What are we studying?

This class is a monthly series dedicated to discovering how timeless spiritual insights reappear across cultures, disciplines, and modes of expression. Drawing on the universal principles of Theosophy, the class moves fluidly from the arts and literature to American Transcendentalism, practical philosophy, and classical Eastern wisdom—learning to recognize truth whether it appears in a novel, a poem, a friendly conversation, or a sacred text. Together we will explore how wisdom is lived, expressed, and shared. Each session invites thoughtful dialogue, reflection, and the cultivation of a theosophical outlook on life.

Theosophy and the Arts

Theosophy and the Arts is a discussion-based class centered on engagement with a selected work of art—such as a film, documentary, or visual piece—prior to class time. Participants are asked to approach the work in advance, attentively and receptively. Our time together is devoted to shared reflection on meaning, symbolism, and expression, and to exploring how Theosophical ideas may deepen, challenge, or illuminate what the art is conveying. The aim is not fixed interpretation, but the cultivation of perception, insight, and thoughtful dialogue.

How to Become a Friendly Philosopher

How to Become a Friendly Philosopher is a practical exploration of philosophy as a way of being, not merely a system of abstract ideas. Drawing on writings that emphasize inner discipline, ethical clarity, and self-directed growth, this class approaches philosophy as something lived through character, attitude, and daily choices. Rather than aiming at argument or abstraction, we’ll explore how thought shapes action, how inner qualities are cultivated over time, and how a reflective life can remain grounded, humane, and quietly transformative in the midst of ordinary responsibilities.

The Crest Jewel of Wisdom from Shankara

In this study class we will undertake a guided exploration of Vivekachūḍāmaṇi—“The Crest-Jewel of Discrimination” (viveka)—one of the most celebrated works of Adi Shankaracharya, the founder of Advaita (non-dual) Vedānta. Each class session will begin with a short, focused talk by our speaker, followed by time for questions and open dialogue, creating space not only to clarify the teachings but to reflect together on their meaning and application.

Far from being solely an abstract philosophical treatise, Vivekachūḍāmaṇi is a practical manual for inner transformation. It leads the seeker step by step through discrimination between the eternal and the transient, the cultivation of discipline and dispassion, and the recognition of the SELF as pure consciousness. We will approach the text slowly and reverently, allowing its verses to serve as signposts for contemplation and lived assimilation. Moving steadily through its nine principal sections (see below), our aim is not merely to complete the work, but to internalize its vision—so that its wisdom becomes a living guide toward Self-realization and the fulfillment of our highest spiritual purpose.

The Transcendentalists and Theosophy

In this class we will explore the rich philosophical and spiritual kinship between the American Transcendentalist movement and the timeless ideas of Theosophy. Through the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and Walt Whitman, we will examine how these profound thinkers provided compelling evidence of a sublime order and living wisdom in Nature and within the human soul. Organized around key themes such as Self-Reliance, Character, Identity, the Oversoul, etc., this class invites participants into a reflective dialogue between Transcendentalist insight and theosophical philosophy—uncovering shared intuitions about the unity of life, moral law, and the spiritual inheritance of humanity.