A few key shifts set Neo-Vedanta apart from the classical Advaita of Shankara:

1. Embrace of Saguna and Nirguna Brahman
   • Traditional Advaita insists on the absolute reality of only Nirguna (attributeless) Brahman, treating all forms and names as provisional under Maya.
   • Neo-Vedanta often blurs that line, celebrating both Nirguna and Saguna (with attributes) facets of the Divine. Deities, symbols and devotional practices become legitimate paths, not mere stepping-stones.

2. Universalism over Sectarianism
   • Shankara’s approach remained firmly rooted in Vedic texts and orthodox ritual, with little room for other faiths.
   • Neo-Vedantins like Vivekananda and Aurobindo struck a more ecumenical tone, holding that every religion carries a shard of ultimate Truth. Today’s interfaith dialogues and mindfulness movements trace a direct line back to this broadened embrace.

3. Karma Yoga and Social Action
   • “Renounce the world” is a refrain in classical Jnana Yoga, favoring contemplative solitude.
   • Neo-Vedanta flips the script, weaving selfless service (Karma Yoga) and social reform into spiritual practice. Gandhi’s Satyagraha campaigns and contemporary eco-spirituality owe a great deal to this twist.

4. Integration with Modern Thought
   • Classical Advaita stands on Sanskrit grammar, logic (Nyaya) and scriptural exegesis.
   • Neo-Vedanta opens the floodgates to science, psychology and comparative religion—sometimes even borrowing neuroscience jargon to describe states of pure consciousness. It’s that mash-up that makes it resonate with 21st-century seekers scrolling through podcasts and TED talks.

5. Optimistic View of the Cosmos
   • Traditional Advaita famously regards the world as illusion, a classroom for the soul.
   • Neo-Vedanta often celebrates the universe as a vibrant expression of Divine play (Lila)—a stance that aligns nicely with today’s environmental activism and “sacred ecology” trends.

In essence, Neo-Vedanta breaks the mold by turning a once strictly monastic philosophy into a living, universal roadmap—one that embraces devotion, action and the languages of modernity alongside the timeless wisdom of the Upanishads.