Spiritual unfoldment is attained by proper guidance from a spiritual teacher and sustained effort by the spiritual student. Through gradual flowering of the inner personality one reaches the goal, knowledge of the Self, realization of God, peace eternal.

Truly interested & sincere seekers of spirituality may contact Swami Ishatmananda, President, Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago to receive guidance from him.

The Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago, established in 1930, is dedicated to bringing home the eternal message of Vedanta to humanity without discriminating about caste, culture, gender, language, nationality, or religion.

Through personal interviews, talks, lectures, seminars, inter-faith meetings, spiritual retreats, and religious celebrations we aim to translate into action the lofty philosophy of Swami Vivekananda — to make people aware of their inner divinity and to help them to manifest it in every moment of life.

We are a branch of the Ramakrishna Order. Swami Ishatmananda, a monk of the Order, is the Minister and is available for interviews by appointment.

125 years ago, in his historic addresses at the Parliament of Religions, Swami Vivekananda revealed to the Western World India's most ancient yet ever-rejuvenating message of universal acceptance and the innate Divinity of every human being, irrespective of race and nationality. The Swami's vibrant message instantly touched the hearts of over 7000 listeners who had gathered for the Parliament of Religions at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Inspired by these great words and ideals we have embarked on a journey to express them in our lives, and we invite you to be a part of this journey to enrich your own lives.

Since its establishment in 1930, the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago has offered many wonderful programs to enrich spiritual lives. Our recently established Home of Harmony offers a platform where everyone, regardless of race or religion, can practice and participate in interfaith and intra-faith dialogue, learn about the world's religions and their original languages, interact with the savants and practitioners of other faiths on a regular basis, share the commonalities in various faiths and cultures, and also deepen these experiences by staying in an ashrama where sincere seekers can enrich their lives under the guidance of monastic teachers.

See the Home of Harmony's inauguration photos, read the 2023 Annual Report (pdf)

Spread over 100 acres, the Vivekananda Retreat located in Ganges, Michigan, was established in 1971 as a retreat facility - a place for spiritual seekers who wish to withdraw into solitude and engage in prayer, study, and meditation.

Each month there are lectures by Swami Ishatmananda. In addition, between the months of May and October, there are spiritual retreats on various topics by monks from other Vedanta centers. The facility is also available to those who wish to organize their own events.
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Vedanta states that the underlying substance behind all phenomena, names, and forms is one. A few thousand years ago, the scriptures of India affirmed that Truth is one. The wise call it by different names.

Vedanta asserts that we are in essence divine — that our Real Self is that One, Eternal, Divine Spirit. In the words of Swami Vivekananda,

Each soul is potentially divine.The goal is to manifest this divinity...

Vedanta does not ask us to believe in any particular form or idea of God, or subscribe to any particular religion — it only asks that we be bold and sincere in our search for the Truth. It says that religion is not dogma or doctrine, but must be verified and experienced and that this experience of the Truth, of one's real Self, is the ultimate goal of life.
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The Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago regularly supports the Ramakrishna Mission, which is involved in numerous humanitarian activities. Its Headquarters is located at Belur Math, West Bengal, India. The Ramakrishna Mission has numerous hospitals, educational institutions, orphanages, and old age homes. The Ramakrishna Mission also conducts rural development programs and performs relief work during natural disasters.