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VEDANTA
STUDY GROUPS -ADULT SESSIONS
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City
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Vedanta
Text
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Meeting
Days
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Meeting
Time
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Sevika
or
Sevak
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Contact
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Telephone
Number
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Concord
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Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 6
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Wednesdays
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7:30 PM
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Vipin Kapadia
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Sheela Malkani
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(925)-969-0165
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Cupertino
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Questions & Answers
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Thursdays
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7:30 PM.
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Sreeharsha
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Ram Mohan
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(408)-255-4431
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Danville
Los
Cerros Middle School
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Bhagavad
Gita Ch.3
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Saturdays
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3:30
PM
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Meena
Kapadia |
Meena
Kapadia |
(925)
680-7037 |
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Evergreen
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Self Unfoldment |
Fridays
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8:00 PM
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Venkatesh Srinivasan
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Bipin,
Ramana
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(408) 274-7575
(408) 564-2749
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Fremont
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Self Unfoldment
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Fridays
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7:15 PM
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Lakshmi Prakash
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Vani Gangu
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(510)-487-8248
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Fremont
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Jnanasarah
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Mondays
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7:45 PM
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Priya Batheja
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Priya Batheja
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(510)-490-1926
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Los Altos
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Self Unfoldment
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Thursdays
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7:30 PM
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Uma Jeyarasasingam
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Uma Jeyarasasingam
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(650)-969-4389
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Los Gatos
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Jnanasarah
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Fridays
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8.00. PM
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Satish Joshi
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Sandeep Tiwari
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(408)-234-7815
(408)-358-6187
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Milpitas
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Viveka Chudamani
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Tuesdays
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7:30 PM
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Uma Jeyarasasingam
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Suma Venkatesh
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(408)-263-2961
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| Mountain
House(Tracy) |
Gita
Ch. 1 |
Wednesdays |
8:00
PM |
Padmaja
Joshi |
Padmaja
Joshi |
(408)-835-1295 |
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Redwood City
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Bhagavad Gita, Ch. 4
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Fridays
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7:30 PM
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Sreeharsha
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Sunil Jeswani
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(650)-364-1074
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| San
Ramon |
Bhagavad
Gita Ch.4 |
Wednesdays |
7:00
PM |
Sireesha
Balabhadra |
Uma
Jeyarasasingam |
925-804-6102 |
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Lincoln High
School, San Jose
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Bhagavad Gita
Ch. 4
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Sundays
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11:45 AM
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Sreeharsha
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Sreeharsha
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(408)-446-9823
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Saratoga
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Bhaja
Govindam
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Thursdays
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10:30 AM
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Kalpana Jaswa
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Kalapana Jaswa
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(408)-741-4920
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Sunnyvale
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Kathopanishad
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Wednesdays
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8:00 PM
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Satish Joshi
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Rohini Joshi
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(408)-730-2596
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Walnut Creek
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Bhagavad Gita Ch. 2
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Sundays
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9:30 AM
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Vipin Kapadia
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Rakesh Bhutani
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(925)-933-2650
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SATSANG
with
Br. Prabodh Chaitanya
All
timings are from 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
1st
Friday of each month:
Text:
Upadesa sara
Kirtida
& Kamalesh N. Ruparell
20668 Seaton Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070
Ph: 408-867-9550
2nd
Friday of each
month:
Text: Vedanta in a Nutshell
Geetha
& Sanjay Rao, Evergreen ; Ph:
(408)863-0595
3rd
Friday of each month:
Text: Aparokshanubhooti
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.
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