In 2014, Jonas Masetti founded Vishva Vidya in the mountains of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. "Vishva Vidya" means "universal knowledge" — a name given by Swami Dayananda Saraswati himself.
What is Vishva Vidya
It is a school of Vedānta. It is not an ashram in the Indian sense (it doesn't have permanent resident monks), but it functions as a gurukulam — a center where people come to study seriously and with commitment.
Vishva Vidya offers: - Free introductory courses - Regular study groups (2 years) - In-person and online intensives - Teacher training - Meditation retreats
The physical space
Petrópolis was chosen for a reason: mountains, silence, nature. The tradition has always recommended studying in secluded places — where the mind is not constantly pulled towards the agitation of the city.
The center has classrooms, a space for meditation, and a kitchen for community meals. It is functional, not luxurious. The focus is on study.
The online system
But most students are not in Petrópolis. They are in São Paulo, Manaus, Porto Alegre, Lisbon. The Full Interactive Learning® system allows students from anywhere to participate in real-time, with direct interaction with the teacher.
This is what transformed Vishva Vidya from a local school into a national phenomenon. More than 150,000 people study daily. Vedanta Cast has over 1000 episodes. The YouTube channel has 122,000 subscribers.
Who studies at Vishva Vidya
People from all walks of life. Doctors, engineers, artists, housewives, retirees, university students. Vedānta has no academic prerequisite. The only requirement is the desire to know: who am I?
The organization's philosophy
Vishva Vidya faithfully follows the lineage of Swami Dayananda. Vedānta is taught as pramāṇa — a means of knowledge. Not as therapy, not as religion, not as philosophy. It is a path to discovering what you already are.
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