ABSTRACT
Three basic influences have moulded Western civilization. First, the spirit of science and rationalism, which we find in Greek thought. Secondly, what may be called humanistic ethics, which are also based upon Greek heritage. The third influence has been national politics. With the exception of Platonic and Pythagorean thought, devotion to the city-state became the religion of the Greek people. The Renaissance brought to the West a simultaneous growth in political freedom, economic prosperity, intellectual advancement, and social reform. The Western ideal of humanistic ethics cannot be ignored. The welfare of body and mind must be taken into account. But consider what man really is and what his dharma is. Thus Vedanta preaches a universal message, the message of harmony. In its insistence on personal experience of the truth of God, on the divinity of man, and the universality of truth it has kept the spirit of religion alive since the age of the Vedas.
