The focus of the Study Group is on the study, logical reflection and application of the teachings of the Vedantic scriptures in daily life. The aim is to gain Self-knowledge. To explain the importance of constant reflection, Swami Chinmayananda gave the example of a cup of coffee with a spoon of sugar at the bottom. Until and unless the sugar is stirred, the coffee remains bitter. Similarly, knowledge is only absorbed when it is properly stirred by the intellect. The role of the Study Group is to stir knowledge so that its sweetness becomes one with the personality.
Members of the group support each other by sharing their study, knowledge, reflections and experiences of personal application. There are no particular requirements for joining a study group. All one needs is a desire for gaining Vedantic knowledge.
Furthermore children will emulate their parents and it is essential that parents are grounded in Vedanta so they can guide their children when the need arises.
See the list of available study groups offered for Chinmaya Mission Seattle
“Study Groups constitute the heart of our Mission. The ideas, when discussed with others, not only become deeply rooted in you, but as they become clearer in your own understanding, they also inspire those who listen to you. Thus, each student, while trying to strengthen his own understanding, can become an instrument for the spread of this knowledge. This process is the dynamic study scheme followed in the Vedantic tradition. This is not a Chinmaya methodology; it is the most ancient Vedantic tradition of study.” – Swami Chinmayananda
