The Vedic World View

Few rivers have a name as iconic as the Ganges River in India. At over 1550 miles (2,500 kms) long, it winds its way from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, passing a population of over 650 million along the way, making it the most populated river basin in the world.But there is more to the Ganges than just a body of water meandering through the landscape.In this episode, Thom brings his beloved Ganges to life. He explains why she plays such a significant role in the spiritual life of Indian citizens and visitors who come from around the world just to bathe in her icy waters. Thom leaves us in no doubt that the Ganges will justifiably play a pivotal role in our upcoming 2023 retreat in Rishikesh.If you'd like to attend the retreat with Thom in Rishikesh India from January 8th to 18th, 2023, please visit Thom's website for more details, https://thomknoles.com/india-retreat/ or follow the link in the show notes.[00:00:45] Mother Ganga[00:03:17] The Goddess Whom Everyone Can See[00:05:25] Taking a Dip in Ganga[

We’re all familiar with the saying, don’t use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but how about using a sword to clean a finger?Vedic literature is full of delightful fables that use analogies to deliver profound life lessons. In this episode Thom gives us some background on Upanishad, Vedic fables heard ‘while sitting at the feet of a Master’ before sharing a tale of a King and a swordsmith.It’s a delightful reminder that our Vedic Meditation technique has a very specific and powerful purpose, and a demonstration of how to dig a little deeper than the superficial interpretation of a story.Treat this episode as a taste test of more Upanishad tales to come in future episodes.[00:45] Sitting at the Feet of a Master[02:46] Sanskrit - The First Child of the Language of Nature[04:56] Lingua Franca[07:09] Sounds Like...[09:26] Rishi - A Five-Senses Hyperactive Perceiver[10:51] When a Rishi Hears the Sound of Nature[12:47] The Stuff of Fable[14:23] The Impact of Upanishad on the West[16:35] Kenopanishad[18:36] Defense of

Regular listeners know already that the power of Vedic Meditation lies in the ability to allow transcendence. But is it the only way? And how do you know if you’ve transcended?Prompted by a question from a listener, Thom takes a brief look at other meditation techniques and compares them to Vedic Meditation with respect to transcendence.He also explains the clues the experience leaves to allow us to conclude that transcendence has taken place.While meditation can have many functions, we have a choice between a technique that is specifically designed to help us transcend, or other ‘tiring ways’ which are designed for other purposes but may result in occasional transcendence.  [00:45] Q - Is Vedic Meditation the Only Meditation Technique That Allows Transcendence?[01:10] A - Other Meditation Techniques[03:06] The Mind is Thinking, Thinking, Thinking[04:24] Creating the Moment of Bliss[06:19] Many Tiring Ways of Transcending[08:05] Cognitive Processes[10:28] Less Volume of Thought[11:40] Mantra is Here[13:12] Ma

A rut, the ever-repeating known, can be a double-edged sword. While some find comfort in a rut, others feel restless.The restless are at a distinct advantage. Rather than waiting for the inevitable change that brings an end to the ever-repeating known, they opt for the role of change agent, and design their own path out of the rut, instead of having one designed for them.In this episode, Thom explains the simple formula for any change agent to follow to get out of a rut. Regular contact with the unbounded, followed by meaningful voluntary service in one form or another.Thom’s message is a call to arms for any agent of progressive change who is ready to report for duty. [00:45] Stop Ignoring the Obvious[03:12] Nivar Tatvam - Go Where You Are Not[04:36] Let the Mind be Easy[06:19] Step Back into the Relative[07:31] Colorfast Cloth[09:08] Alternating Back and Forth[10:19] Premature Contentedness - The Greatest Obstacle to Enlightenment[12:22] Seva - Service[14:42] Evolve Useful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://t

If the idea of a Vedic Meditation retreat in the foothills of the Himalayas with Thom Knoles sounds appealing, then this episode is for you.After a two-year hiatus, Thom is returning to Rishikesh and is extending a warm welcome to Vedic Meditators, and aspiring meditators alike, for a 10-day experience like no other.Thom explains why Rishikesh is the first and perfect choice for such a retreat, making it a pilgrimage to the acknowledged home of meditation and yoga. He outlines the daily routine and some of the highlights to look forward to, such as visits to the Ganges River and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s former ashram, and time spent as guests of His Holiness Swami Kailashanand Giri, the Shankaracharya-elect and the Master of our tradition.With luxury accommodations and gourmet food at the famous Divine Hotel, , your stay will be truly memorable.Let Thom whet your appetite with this special bonus episode, then make your way to https://thomknoles.com/india-retreat/ to register.Jai Guru Deva.[00:01:19] Upanishad

