Ongoing Courses

यावद् स्थास्यन्ति गिरयः सरितश्च महीतले । तावद् रामायणकथा लोकेषु प्रचरिष्यति ॥
yāvad sthāsyanti girayaḥ saritaśca mahītale | tāvad rāmāyaṇa-kathā lokeṣu pracariṣyati ||

“As long as the mountains stand and the rivers flow upon the earth, so long will the story of the Ramayana be told among men.” Uttara Kanda, Valmiki’s Ramayana

The Ramayana: The Eternal Journey of Dharma and Devotion

The Ramayana is one of the most timeless epics in Indian culture, shaping the moral and spiritual fabric of society for millennia. It is not just a tale of heroism and adventure but a profound narrative of dharma, the righteous path, woven through the life and challenges of Lord Rama. The epic transcends time with its themes of love, loyalty, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

As the famous saying from the Ramayana goes, “When Rama is installed in the heart, everything will be added unto you—fame, fortune, freedom, fullness, and the fulfilment of life.” The Ramayana invites us to reflect on the deeper truths of human existence, offering a guide for living a life of virtue in harmony with oneself and the universe.

In this class, we will discuss the various layers of the Ramayana, examining the virtues of Lord Rama, the devotion of Sita, the loyalty of Hanuman, and the choices made by Ravana. We will also reflect on the unwavering commitment of Lakshmana, who exemplifies selfless service; the wisdom and compassion of Vibhishana, who chooses righteousness over familial loyalty; the bravery and dedication of Jatayu, who sacrifices everything for a noble cause; and the deep love and sorrow of Bharata, who, despite being offered the throne, remains loyal to his exiled brother, etc.

We will converse on these characters —their inner conflicts, ethical dilemmas, emotions, insights, and doubts—as they navigate the complexities of life, relationships, and strive toward ultimate freedom. Through this journey, we will discover timeless lessons on values, responsibility, lucidity, resilience, courage, determination; the external challenges we face but also the internal battles that shape our character and destiny — themes that remain deeply relevant to modern life.

The Mahabharata has deeply influenced every aspect of Indian culture over the last 5,000 years and is revered as the Fifth Veda by Hindus. Even though the main theme of the epic is the Great War in Kurukshetra, it comprises many stories and other stories within stories, all woven together, offering us rich and various parables, insightful dialogues, discussions between various characters and beautiful metaphors. As the famous saying goes, ‘What is found here about the four human pursuits i.e., dharma, artha, kama and moksa, may be found elsewhere. However, what is not found here will not be found elsewhere.’ No wonder that many believe this most magnificent epic to be the greatest story ever told.

In this class, through the story of Mahabharata we will explore human life and its condition such as greatness and misery, the difficulty of being good and pursuing freedom. We will reflect on the various characters of this profound text, their inner conflicts, ethical challenges, the emotions they go through, their insights and doubts, mistakes and falls, as they navigate their lives and strive towards freedom

In this profound book, Lord Krishna reveals to Arjuna the ultimate reality of oneself, the universe and its cause. He also shows Arjuna the means to prepare him for the knowledge through karma yoga, meditation & other shifts in attitude. This teaching makes us understand the vision of oneness. It also enables us to view life as a great opportunity to utilize our talents, skills, and contribute to the well-being of ourselves and others; and in the process, free ourselves from guilt, hurt, and fears.

The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad, one of the shortest yet most profound Upaniṣad, offers a gateway to understanding the ultimate nature of reality of the self. This Upanishad expounds the vision of Vedanta through the sacred word Om. The methodology used to unfold the vision is our own waking, dream and deep sleep experience at an individual level and the entire physical, subtle and causal universe at the cosmic level. This text challenges us to question the reality we perceive and recognize our true nature as infinite, unchanging consciousness.

The Gauḍapāda Kārikā, an ancient commentary by the sage Gauḍapāda employs reason, logic, and poetic insight to reveal the relative nature of the world and the ultimate truth being Brahman. Adi Śaṅkarācārya’s commentary on the Kārikā enriches this dialogue with his profound clarity and intellectual rigor, offering seekers a comprehensive understanding of Advaita Vedānta’s essence.

