The Vedic World View

The desire to help others is baked into human DNA, and the sight of someone suffering often triggers a need to take action.This is one of the reasons our species has been able to thrive.Often, however, our attempts to alleviate the suffering of others don’t succeed, not necessarily because of lack of effort or misguided intentions. It’s because there’s another dynamic at play that can thwart our efforts.In this episode, Thom reminds us that the desire to be helped doesn’t come as naturally as the desire to offer help, and that the greatest help we can sometimes give, is to not give help at all.Episode Highlights:[00:45] The Natural Desire to Alleviate the Suffering of Others[02:23] Harmonizing Inner Alignment with External Responses to Change[04:03] Unsought Advice[05:43] How to Help Someone Who Is Suffering[07:27] Perceiving Cues[09:02] The Role of Humility in Seeking HelpUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps:

Desire is one of the most misunderstood facets across all Wisdom traditions. Teachers often teach, and readers often misinterpret, some of the writings of the texts, both from Veda as well as other ancient wisdom cultures, as meaning that desire is bad, or that the key to enlightenment is to eliminate our desires.One such example of this misunderstanding is the Vedic epic Bhagavad Gita, specifically Chapter 2, Verse 47, in which Krishna tells Arjuna, “Live not for the fruits of action.”The misinterpretation of this text leads many to think that desire itself is the cause of suffering, and thus attempt to suppress or ignore desires in the hope of avoiding suffering.Thom sets the record straight in this episode, clarifying the purpose of desire, and giving us a technique whereby we can ensure that our desires are not just aligned with Nature, but serve to meet the need of the time.Episode Highlights[00:45] What’s the Point of Taking Action?[00:55] Bhagavad Gita and the Mahabharata[03:12] Arjuna and Krishna: The

While most of us think of hair in terms of current fashion trends and style ourselves accordingly, (or not!), most long-lasting schools of thought still have customs related to hair based on traditions that have lasted millenia.The Vedic worldview is no different, and in fact, many of the traditions related to the hair can be traced back to Vedic origins.In this episode, Thom explains that hair has a very subtle yet specific function, beyond just keeping the head or the body warm, that dictates a style of relating to the world, or even retreating from the world.While it may not affect how you manage your own hair, it will give insights into the ways in which many masters, monks, sadhus and other teachers manage theirs.Episode Highlights:[00:45] Hair as a Conduit[02:06] One Set of Tubes After Another[04:12] A Larger Information Base[06:11] Signaling the Phase of Life[08:15] Hair that Grows Unfettered[10:21] Three Kinds of Characters[11:58] What's Cooking in the Outside World?[13:36] Please Tell Me All About Ev

Spiritual leaders are often perceived as being stern and serious, in some cases even humorless. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, while he could be serious when needed, was famous for his smile, his laugh, and his sense of humor in general.In this episode, Thom shares some anecdotes from his 26-plus years of being with Maharishi, where Maharishi put his sense of humor on display. Some of these were public displays, while others were from behind the scenes; all of the stories reflect Maharishi’s famous quote, “We have an infinite number of reasons to be happy, and a serious responsibility not be serious.”Episode Highlights:[00:45] Maharishi's Humor[02:36] Maharishi's Way of Answering Serious Questions[04:59] The Million-Pound Reply[06:09] A Lover of Analogies[07:29] The Complaint About Meditation[09:12] Fifty Dollar Bet on Effortless Mantra[11:17] Think Mantra Without Effort[11:59] "I Am an Imposter."[13:35] Journalist Wanted to Expose Maharishi[15:15] "I'm Here to Find and Report Facts."[16:39] Laughter-Filled Meeting W

Silent retreats and cave retreats are nothing new and have been around for millenia, giving seekers an escape from the demands of daily life and a chance to simply let the mind be with itself.A modern twist on this is the use of Dark Room Retreats, a growing business model where the cave might be swapped for a cabin, and food and other needs are provided for you, leaving you alone to experience the potential bliss of sensory deprivation.In this episode, Thom shares his own experience with cave retreats, along with his perspective on dark room retreats. He also shares an alternative method for sensory deprivation. One that doesn’t require dark rooms or even silence but which still yields the bliss we might be looking for if we were to consider a dark retreat.Episode Highlights:[00:45] Awakening the Mind's Innermost Potential[02:41] Techniques of Sensory Deprivation[04:33] How do I Experience Pure Consciousness?[06:32] Deep Rest in Vedic Meditation[08:35] The Charm of Silence[12:02] The Reason the Mind Falls Mu