We learned recently on the podcast that knowledge is structured in consciousness. From this we can deduce that our understanding of Veda is dependent on our level of consciousness. It’s not just our intellectual understanding though, it’s also our ability to ‘perceive’ Veda.One example of this is the perception of ‘Yugas,’ epochs or periods of time that are referenced frequently in the various Vedic texts. When taken at face value, these Yugas appear to be linear periods, happening in a particular sequence, but, as Thom explains in this episode, there is more to the Yugas than meets the eye…NB - At the conclusion of the episode you will find mention of Thom’s popular course, Exploring the Veda - You can find teachers facilitating this course around the world at this link - https://thomknoles.com/vedic-meditation-teacher-directory/. [00:00:56] What are the Yugas?[00:03:21] Veda Cannot Be Deeply Understood by English Alone.[00:05:33] Four Major Divisions of Veda[00:07:52] Ritambhara Pragya[00:09:44] Awakening t

Few would doubt that being a parent can be stressful, but being the child of a parent has its own set of demands and challenges. The common thread through this, another ‘Ask Me Anything’ episode of The Vedic Worldview, is the theme of parental stress, both from the parent’s perspective and also from the child’s.Thom explores the impact the stress of a mother has on a child in the womb, and shows us how to keep inherited stresses in perspective.He helps us navigate the age-old question of how to cope with rebellious teenagers, reminding us that rebellion isn’t always as bad as it may seem, and that inspiration is the greatest tool a parent has available to them.And he shares some comforting wisdom on how to cope with the most difficult stress a parent could ever face, the death of a child.Episode Highlights: [00:45] Q- Is Fear Passed on to the Child While in the Womb?[01:06] A - Awareness of Progressive Change[03:45] Babies Have Qualities of the Biochemistry of Their Mother[06:19] Mother Divine - Qualities Pas

Who do you call when you’re the King of Nepal and you want to teach 100,000 subjects how to meditate? Who else but Maharishi Mahesh Yogi?The year was 1974 and Thom Knoles was there. In this episode Thom shares details of the adventure, a demonstration of Maharishi’s can-do attitude to his mission in life, and his matter-of-fact approach to getting the job done.Episode Highlights: [00:45] What Did Maharishi Do?[03:16] Nepal — The Last Vedic Kingdom[04:26] Maharishi in Switzerland[05:45] A Summons From The King[07:31] The Raj Guru to The King of Nepal[09:31] Zurich to New Delhi to Kathmandu[11:35] An Audience of One Hundred Thousand[13:58] "Where was I?"[16:04] Equanimity[18:10] Nitya Samadhi[20:15] Readiness to Meet Any Demand[22:31] The Vedic University in NepalUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

“None taken.”We all know we have an element of choice when it comes to ‘taking offense,’ yet often that's not the choice we make. In this episode, Thom explains why that is, and what it takes to become impossible to offend.  Episode Highlights: [00:45] Q - How Can We Not Be Easily Offended By Others?[00:52] A - “I’ll be the offended one.”[02:33] Doubts About Our Own True Nature[04:23] Your Universal Status[06:34] "You are a bush."[08:04] Insecure Attachment[09:12] Impossible to be OffendedUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Is there anybody out there? Humankind has been asking this question for millenia, and with the ability to conceive of space travel only being a recent phenomenon, the likelihood of finding an answer to the question has seemed unlikely up till now.But does space travel actually increase the likelihood of finding an answer even remotely? Between the laws of physics and the vast size of the universe, the likelihood of an objective answer goes from zero to zero. So in reality, all space travel has done is given us another way to fantasize about how we might come into contact with life beyond Earth.In this episode, Thom explains the limitations of an objective approach in depth, but he doesn’t leave us without hope. Relying on the principle that ‘knowledge is structured in consciousness,’ he suggests that the answer might be closer than we think.Episode Highlights: [00:45] SEETI - The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence [02:51] Our Fascination With People from Outer Space[04:56] Is Our Universe Bio-friendly?[

