Adult Study Groups

Mere listening to my yajnas will not add to your beauty. These ideas are to be reflected deeply and digested slowly. This process is hastened only when you discuss what you have studied with others. Devi/Study Groups constitute the heart of our mission. The ideas gathered by you, when discussed with others, not only become deeply rooted in yourself, 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

 

Study Group

The most important follow-up measure of the Jnana Yagnas (ज्ञान यग्न) is the Study Group (SG) program. The basic concept of the Study Group is to study the scriptures by those who have the curiosity/thirst to benefit from the perennial wisdom of the Rishis.

A group of 10-15 like-minded people gets together at a place, time, and day mutually agreed upon for 60 or 90 minutes a week for a systematic study of the scriptural texts prescribed in the Study Group Scheme by Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda after testing its validity over several years. A few thousand Study Groups function under the guidance of Chinmaya Mission Centers around the world.

Devi Group

When a mother is a true seeker, the whole environment of the house changes. Your family does not have to go out to hear a swami. You change, and your environment will follow suit. You are the mother, the model, the Guru.
– Swami Chinmayananda

The first Devi Group, or Chinmaya Study Group exclusively for women, was inaugurated in November 1958, in Chennai, India, with Swami Chinmayananda’s blessings: ‘Salutations to Mothers! I need not mention how happy I am that a Devi section of Chinmaya Mission is being inaugurated on this sacred day. Indeed, women have been, and even today are, the real custodians of our country’s spiritual culture. The fall of our cultural standard is a true measure of the growing ignorance in the mothers of our society.’
These encouraging words laid the foundation of Chinmaya Mission’s Devi Group culture. The activities of the Group were given a boost in January 1960, when several hundred women delegates from twenty-three towns gathered at the Venguhad Palace at Kollengode, Kerala, for a Chinmaya Devi Conference.

The Devi Group format allows members to feel comfortable in the all-women setting where they are able to freely discuss their doubts, fears, and problems without fear of disapproval or censure. ‘No question is unimportant!’ Swami Chinmayananda always insisted. Every question is valid and each member is treated as special and an important part of the group. Thus, women study the scriptures, reflect, and are able to apply the concepts to their specific tribulations at home.

Following the same curriculum as Chinmaya Study Groups, Chinmaya Devi Groups have grown over the years as powerful learning forums, open discussion arenas, and healthy support systems for women of all ages.

Adult Study Groups by Chinmaya Mission Portland

 

Here is the list of SGs conducted by Chinmaya Mission Portland, please feel free to join them. Apart from reading and discussing a proposed text, the SGs also watch the DVD of Satsangs with Gurudev, Guruji, and other Acharyas of the Chinmaya Mission. Please make sure to check our calendar to see if there are any schedule changes.

If you are interested to know more about any of these SGs, please contact us and we will direct you to the lead of the specific SG.

SG Naming conventions:

RS – Rise & Shine Study Groups, meet early mornings before 10 AM
BR – Study Groups during Balavihar time
LM – Late Morning Study Groups
EG – Evening Study Groups

Study Groups	Curriculum	Leads	Time
Sunday RS	Kenopanishad	Naveen G	Sun 7 AM
Sunday BR1	Self Unfoldment	Ganesh K	Sun 10 AM
Sunday BR2	Bhaja Govindam	Kishore P, Suraj V	Sun 10 AM
Sunday BR3	Jnana Sara	Ramesh K, Raghav K	Sun 10 AM
Sunday BR5	Bhagavad Gita	Narendar S	Sun 10 AM
Devi Group EG	Bhagavad Gita	Subha P, Kavitha V	Tue 7 PM
Wednesday EG	Bhagavad Gita	Rashmi S	Wed 7 PM
Thursday LM	Atma bodha	Rashmi S	Thu 10 AM
Saturday RS1	Upadesa Sara	Krishna S, Praveen G	Sat 8 AM
Saturday RS2	Gurudev’s Bhagavad Gita Capsules	Krishna S, Avinash K	Sat 9 AM
Saturday LM	Kathopanishad	Geetha N	Sun 10 AM

Adult Group Activities

Here is the list of Adult Group activities conducted by Chinmaya Mission Portland, please feel free to join them. Please make sure to check our calendar to see if there are any schedule changes.

Group Activities	Curriculum	Leads	Time
Yoga	Hatha Yoga	Anirudh M	After Bala Vihar
Bhajan Group	Gita/Stotras/Bhajans	Suma K	Thu/Fri 6 PM
Parayan Group	Sunderkaand Parayan	Seema N	Last Sat 4 PM

Adult Study Groups Curriculum & Books
FAQs about Adult Study Groups