Ayurveda is often defined as “the science of life, but this definition is somewhat simplistic, and doesn’t fully describe the origin and intent of the word.In this episode, in answer to a listener’s question, Thom gives a deeper explanation of the subject, including its origins and a fuller description of its meaning.This question and answer sets the stage nicely for the follow up contribution from a listener, which is effectively a display of both Ayurveda and self-referral in action.No matter what your level of understanding of Ayurveda is currently, this episode is sure to deepen your appreciation for it.Episode Highlights:[00:45] Q- Can You Describe Ayurveda from the Sanskrit Perspective?[01:01] A - Knowledge has Organizing Power[02:50] Apaurasheya - Without and Author[05:06] Veda Vyasa Categorizing the Vedas[07:03] The Four Vedas and Their Significance[08:56] Ayurveda: A Subordinate Veda of Rig Veda[10:53] Breathing and Longevity in Ayurveda[12:35] Ayurveda's Goal: Maximizing Joy in Relevant Longevity[14

A quick scan of the internet tells us that divorce and separation rank highly for most people as far as stressful events go, often coming second only after the death of a loved one.This is not surprising, given how much weight is put into the idea of committed relationships being permanent in most cultures around the world. Thom reminds us in this episode that, given that change is always occurring, perhaps our expectations of permanence in relationships are unrealistic in the first place. With that being the case, he offers up an alternative perspective, one that recognizes and honors change and which allows us to decouple progressively and without unwanted stress.Episode Highlights:[00:45] It's All About Happiness[02:50] Reframing Relationships and Life Changes[04:09] Change and Renewal in Relationships[05:27] Relationship Expiry and Transitioning to Happiness[06:27] Contemplating Divorce (for 60 Years)[07:50] Experimenting with Happiness[09:07] A/B A/B Design to Be Happier[10:48] No Mistakes[12:28] Separat

Discussions about the separation of artists and their art are not new. The subject has been discussed for centuries, usually in the context of legacy, but in recent times, and especially with the rise of cancel culture, the question more often comes up in relation to the behavior of an artist.Does the conduct of an artist negate the appreciability of their art?In this episode, Thom invites us to consider artworks from the perspective of Cosmic influence, and offers a simple measure we can use to assess what that level of influence might be.Episode Highlights:[00:45] What Are You?[02:52] Me-ness in Art[04:40] The Works of Something Deeper[06:37] Artistic Expression of the Unified Field of Consciousness[09:01] What Makes Some Art Forgettable?[10:13] Cosmic Influence in Art[12:33] When the Medium Becomes the Art[14:27] Cosmic and Individualistic Layers of ArtUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/

In October 2023, Thom Knoles participated in a panel discussion at a fundraiser event for The Light Inside, an organization providing Vedic Meditation courses for inmates in prisons in the United States, with plans to operate internationally.Other panelists included: Joh Jarvis, a Vedic Meditation Initiator and the founder of The Light Inside; Rev. Dr. Michelle Anne Simmons, founder of Why Not Prosper, an organization that provides support for women after they exit the prison system, and a board member of The Light Inside; and Robert Hammond, also a Vedic Meditation Initiator and a board member of The Light Inside, facilitated the discussion.This episode is a slightly truncated recording of that event, with a short introduction from Joh Jarvis. As well as reflections on Thom’s own experiences working in prisons, we hear about the impact The Light Inside is having on prisoners and everyone else whose lives they touch.The Light Inside website: www.the-lightinside.orgWhy Not Prosper website: https://www.why-not-

“Knowledge is structured in consciousness.” This is one of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s most famous quotes. Five simple words that don’t just convey a meaning, they also embody that meaning. You might hear this quote and think you “get it,” but when you revisit it later on, when your consciousness has broadened even further, then you realize that there’s actually an even deeper level of meaning to it, and now you “really get it.” And when you revisit it later on, you realize there’s an even deeper level of meaning to it…This is part of a self-fulfilling loop, whereby knowledge progressively becomes wisdom, wisdom that can be applied in real time, in response to the circumstances we find ourselves in.Vedic meditators have a distinct advantage in this, taking twenty minutes twice each day to visit the home of all knowledge, to refine the process of Knowing, to become the Knower of the Known.But Vedic Meditators also have an additional advantage; access to Thom’s most popular and enduring course, Exploring the Veda,

