (one of the ‘Āstika Darśana’s) beginning with Advaita, to be followed by the schools of Ramanuja, Madhva, Vallabha, Nimbarka, Baladeva, and others. Please continue to monitor our website for the latest information, and please email temple@sfvedanta.org for any inquiries. Vedanta Society of Northern California Contact Us: Email: temple@sfvedanta.org Website: sfvedanta.org
57. The Foundational Texts of Indian Philosophy | RĀMĀNUJĀ'S VIŚIṢṬĀDVAITA
YouTube Video VVV1UDRvRjBCSFRoQl9xc0NfTEE3RkxRLktzREFCenNMalh3
This Sunday Lecture will be given by the Swami Vedananda on Sunday, December 10, 11 a.m. at New Temple. Location: Vedanta Society of Northern California 2323 Vallejo Street, San Francisco, CA 94123 (at the New Temple). The lecture will be given live in the New Temple. It will also be streamed live on Youtube, Facebook, and Livestream.
Swami Shivananda: A Monastic Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna
YouTube Video VVV1UDRvRjBCSFRoQl9xc0NfTEE3RkxRLjJXZTlISHFESEJV
Load More... Subscribe
View More Videos

Bookshop

Bookshop at the Vedanta Society of Northern California

We carry a selection of the best in all the major religious traditions and contemporary spirituality; translations of Sanskrit religious classics; and many children’s books that are both attractive and meaningful.

A partial listing is given here for online ordering and many more are available in the bookshop itself. Inquiries are welcome.

Learn More

Explore the Monastic Life

“For One’s own enlightenment and for the good of the world.”
– atmanamokshartham jagad hitaya ca

The Motto of the Ramakrishna Order (a traditional monastic order founded by Sri Ramakrishna in 1896; Organized by Swami Vivekananda in 1897).

In pursuit of this ideal, monastic life includes a variety of spiritual practices, such as meditation, worship, and scriptural study, as well as routine tasks of maintenance and service. For those interested and qualified, the monastic path may be meaningful and fulfilling. A monastery and convent are maintained by the Society, giving an opportunity to qualified young men and women to devote themselves exclusively to spiritual life.

Explore

Please write to the Minister-in-charge at [email protected] to inquire.