Living the Vision of Oneness’ is authored by Neema Majmudar and Surya Tahora.
The book is organized into ten chapters:

Chapter 1 introduces in a concise manner, the overall vision of the Bhagavad Gita, which reveals how there is essentially non-difference between the cause of the universe (Ishvara) and the individual (you).

Chapter 2 elaborates on the ways to bring awareness of nature to the cause of the universe (Ishvara) in life, and its contribution towards our personal transformation.

Chapters 3 to 8 provide an overall framework based on the teaching of the Gita, which is meant to assist the reader in: Assessing and responding to situations, choice of action, management of desires, relating to people, managing changes, taking care of prior orientations that obstruct the growth process.

Chapter 9 explains the ways in which meditation and prayers help the entire process.

Chapter 10 summarizes the overall content by giving a profile of a person who has transformed oneself and assimilated this teaching in its totality.

This Upanishad contains a famous sentence, ‘Brahmavid Apnoti Param’, which means ‘the knower of Brahman (the absolute reality) gains the highest’. The rest of the text unfolds that Brahman, which is limitless, is to be understood as true nature of oneself. It goes on to explain how the entire universe has come, is sustained and resolves in Brahman. Finally, the Upanishad shows that the fulfilment gained by the knower of Brahman as self is unparalleled to any other living being on earth and beyond. The teaching is based on commentaries of Adi Shankaracharya which is known for its brilliant analysis and clarity of thought.

In this profound book, Lord Krishna reveals to Arjuna the ultimate reality of oneself, the universe and its cause. He also shows Arjuna the means to prepare him for the knowledge through karma yoga, meditation & other shifts in attitude. This teaching makes us understand the vision of oneness. It also enables us to view life as a great opportunity to utilize our talents, skills, and contribute to the well-being of ourselves and others; and in the process, free ourselves from guilt, hurt, and fears.

‘Tattva Boddha’ (La connaissance de la Réalité)

Tattva Bodha est traditionnellement un des premiers textes abordé par l’étudiant du Vedanta. En effet, il présente les définitions des termes essentiels et utilise diverses méthodes d’enseignement que l’on trouve dans les Upanishads. En cela, il révèle toute la vision du Vedanta de manière concise et limpide. L’étude de ce texte permet de maîtriser les fondements du Vedanta et à ce titre est indispensable, si l’on désire se lancer dans une étude plus approfondie.

Tattva Bodha n’est pas seulement pour les ‘débutants’ mais pour tous les étudiants. Souvent, des personnes qui ont étudié le Vedanta depuis de nombreuses années se voient incapables de progresser en raison d’une assimilation incomplète des fondamentaux. Nos cours sur Tattva Bodha permettront à ces étudiants de renforcer leur compréhension des points essentiels et critiques de l’enseignement.

L’enseignement de Tattva Bodha est pertinent pour chacun de nous car il satisfait la quête humaine de sens et aborde la question de ce qui importe véritablement dans notre vie, l’Essentiel, qui concerne tout être humain. Le monde d’aujourd’hui, avec sa volatilité et sa complexité, requiert une sagesse qui nous permet de faire des choix lucides sur l’orientation que nous pouvons donner à notre vie, la manière de nous transformer intérieurement et initier notre chemin vers l’Essentiel.

Suggested Reading:
Tattva Bodha, Swami Dayananda Saraswati (en anglais)

Oral prayers offered to Isvara are an integral part of the pursuit of maturity and freedom. We will learn some essential shanti mantras, starting by the ones chanted at the beginning and the end of Vedanta classes. Then some beautiful and inspiring Vedic and non-Vedic prayers, along with their meaning, which can become part of your daily routine.

The texts of the prayers in Sanskrit, with transliteration, and the English meaning will be given to you.

Meditation: Bringing Isvara in your life, growing as a person and contemplating upon realities. According to the Gita and Upanishads, meditation is not regarded as a technique but as an essential component of our pursuit of knowledge and freedom. The purpose of these guided meditation classes is to take you through the different steps of traditional Vedantic meditation, in order to give you a solid foundation for your own individual practice. It would include: Scanning the body and watching your breathing to come back to yourself; mental repetition of a mantra or japa to know the ways of your mind; develop a relationship with Isvara for emotional growth; finally contemplate on the teaching of Vedanta which reveals the oneness between Isvara and yourself.