The holiday season can be an emotional roller coaster for many. December celebrations can bring highs and lows, even for those who aren’t part of the Judeo-Christian community, but then New Year comes around, marking a line in the sand where we can start afresh. At least in theory, anyway. The reality is that most folks set themselves heightened expectations for the year, inevitably leading to frustration and disappointment within a pretty short time.Thom invites us in this episode to reevaluate our approach to New Years, looking at it from a more evolutionary perspective, setting ourselves up to be in sync with Nature’s expectations, rather than pushing against them. He gives us the opportunity to be active participants in the unfolding of the year ahead, rather than being reluctant victims, battling circumstances and struggling to keep ourselves afloat.Episode Highlights:[00:45] An Arbitrary Decision[03:00] More of the Same in 2024[04:58] The Five Fundamentals of Progress[06:00] Stability[09:28] Infinite Or

It’s another Q&A episode, this time with a common thread of perception running through each of the questions and answers.Thom tackles the question of time; specifically, how we can control our perception of time and how we can slow it down like it used to feel as children.He explores the mystery of dark matter from the Vedic perspective, and how it relates to how we live our daily lives.He also provides clarity on the distinction between surrender and passivity and why we need to know the difference so we can meet the need of the time. Episode Highlights:[00:45] Q - Can We Slow Down Time?[00:53] A - Happier Time Passes More Quickly[01:43] A Wonderful Co-Incidence[03:20] Blessed Solitude to Slow Down Time[05:13] Witness the Five Senses[06:40] Access the Ability to Slow Down Time[07:53] Q- What Is the Impact of Euclid's Launch on Dark Matter, the Universe, and Life?[08:13] A - Reinterpreting Darkness and Light in the Universe[09:51] Limitations of Human Perception in the Universe[11:22] Dark Matter Mystery[

Manifestation has become somewhat of a buzzword in the past 20 years or so. The promise of having your desires met easily and effortlessly is a compelling proposition. So much so that often a disproportionate effort is put into a supposed “process” of manifestation, affirmations, visualizations, and so on, than is put into doing the thing that might be required for the manifestation to occur.Thom sets the record straight in this episode, looking at manifestation through the lens of “charm,” a specific mechanism of desire that we can use as a compass of sorts, but which doesn’t leave us at risk of the disappointment of unmet expectations.If you'd like to learn more about the subject of charm, we invite you to take Thom's popular course, The Art of Following Charm. This course will help you to overcome indecisiveness and to understand the nature of your intuition and desires.You can find out more at thomknoles.com/charm. That's thomknoles.com/charmEpisode Highlights:[00:45] Stop Manifesting What You Don't Want[

What makes you happy? Most people could come up with a long list of answers to this question. Ironically, it’s all the things that make us happy that make us unhappy as well; either because we have them but the happiness wears off, or we find out there’s something/someone else that we might like better, or we have them but lose them, or we find that they don’t make us as happy as we thought they would…It’s a never-ending cycle of whack-a-mole that leaves most people with short periods of happiness, with longer periods of frustration, disappointment, and “wanting” in between.In this episode, Thom offers up an alternative approach to happiness, one that’s infinitely more reliable and which allows us to enjoy the delights and variety of life without leaving us at the mercy of external circumstances. Episode Highlights:[00:45] Two Kinds of Happiness[02:43] Man's Ever-changing Happiness in the Upanishad[04:45] Object-referral Happiness[06:59] The Challenge of Being Happy[09:03] Control Freaks of Happiness[10:48] W

Find out more about Thom's upcoming Rounding Retreat in Sedona in May 2024, https://thomknoles.com/sedonaThere’s no end of affirmations, guided meditations, and other positive thinking tools that we can use to master our mindset.But are these necessary? And do they even work?As is often the case, Thom bucks the trend in this episode, giving us cause to think twice about using mind games to keep us on the path to success. He proposes a more elegant approach, one that’s aligned with the Vedic worldview and one with a higher likelihood of success.   Episode Highlights:[00:45] "All things are well if our minds be so."[02:36] The Cart in Front of the Horse[03:54] Capability Comes First[05:30] What if? What if? What if?[06:54] Faking it 'Til You Make it[08:13] Releasing Stress via Vedic Meditation[10:42] Freshly Liberated from Stress[12:18] Stolen Truths[13:43] Be the BeUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.you

