Programs of Arsha Vidya Ananda 

 While Vedanta is available for all of humanity, the teaching tradition has been cultivated, nurtured and systematically preserved in India, slowly spreading across the world.    

Our commitment in serving the tradition is to make the teaching of Vedanta available to anyone and everyone, Indian or Western.  

Our ongoing courses, workshops, talk series, Vedanta camps and other programmes are available to anyone who is a thinking person, interested in self growth and has a hunger for self knowledge. Even people who are curious about it or are interested in the culture of India and wisdom may find the programs valuable just like many Westerners who glided into Vedanta due to their interest in healing, Ayurveda, Yoga or Indian music.    

 Our current programs include:  

1.Ongoing Vedanta Courses – The ongoing courses involve a systematic study where different Vedanta texts are taught in a class according to what the group needs alongside the practice of meditation, prescribed disciplines and Q and A sessions with the teacher. Each course requires  a time commitment of 1 -3 hours per week.  All classes of the courses are also available online since January 2018. You can learn more here (hyperlink to Enrol and learn) 

These may include chanting and conducting puja classes. 

2. One day or half day workshops –These are usually conducted for new participants and covers topics such as : Self esteem, Identifying life priorities, Discovering the purpose of life,   Dharma centred living, Communication, issues related to parenting, introduction to the Gita etc.

Sometimes we respond to organizations interested in learning more about some topics. For instance, ‘Life of a monk’ – Talk given at Dignity Foundation, an organization for senior citizens in 2017.  

3. Series of talks –These are usually conducted once a week with each session being 11/2 hours allowing for Q&A time. Some of the sessions conducted have been ‘Introduction to the Gita’, ‘Essence of Gita’. 

An interactive series was conducted online in 2015, the link of which is here –  

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWjpkY4mU2RBl0s-bg-Pa5wWCj1JXNDnI 

Topics covered were :   

• The What, Why and How of Moksha

• The shift from a seeker to a knower

• Purushartha nischaya – Identifying priorities

• Living in line with priorities

• Discovering emotional balance

• Discovering God

4. Vedanta camps– Camps or retreats are intensive, immersive experiences which include Vedanta classes, guided meditation, chanting, group work and exercises. These are conducted residentially from 4 days to a week at a time.   

In collaboration with Aarsha Vidya foundation, founded by Swami Brahmavidananda Saraswati ji, we conduct    Vedanta camps twice a year, generally in Jan and August.  

 Vedanta camp in India – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQw-4VCRNRI&list=PL5vNI4hvD69qBHoA_mxqA8u60napU8cQ-&index=1 

 In collaboration with Vishva vidya institute, founded by Prof Jonas Masetti, Brazil we co-conduct camps once a year. 

 Vedanta camp in Brazil – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TqXBxX9QyA&list=PL5vNI4hvD69qBHoA_mxqA8u60napU8cQ- 

 To express your interest in attending a Vedanta camp, please write to info@discoveratma.com

5.  Leadership programmes for youth–  

Covering a varied range of topics such as Self Awareness, Self Acceptance, Taking responsibility, factors in making a choice, harmony in relationships and leading one’s life, these programmes are conducted either over the weekend or a few sessions spread over few weeks.  

Glimpse of a leadership programme conducted at SIES College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Sion.

6. SHINE – Spiritual Heritage of India for Next Generation Empowerment. As the name suggests, the purpose of this is to share and empower children with pearls of wisdom from the spiritual heritage of India.

A year long programme including twenty sessions was conducted in 2016. To get a glimpse of the programme, please watch in the programmes section of our youtube channel.  

7. Intrareligious dialogue –

Participation in meeting religious leaders of Sanaatana dharma. One such event that saw our participation was in the 6th Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha from 19th – 21st Feb, 2017. Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha (HDAS) is an apex forum comprising more than 130 Hindu religious leaders heading Mathas and Peethas in India (institutions of Hindu religious learning and practice) that are more than a few hundred years old, with an unbroken lineage from their founding, and with a huge, large current following. The Sabha covers several sampradayas (ancient Hindu religious denominations propounding diverse traditional expressions of Hindu spirituality and practice). In its periodic conferences, the Sabha considers issues and concerns of Hindu society and matters of religious and spiritual nature in Hindu faith and practice. 

 Attended by key members of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha and Arsha Vidya sanyaasis, it was a historic meet in more ways than one. After offering heartfelt Shraddhanjali to Pujya Swami Dayananda ji, many of these religious heads spoke about Pujya Swamiji ‘s vision of Hindu dharma fructifying in this apex body and the implications for Bharat of HDAS. Some of the topics, discussed were: intrinsic connection of the worldview of ancient religions and the reverence towards the environment, protection of cows and a comparison of cow breeds, an update on the legal cases filed by HDAS in the Supreme Court and High Court regarding the control of temples, some possible strategies to deal with religious conversion and the need for ‘authentic Hindu voices in Western academia etc  

8. Interreligious dialogue-

From time to time we reach out to religious leaders from other religions to promote mutual respect and better understanding of each other.  

One such programme we conducted was on 2nd October 2016 titled ‘Many religions. One nation and a harmonious coexistence.’. where we invited religious leaders from different religions. The highlights are captured in the video here –   

9. O2(Online outreach) –  

Discover Atma @Arsha Vidya Ananda has a presence on Facebook .   

From April 2015-December 2017, in a closed group called the Teachings of Vishnu Sahasranama (earlier titled Arsha Vidya Parampara) , the meaning of Visnu Sahasranama were presented. Based on the teachings of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati ji, unfailingly each day the meaning of one of the thousand words revealing the glory of Bhagavan Visnu was unfolded and related questions were answered.  The compilation is available on request.

Short helpful videos to share some teachings relevant to every day life are regularly uploaded to the youtube channel of Discover Atma. 

To subscribe – https://www.youtube.com/c/DiscoverAtma

 10. Aim for Seva– Affiliated with All India Movement for Seva founded by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati ji, it currently provides value based education to rural and tribal children across India. It has over 100 free student homes and many community projects in different parts of India. To know more and contribute – http://www.aimforseva.org/ 

 Other than these programs if you wish to participate or collaborate or invite Swamini ji to your area for talks or programs, please write to swaminiji@discoveratma.com