It’s Q&A time once again.In answer to a young man questioning the timing of parenthood, Thom explains the role the child has in its own incarnation, and reminds us to be led by charm rather than the intellect in our decisions.He also explains how our intellect interferes with our innate connection with the laws of Nature.And he tackles two questions on Cosmic Consciousness. One from a listener seeking clarity on his own experiences of Cosmic Consciousness, and one from another listener about the relationship between stress and Cosmic Consciousness.Something for everyone and, as always, something to inspire us to maintain our practice of Vedic Meditation. Episode Highlights: [00:45] How Do You Know When You're Ready to Be a Parent?[01:30] A Jiva Who Wants to Be Born[03:35] Karma - Unfinished Business[05:02] The Shankaracharya Tradition[07:13] The Only Safe Move[08:28] Great Liberties[09:39] Q- Why Do We Need to Learn or Re-learn the Laws of Nature?[10:00] Hride — The Layer of Us in Connection With Nature[1

We’re all familiar with cravings but why do we have them and why are they so powerful? What is it about them that makes us go weak at the knees and cave so easily? While most of us rely on willpower to beat cravings we know that it’s not a power we can rely on.In this episode Thom reminds us that the most powerful method to overcome cravings is to make them unnecessary, to create such a strong sense of inner fulfillment that the promise the cravings offer seem petty by comparison. Episode Highlights: [00:45] Superficial Enjoyment[02:55] What Fulfillment Looks Like[04:57] The Solution to Cravings[06:25] Awakening Baseline Bliss[07:53] The Binding Effect of Unfulfilled Desires[10:02] If Only...[11:25] Petty Cravings No Longer Have PowerUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was a popular interview subject for media icons throughout the world for many decades, often appearing more than once as a guest on high-profile shows.In this episode, Thom gives a first-hand, behind-the-scenes account of an interview Maharishi did with David Frost on the BBC in the 1970s.He describes the warm relationship Maharishi had with Frost, and his delightful response to a potentially difficult question Frost put to him. As Maharishi often did, he brought a more correct perspective to the situation, one that revealed his true character and his true mission in life.Episode Highlights: [00:54] A Great Seer[02:38] The Status of a Maharishi[03:39] Maharishi in Great Britain[05:48] The Green Room[07:09] Maharishi at His Best[08:45] A Cuban Cigar and a Deer Skin[10:48] Maaharishi[12:28] Acerbic Questions[13:51] Marker[14:08] "Come Out of this Weakness"[15:05] Who am I Trying to Protect?[15:48] "Only a Million Pounds?"[17:43] UnoffendableUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknole

IYKYK. If you know, you know. Or do you? Is knowledge as reliable as we think it to be?“Knowledge is structured in consciousness,” is one of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's most profound and most frequently shared quotes. Ironically, one’s understanding of the quote is also dependent on one’s consciousness.Thom’s explanation of Maharishi’s quote gives us an opportunity to reflect on that which we ‘know,’ and even our own process of knowing and how this evolves along with our states of consciousness. It’s a reminder that things are not always as they seem, and to remain flexible in how we view the world and our place in it.Episode Highlights: [00:51] Two Methods of Gaining Knowledge[01:38] The Objective Means of Gaining Knowledge[03:20] The Subjective Means of Gaining Knowledge[05:10] Knowledge Has Infinite Organizing Power[06:42] Awakening Knowledge of How Things Work[07:52] The Criticisms of Albert Einstein[09:29] The Universe Can Only Behave in Ways that I Can Understand[10:50] You Are One With the Cosmos[11:58] Kn

Many of us invoke the common phrase “Is nothing sacred?!” when we feel that something of value to us isn’t experienced the same way by others. What if we told you that everything could be sacred, to the extent that we make it so?All of us hold certain things sacred in our lives, whether it be a memento, an icon, a place, a ritual, maybe some kind of religious artifact or even a cuddly toy from our childhood. But how often do we give thought to what it is that makes these things sacred for us?This episode is a reminder from Thom that we can get more depth, more richness out of life, firstly by appreciating how we make things sacred, and secondly by choosing to make more things sacred in our life. Thom invites us to go beyond the symbolic nature of that which we hold sacred and to actually have a conscious relationship with it. He also shares how nothing is off the table when it comes to holding something sacred, leaving us open to the possibility of living a life where nothing is taken for granted and everythi

