- Thursday 7 February
Self-Help through Self-Knowledge
- Thursday 14 March
Every Day a New Beginning
- Thursday 21 February
Take refuge in the Real – Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita
- Thursday 28 February
This Great Birthless Self – Teachings from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
- Thursday 7 March
Wonders of the Heart of al-Ghazali
- Thursday 14 March
The Light Behind the Mind
Self-Help through Self-Knowledge
Thursday 7 February
at Shanti Sadan (directions)
This talk will focus on how we can create harmony, order and tranquillity in the inner life of our mind. It is in this serenity that a deeper knowledge is uncovered within us.
This knowledge relates to the ultimate nature of our being—our ‘I’ as it is in itself without the ideas superimposed on the ‘I’ by our thoughts.
And the I, contemplated in this way, is realised to be infinite, boundless, one in all.
This talk will be given by the Warden of Shanti Sadan, author of these books.
Every Day a New Beginning
Thursday 14 February
Our possibilities for inner change and development are almost infinite.
Every day can be viewed as an opportunity for a renewed outlook, and life’s happenings can be transformed into aids on our path to the highest wisdom.
For the immutable reality underlies our life at any given moment.
Take Refuge in the Real: Wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita
Thursday 21 February (directions)
Everything exists in what has been called God, the Absolute, and many other names.
That is not contained in any limited thing. So it is not reasonable to expect to ‘see’ or ‘find’ God in anything in the world.
But we can learn to discover That as the source and substance of our own being, through reflection, meditation and a life of dedicated action.
In this way we can find the security and fulfilment that nothing in time can spoil.
This talk is based on teachings from Chapter Seven of the Bhagavad Gita.
This Great Birthless Self – Teachings from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Thursday 28 February
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, as its name suggests, is like a vast forest of the highest teachings on Self-knowledge and non-duality.
It has a unique attraction and approachability, and its wisdom is presented in a lively and engaging way, chiefly through the words of the enlightened sage, Yajnavalkya.
This talk indicates how this great work may be consulted with satisfaction and upliftment by any sincere seeker of illumination.
The Wonders of the Heart of al-Ghazali
Thursday 7 March
For centuries al-Ghazali has been one of the most read teachers on Islam and Islamic mysticism.
His massive work entitled the ‘Revival of the Religious Sciences’ had the aim of heightening the religious life of the people and raising the standards of teaching by the scholars.
In one chapter of his ‘Revival’ he treats of the ‘Heart’ – that in us which has the capacity for realisation of higher love and knowledge, and the means thereto, which are based on inner purification and enquiry.
This talk considers these teachings from the non-dual perspective and how we all can learn and benefit from them.
The Light Behind the Mind
Thursday 14 March
The purpose of life is to realize that our true Self is infinite consciousness, the reality behind the world of appearances. Our mind is the instrument that makes this realization possible.
For our progress to enlightenment, we must ‘mind our mind’ in a special sense. When our mind is significantly stilled and purified, it will begin to disclose its highest capacity. We will discover that what we really are is not the mind, but the ever free, self-luminous power that reveals and supports everything.
This talk will be given by the Warden of Shanti Sadan.
Registration is not required, but it will help us with organisation to know that you are thinking of coming. Thanks for letting us know!
All the talks are held at
Shanti Sadan
29 Chepstow Villas
London W11 3DR (map)
They all begin at 7pm on the Thursday evening, and last about 50 minutes. No previous knowledge of non-duality or meditation is assumed, although they include content that will be of interest to those who have studied non-duality (Advaita) before.
The meetings are free and everyone is welcome.
(Please note that the meetings would not be of interest to children.)
Non-duality (in Sanskrit, Advaita Vedanta) is a way of understanding the world and ourselves, closely connected with practical methods of gaining a deeper Self-knowledge and new sources of fulfilment.