Currently, the Advaita Vedanta Center of Las Vegas offers three different kinds of activities: study circle, candlelight meditation, and walking meditation. These activities are generally three distinct activities occurring on different days, but sometimes elements of one show up in another; for example, a study circle may include some meditative practices, whether it be meditation by candlelight or individual instruction in walking meditation.

The vibe of all of the above activities can best be described as “serious but informal.” Participants are notified by email of upcoming activities. We do not observe regular fixed dates and times; rather, each month dates are decided upon and an email is sent out with that month’s activities and dates. Nikhil Anthony leads the activities but, strictly speaking, he considers himself a “lead student” rather than a teacher. We are all devotees of the same God, helping each other along the way.

Here is a brief description of the aforementioned activities:

Study Circle: This is a 1-2 hour discussion of Advaita Vedanta philosophy, and the practical applications thereof. We look at pieces of traditional texts such as The Upanishads and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as well as more contemporary rehearsals of Advaita (i.e. works by Rupert Spira). One of the texts we return to again and again is Be as You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi as this is one of the best explanations of self-enquiry, the practice which informs the backbone of what we do here. Although Nikhil Anthony leads the study circle a majority of the time, other devotees are welcome to lead as well, if they so wish. The study circle is for aspirants of all levels whether you are just starting out, or have read volumes of Advaita philosophy. That said, it wouldn’t hurt to read a few of the texts from the Suggested Reading page of this website, in particular Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, The Upanishads, and Meditation and its Methods.

Candlelight Meditation: This is an hour long meditation led by Nikhil Anthony, and it’s done in candlelight. We sit in a circle with a candle glowing at its center. (Don’t worry, we sit in chairs.) The candle is a useful aid as it gives one something to focus on. The goal of meditation is to still the mind. In order to still the mind, it helps to first make it one-pointed (focused on one thing)—this gives one the best chance of dropping the mind altogether. It is much harder to drop the mind when the attention is split among a multiplicity and diversity of things. If we use an aid to focus on, such as a candle, we can make the mind one-pointed, and therefore lighter, which in turn makes it easier to drop/still.

Walking Meditation: The goal of walking meditation is the same as the goal of candlelight meditation: To give the mind one single thing to focus on in order to ultimately still/drop the mind altogether. In this case, the one-pointed focus is walking, and the tactile sensation of the floor under our feet. This activity is sometimes referred to elsewhere as “mindful walking.” Walking meditation is not a group activity; rather, it is administered individually: Nikhil Anthony instructs individuals in the art of walking meditation if they wish to learn it. There are, of course, many types of meditation, and this is just one if those many types, but many newcomers find it to be an easy way of beginning a meditative practice as walking is something already familiar to us. Walking meditation is done very slowly; in fact, it can take several minutes to walk just a few feet.