South bay Vedanta Meetup Group

Vedanta Meetup – Meeting #1
Theme: Why Vedanta Matters in Modern Life
4:00 PM – 4:15 PM | Welcome & Introductions
• Brief introductions
• What brought you to Vedanta?
• What are you hoping to explore through this group?
4:15 PM – 4:25 PM | Purpose of the Meetup
• Vision for the community
• How the group will operate
• Discussion guidelines and expectations
• Overview of future sessions
4:25 PM – 4:45 PM | Vedanta 101: Foundations
• What is Vedanta?
• The meaning of self-knowledge
• Key questions:

• Who am I?
• What is lasting happiness?
• What is freedom?
  • Overview of the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita

4:45 PM – 5:15 PM | Guided Discussion
Discussion prompts:
• What does success mean to you?
• Have achievement and happiness always aligned in your life?
• What questions about life, purpose, identity, or spirituality are you currently exploring?
• What do you hope to gain from a study of Vedanta?
5:15 PM – 5:25 PM | Future Topics & Community Input
Potential topics:
• Self and Ego
• Karma and Free Will
• Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living
• Relationships and Attachment
• Meditation and Awareness
• Consciousness and Reality
5:25 PM – 5:30 PM | Closing Reflection
• One insight gained today
• One question you are leaving with
• Preview of the next meeting
Community Agreements
• Listen with curiosity and respect.
• Speak from personal experience.
• Seek understanding rather than debate.
• Maintain confidentiality and trust.
Closing Thought:
“The goal of Vedanta is not to become something new, but to discover what you have always been.”