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TEMPE — From the street, nothing suggests the new 1,500-square-foot home in Tempe is the newest monastery of the Vedanta tradition of Hindu philosophy. Through the generosity of a Los Angeles donor, it becomes a place where monks will come to live and lead lectures, classes, meditations and pujas (acts of reverence to God).

Just inside the front door lies its shrine with a low altar, graced with garlands, pictures of deities, brass bells, icons, incense holders, pots of flowers and brass trays of fruits for offerings to deities.

On April 28, the new Ramakrishna Monastery, affiliated with the Vedanta Society of Southern California, was blessed by its 84-year-old director, Swami Swahananda, who has been offering the society's teachings since coming to the United States in 1968.

About 70 squeezed into the house for Friday night ceremonies and a lecture, and nearly 40 came for similar activities the next day.

For 60 years, Swahananda, a native of Calcutta and an author of 10 books, has lectured around the world. He draws from the Sanskrit roots of the world's oldest religion through its sacred texts, the Vedas, and a succession of holy teachings of divine sages.

Among them were Swami Vivekananda, who is credited with speaking at the historic 1893 Parliament of Religions at the Chicago World's Fair, which was said to have been the world's first inter-religious dialogue. His speech marks the birth of the Vedanta movement in America.

"Our direct goal is to develop a love for God," said Swahananda, emphasizing how compatible Vedanta knowledge is with all religions without undermining them.

Said to embrace universal truths, Vedanta is defined as what's left over when the differences that separate all religions have been stripped away.

Vedanta says that the soul itself has a divine nature and the goal of each human is to realize one's true nature.

A key "wisdom" is that each religion is only one path to a hidden goal, while the doctrines, rituals and traditions of various religions are not essential to true spiritual attainment.

Vedanta, which has also been called "idealized Hinduism," has no creed, dogma, standard form of worship or religious governance. It teaches that the real essence of man is an undying, immortal self, which lives on through reincarnation.

Swahananda, who has been coming to the Phoenix metropolitan area for 20 years to speak, said growing interest in the Veda knowledge prompted the need to establish a monas-tery in the area. Although space for gatherings is limited, the center plans to continue to rent spaces at Arizona State University and elsewhere for large events.

"Our main focus on this shrine is a place for meditative life," said Swahananda, who oversees five centers. About 50 people have been active in Vedanta in the Phoenix metropolitan area, he said, with some 19 centers around the United States featuring yoga and lectures, averaging about 1,000 people each. The Vedanta Society, whose main center is in a temple in Hollywood, Calif., is the western branch of the Ramakrishna Order of India, where there are more than 150 Vedanta centers.

Swahananda joined the Ramakrishna Order in 1947 and underwent intense training. He received his sannyasa, or final vows, in 1956. Training takes about 10 years.

In the following years, the senior monk taught in Madras, India, was the editor of the order's scholarly publication, Vedanta Kesari, then led the premiere center of the order in New Delhi.

In 1968, he was sent to the United States and, since 1976, has directed the Southern California center while traveling and lecturing.

Hema Burns, a German-born devotee from Phoenix, said the new monastery is an important milestone. "Because we will have monks living here, we will get better spiritual guidance," she said.

For many years, another monk, Swami Sarvadenananda, has typically come every other month to teach and lecture, then has returned to Hollywood. While he will continue to come, the goal is to have a resident monk. Swahananda said he is carefully making the decision about who will be the resident monk or monks.