|
VEDANTA STUDY GROUPS -ADULT SESSIONS
|
City |
Vedanta
Text |
Meeting
Days |
Meeting
Time |
Sevika
or
Sevak |
Contact |
Telephone
Number |
|
Cupertino |
Questions
& Answers |
Thursdays |
7:30
PM. |
Sreeharsha |
Ram
Mohan |
(408)-255-4431 |
|
Concord |
Bhagavad
Gita, Ch. 3 |
Wednesdays |
7:30
PM |
Vipin
Kapadia |
Sheela
Malkani |
(925)-969-0165 |
|
Danville
Los
Cerros Middle School |
Bhagavad Gita
Ch.1 |
Saturdays |
3:30 PM |
Meena Kapadia |
Meena Kapadia |
(925)
680-7037 |
|
Fremont |
Viveka
Chudamani |
Mondays |
7:30
PM |
Priya
Batheja |
Priya
Batheja |
(510)-490-1926 |
|
Los
Gatos |
Tattva
Bodha |
Fridays |
8.00.
PM |
Satish
Joshi |
Sandeep
|
(408)-234-7815
(408)-358-6187 |
|
Milpitas |
Ch. 13
Kaivalyopanishad |
Tuesdays |
7:30
PM |
Uma
Jeyarasasingam |
Suma
Venkatesh |
(408)-263-2961 |
|
Morgan
Hill |
Tattva
Bodha |
Tuesdays |
7:30
PM |
Ravi Kaw, Madhu Kopalle,
Satish Joshi
Jayaram
Reddi |
Rajesh
Vyas |
(408)-369-8315 |
| Mountain House(Tracy) |
Self-Unfoldment |
Wednesdays |
8:00 PM |
Padmaja Joshi |
Padmaja Joshi |
(408)-835-1295 |
|
Redwood
City |
Bhagavad
Gita, Ch.
4 |
Fridays |
7:30
PM |
Sreeharsha |
Sunil
Jeswani |
(650)-364-1074 |
|
Sandeepany
San Jose |
Tattva
Bodha |
Thursdays |
7:30
PM |
Prakash
Bettadpura |
Prakash |
(408)-369-8315 |
|
Sandeepany
San Jose |
Vedic
Chanting |
Thursdays |
6:55
PM |
Subbu
Venkatkrishnan |
Mallika
Subramanian |
(408)-245-4915 |
| San Ramon |
Bhagavad Gita Ch.1 |
Wednesdays |
7:30 PM |
Sireesha Balabhadra |
Sireesha
Balabhadra |
925-804-6102 |
|
Lincoln
High School, San Jose |
Bhagavad
Gita
Ch.
4 |
Sundays |
11:45
AM |
Sreeharsha |
Sreeharsha |
(408)-446-9823 |
|
Saratoga |
Bhaja
Govindam |
Thursdays |
10:30
AM |
Kalpana
Jaswa |
Kalapana
Jaswa |
(408)-741-4920 |
|
Sunnyvale |
Upadesa
sara |
Wednesdays |
8:00
PM |
Satish
Joshi |
Rohini
Joshi |
(408)-730-2596 |
|
Walnut
Creek |
Bhagavad Gita Ch.
3 |
Sundays |
9:30
AM |
Vipin
Kapadia |
Rakesh
Bhutani |
(925)-933-2650 |
SATSANG with
Br. Prabodh Chaitanya
All timings are
from 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
1st Friday of each month:
Text:
Atma Bodha
Baljit & Prakash
Bettadapur,2036 Paseo Del Sol, San Jose, CA 95124; Ph: (408)
369-8315
2nd Friday of each
month:
Text:
Bhaja Govindam
Geetha & Sanjay Rao,
Evergreen ; Ph: (408)863-0595
3rd Friday of each month:
Text:
Drg Drshya Viveka
Sweta & Jnana Dash, Almaden
Valley; Ph: (408)268-5056
SATSANG with
Subbu Venkatakrishnan
Once a month at a
time and place to be decided each month.