The terms duality and non-duality are becoming more commonly used and can have different meanings in different contexts.In ‘spiritual circles’ duality is often seen as a cause of suffering, or even the cause of suffering, but, in and of itself, duality is actually benign.In this episode, Thom answers questions from listeners about duality and non-duality from different perspectives. He explains that duality and non-duality cannot be considered from an either/or point of view and that Totality is a more complete approach, taking both sides of the equation.Thom also looks at how our fixations on one point of view over another might appear to cause suffering, but really are just highlighting the absence of baseline happiness.Episode Highlights: [00:47] Q- Can you Make Comments on Non-duality, Advaita, and Vedanta?[02:06] The Truth of the Word Vedanta[04:16] The Tradition of Vedanta[05:49] Brahman - Totality Consciousness[07:11] The Problem With the Word Advaita[09:22] Q- Does Duality Brings About Suffering?[09:5

We celebrate this, the 100th episode of The Vedic Worldview, by covering one of Thom’s favorite subjects, Vedic Meditation Initiator Training.Building on the last episode, Become a Teacher of Vedic Meditation, Thom explains why his training is the ultimate path for anyone considering becoming a Vedic Meditation Initiator.While there are many more trainings available than there were just a few short years ago, many of which offer a simpler or more convenient path of learning, Thom explains that it’s their convenience that makes them unsuitable for anyone serious about becoming an Initiator. He describes the 10,000-year-old tradition that has given us access to the wisdom behind Vedic Meditation in its purest form, and his commitment to maintain that purity.  If you’re serious about becoming a Vedic Meditation Initiator, you can find out more about Vedic Meditation Initiator Training with Thom Knoles.Episode Highlights: [00:45] Vedic Meditator Initiator Training 2023, Rishikesh, India[01:16] 'Creative' Initiato

Imagine meeting someone in the street who fondly remembers you for teaching them Vedic Meditation and sharing the profound impact it’s had on their lives.This is a regular occurrence for Vedic Meditation teachers around the world, and especially so for Thom, who has taught tens of thousands of students over the past 50 plus years.It’s an honor and a privilege to earn the title of a Vedic Meditation ‘Initiator’ and to learn with Thom and to be endorsed by Thom is one of the highest positions one can take as an ‘agent of progressive change.’In this episode, Thom invites you to apply to join him on his 2023 training, to be held in Rishikesh, India. The training only happens once a year, so if you’re feeling charm to move in this direction, now is your chance to do so.Listen to this episode then visit https://thomknoles.com/initiator-training/ for more details about the application process. Episode Highlights: [00:48] How Can You Contribute to the Creation of an Ideal Society?[02:41] Be a Vedic Meditation Teacher

Despite the myriad advances made by humans over the centuries, depression is a condition that seems to be consistently on the rise. We can all do more, have more and experience more than our ancestors could have possibly dreamed of, yet so many of us struggle to find a sense of peace within ourselves.In this episode, Thom explores the subject of depression and the role that Vedic Meditation can play in reversing the cycle of depression and anxiety-related conditions. With depression often having serious and life-threatening consequences, Thom advocates a multipronged approach: appropriate professional care supported by Vedic Meditation to relieve the stress that brought it about.   Episode Highlights: [00:45] Anger With Good Manners[02:02] Two Flavors of Depression[03:03] Reversing the Vicious Cycle Through Vedic Meditation[04:31] Accumulating Distorted Memories and Maladaptive Reactions[06:14] The Vicious Cycle of Anxiety and Depression[07:50] A Feedback Loop of Mutual Enrichment[08:56] An Enormous Aid to De

Who do you think you are? What do you think you are?We can all find myriad ways to describe ourselves and we often rely on these descriptors to give us our ‘sense of identity.’ “I’m a mother of three, a nuclear physicist, a passionate tango dancer and an advocate for animal rights…”The problem with this approach is that our descriptors are always subject to change, and even subject to debate in some cases.We’re only ‘young’ until we become not so young. We’re only ‘successful’ until we redefine what success is, which is often based on someone else’s judgment. We’re only X until it becomes more fashionable to be Y and it suits us better to become one of those…So is it any wonder that most of us have this gnawing sense of uncertainty. We’re trying to build a sense of identity on the shifting sands of circumstances and subjective judgments. And as soon as we do settle on a solid sense of identity, something changes to make it shaky again.Thom’s got your back though. By the end of this episode you’ll ‘hardly know