There’s no shortage of options for people “researching” chemical shortcuts to spiritual experiences. While psychedelic drugs such as LSD, or hallucinogens such as ayahuasca, frequently have enough of an impact to arouse curiosity and experimentation, they don’t offer reliable, repeatable experiences, let alone still allow one to function reliably in day-to-day life.This is because they are mistaking biochemistry as being a cause of spiritual experiences rather than an effect of spiritual experience. As Thom frequently reminds us, consciousness, conceives, governs, constructs and prints out the body, not the other way around.In this episode Thom describes the function and origin of Soma, the ultimate celestial biochemical.Importantly, Thom makes the distinction between it being an effect of consciousness, rather than a cause of spiritual experiences. He lays out the simple steps we can take to switch on our own Soma plant, and to enable spiritual experiences far more profound than those offered by artificial m

One of the traps for the human intellect is to take much of life for granted. Though we have special occasions peppered throughout the year, the days, weeks and months in between often don’t have the same shine as the special occasions. Given that ‘normal’ days are greater in number, it makes sense for us to consider ways in which we can make gratitude an everyday occurrence.   In this episode, as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday in the USA, Thom invites us to cultivate a daily sense of awe and wonder to turn every day into a special occasion.Episode Highlights:[00:45] Thanksgiving Tradition[02:59] Turn Gratitude into a Daily Habit with Meditation[04:36] Morning Awakening to Gratitude[06:28] Blessings of Our Planet[08:14] Life on Earth: A Journey Worth Celebrating[09:43] Finding Joy in Everyday Moments[11:49] Our Role in Making the World BetterUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomkn

One of the biggest struggles people have is in coming to terms with apparent problems, whether they be current problems, or problems from the past.While we might be able to grasp the concept of evolution or progressive change intellectually, when the experience becomes uncomfortable it becomes more difficult to rationalize.In this episode, Thom answers questions from listeners seeking resolution to problems that seem too big to be solved, or that have gone beyond the time when something can be done.It’s a reminder that perspective isn’t just an intellectual process, and that it’s a byproduct of consciousness.  Episode Highlights:[00:45] Q - Why do Things Seem to be Getting Worse?[00:55] A - Battle of Bedtime and Entertainment[02:40] Evolution and Corrections[04:40] Meditation Broaden Our Awareness[06:59] Mother is at Home[09:09] Change is Not Optional[11:53] Embrace the Change[13:51] Q - How do we Handle Grief about the Changing Climate?[14:06] A - Human Adaptation Throughout History[15:48] Infrastructure and

Desire is one of the most demonized characteristics of human behavior. Some schools of thought argue that desire is the cause of all our suffering, and that the path to enlightenment is to become detached from them. Thom sets the record straight in this episode, using the concept of Sankalpa to clarify both the function and importance of desire, and giving us a primer on how to ensure our desires remain relevant to our evolution and aligned with Nature’s intention.And if you want to take the subject further, you might also like to explore Thom’s online course, The Art of Charm - https://thomknoles.com/charm-course/. This course is open to all graduates of a qualified Vedic Meditation course.Episode Highlights:[00:45] Sangha Kalpa[03:14] Misconceptions About Sankalpa[05:06] The Origin of Desire in Vedic Philosophy[07:13] Buddhism vs. Vedic Worldview on Desire[08:59] Desire and Suffering in Buddha's Teachings[11:12] Authorship of Desire[13:27] Ruchika: The Element of Charm[15:59] Fulfillment as Inner Contentedn

In June 2023, Thom was the guest of honor at a talk in Nowra, South of Sydney in Australia, on the subject, The Simple Science of Happiness.The host of the talk was Barron Hanson, a Nowra local and a Vedic Meditation Initiator (teacher) who has created Be Here Nowra, a community happiness project committed to increasing the number of meditators in the town and researching the benefits arising.This episode is a recording from that event, including a discussion between Thom and Barron, and Q&A with the audience.To find out more about Be Here Nowra you can visit their website at https://www.beherenowra.com/ or on Instagram @beherenowra. Episode Highlights:[06:02] Be Here Nowra: The Birth of a Transformational Idea[08:11] From Sydney to Goulburn: Freedom Behind Bars[09:38] Journey to Nowra: Nature, Art, and Indigenous Wisdom[11:31] Q- What is Happiness?[11:41] The Harmony of Inner Potential and External Demands[12:44] Q-How Does Happiness Affect the Body on a Neurophysiological Level?[12:53] The Ever-Changing