Text:
Vivekachudamani
Contact: Contact Charu Ganesan--(408)-741-5119
forrockfort@yahoo.com
Uma Srinivasan--(408)-737-2754 uma_720@yahoo.com
STUDY GROUPS
After listening to a spiritual discourse,
or after reading a scriptural text, you may have questions
that remain unanswered. You may have not studied or listened
to any scriptural discourse, but you are wondering where does
life take you from where you are and in what direction? You
may not even appreciate the relevance of scriptural study in
your daily life. You may have attended the lectures very
religiously but you cannot remember anything that you heard
from the teacher’s mouth as relevant to you. You have to
pursue your own study slowly and consistently by studying
texts in Vedanta. The vehicle of study group is designed to
not only to bring intellectual knowledge to the earnest
student, but also assure the student who is ready to put in
the effort can indeed, learn the means for becoming more
peaceful, happy, and integrated in one’s life.
CHINMAYA STUDY GROUPS
A Chinmaya study group is a group of five
to fifteen people who meet regularly (at least once a week) to
discuss one of the textbooks of Vedanta. San Jose Chinmaya
Mission has several study groups located in different parts of
the Bay Area making it convenient for individuals to attend at
least one study group near your place of residence. Each study
group has a sevak, male or sevika, female who will guide the
discussion among members of the study group and assist members
in their study, helping to clear many doubts that may arise.
This person acts as the leader of the group and assist
individuals with their doubts about any aspect of the study
group. Each member in the study group is expected to study and
participate fully in the discussion in the group. Each study
group starts on time and lasts one and a half hours.
CONDUCTING A
STUDY GROUP
The location of the study group is
usually at the home of one of the members of the study group.
It is always at the same venue and in a location within the
home, which is spotlessly clean and orderly. Generally the
study group is conducted near an altar with images or symbols
of the divine, plus a lamp or a candle to enhance the
atmosphere and spiritual study. Arrangements are to be made
with sevak or sevika if the members of the house have to be
for some reason not available on the study group day. There is
no distribution of food at any time during the duration of the
study group and none is encouraged either before or after the
study group is over. The group leader usually sits near the
altar and is responsible for the choice of text to study and
all other administrative details such as punctuality,
regularity of attendance and the need to come prepared by
studying the scripture.
The Study group starts with a prayer led
by the leader of the group. An individual in the group will be
asked to read the commentary of the verse that is being
discussed and each one of the members participate in the
discussion about the meaning of the verse. The group leader
moderates the discussion, and clarifies any doubts that may
arise. He may also take the position of opposition to generate
discussion on the topic to clarify everyone’s understanding.
The session ends with a peace invocation.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
STUDY GROUPS.
1.
Who can join a study group?
Any one who has the intellectual acumen
and aspiration and is interested in discovering their own true
nature can join the study group.
2.
What type of commitment I have to make?
You have to make a commitment to study
the scriptures and participate regularly each week in the
discussion group without giving excuses for non-participation
and attendance. Those who claim to have no time in their life
for such activity will find in due course that they will have
more time not only to their secular duties but also to do them
well and manage their time much more efficiently after
participating in study group.
3.
Do I have to know Sanskrit?
No. If you know, it is of course a good
thing since all the scriptures are in that language.
But the group leader will explain some
words in the Sanskrit language and these may be essential to
remember. All chanting in the class will be done in Sanskrit
only, since they are readings from the original text, which is
written in Sanskrit.
4.
Is there a fee to join the study group?
No. There is no fee to join the study
group.
5.
How can I join a study group?
Chinmaya Tej has the information about
the contact numbers of whom to call that suits your needs. The
website also gives all the relevant information.
6.
I have never studied Vedanta? Can I attend the study
classes?
Yes, you can. Sandeepany in San Jose also
presents a series of options to hear lectures given by Br.
Prabodh Chaitanya and you may also take advantage of those
classes. There also tapes made of the lectures given by
Swamijis in Chinmaya Mission and you can purchase them and
listen and come up to speed in any of the scriptural
texts.
7.
Can I start a study Group in my own home?
You can. You can reach
K.S.Sreeharsha at pushpaharsha@yahoo.com
or call 408-446-9823 to facilitate this.
8.
Can our youngsters join the study group?
Typically they should be older than 16
years to benefit from this program.
9
Can I join when study group is already started studying
several verses of the text?
You can. You have to put a little extra
effort to come up to speed with the rest of the members of the
group.
10.
Who appoints the Sevika or Sevak?
Chinmaya Mission has a number of
individuals who have been trained to conduct study groups.
Depending on many factors of convenience and availability one
of these members will be requested to become the Sevika or
Sevak of your group by the Chinmaya Mission Secretary.
If you have any questions related to
study group and satsang, please contact
K.S.Sreeharsha at pushpaharsha@yahoo.com
or call 408-446-9823. | 
