Before your first class
The questions we are asked most, with short answers. If yours is missing, write to us.
Can Vedanta help me in my life?
Every human being searches for peace and happiness, and the home of both is within. Vedanta gives you a way of enquiring into yourself and a method for rebuilding the inner personality: the mind that wants and the intellect that weighs. It teaches the art of relating to the world around you. Once you learn the techniques and practise them, peace and happiness come into the life, and with them a working harmony with the world.
What do I need to join a class?
Curiosity. Classes are in English and open to all. No prior reading or understanding of Vedanta is needed. Register so that we know you are coming and can send the Zoom link.
Is it for people of all professions and backgrounds?
Yes. The principles apply to a student, a parent at home, a professional and a business owner, because they are about how the mind and the intellect work in anyone. Vedanta gives a technique of right action that can be applied in any field, at any time, and it trains you to think, reflect and understand the fundamental truths of life.
I am a businessperson. How does this apply to me?
A business without self-management is afflicted with worry, anxiety and stress, and loses efficiency and productivity to them. Vedanta provides the technique of self-management that gives the combination most people find elusive: efficiency at work and peace within. After decades of research, Swami A. Parthasarathy set out practical methods of self-management that raise productivity, reduce stress and build the qualities of leadership. For organisations.
I am religious. Does Vedanta ask me to give that up?
No. Faith is welcome. Vedanta is a philosophy, and people of every faith, and of none, study it here. It invites questions and offers answers you can test in your own life. Vyasa’s position is that the more you understand this wisdom, the more you will be able to relate to your own faith.
Where does it come from?
From India. Vedanta is the philosophy recorded in the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, in Sanskrit, and carried by an unbroken line of teachers. Electricity was discovered in one place and is meant for everyone. What is Vedanta?
What does a class cost?
Nothing. The weekly class and the short course are free. Voluntary contributions keep them free, and the community is a registered charitable trust. Give.
Do I need the book?
No. You can attend without it. The Sunday class reads Swami A. Parthasarathy’s commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, and most regulars buy it after a few weeks. The books.
Can I join part-way through?
Yes, any week. Each Sunday class stands on its own: one verse, one scene, one question. A short-course cohort is best joined before its first class; the next one opens about every four weeks.
Which time zone are the classes in?
The Sunday class is taught at 15:00 South African time and the short course on Friday mornings at 07:00 Pacific time. The calendar shows every class in your own time zone, including the day.
Is there something for my children?
Yes: a course on the symbolism of Hindu gods and rituals for ages 8 to 16, the Select English Poems class for older students, Saturday workshops, and a course for parents. Young people and parents.
Where do I start?
Most people find that dropping into the Sunday class is the best start. If you prefer to read first, start with The Fall of the Human Intellect. Four ways to begin.
What are the qualifications of the teachers?
Under the guidance of Swami A. Parthasarathy, teachers have completed a minimum of three years at the Vedanta Academy in India, after which graduates are awarded a diploma in Vedantic philosophy. Some have gone on to post-graduate study at the Academy. Vyasa Dass, our Principal Faculty, completed the residential programme and then spent fifteen years studying under Swamiji. About us.
What does the word “Swamiji” mean?
Swami means a continuous giver. Ji is a suffix, a term of respect. Together they name a person who gives his knowledge without stopping.
Where are you?
In Durban, South Africa. Classes are online, so people join from anywhere. Talks and workshops are in Durban, with the venue confirmed each time. Contact.