When we think of India, many people question the fairness of the so-called caste system, which, on the face of it, appears to divide the population into different classes, based on the family one is born into. 

This perception appears to limit the opportunities people have in their lifetime, and some even think that being born into a “lower” caste can be a result of so-called “bad karma.”

In this episode, Thom sets the record straight, describing the actual structure and function of the caste system, and how it came to be distorted to the point that it effectively became a class system. 

He includes a beautiful example from the Tradition of Masters that have been the custodians of Vedic Meditation over the centuries, of one particular Master who flexed his caste to be even more fully of service than he already was.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] The Caste System in India

[02:14] The Four Castes or Varnas

[04:40] The Caste System: A British Creation

[06:47] Four within Four

[09:02] Adi Shankara: The Brahmin Who Considered Himself a Shudra

[11:04] Gandhi's Legacy in Abolishing the Caste System

[13:15] The True Vedic Civilization

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In the recent episode about punya and deserving power, Thom clarified that good fortune is a result of expanding our consciousness, rather than a reward for good behavior.

This still leaves the question open though, about why “bad things” happen to “good people.”

In this episode, Thom closes the loop on the question, and invites us to reconsider our definition of “bad things” and to see the role that they play in our evolution.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Heroes and Villains

[02:27] The Essence of Heroism

[04:28] The Riverine Life: Flowing Forward Through Challenges

[06:20] Bad Things Lead to Progress

[08:29] Moving Beyond "Bad Things"

[10:17] The Role of Struggles in Our Evolution

[11:35] The Intriguing Nature of Life's Obstacles

[13:48] The Illusion of Good and Bad in Evolution

[15:54] Lotus Flower – From Mud to Magnificence

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Good fortune is often seen as some kind of cosmic reward for good behavior. “If I do good things, then good things will happen to me.” This has actually evolved as a misunderstanding of the concept of karma.

Rather than being a reward, the Vedic position on good fortune is that it is actually a result. More specifically, it’s a result of enhanced consciousness, brought about by the removal of stresses that prevent us from seeing the most evolutionary opportunities available to us.

Thom explains this in more detail in this episode, in which he clarifies the meaning of punya, or deserving power, and he explains the path to maximizing your punya.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] What is Deserving Power?

[02:38] How Our State of Consciousness Shapes Reality

[04:49] Who Am I Really?

[06:37] The Power of Pure Consciousness: Embracing the Unmanifest

[08:32] Transcendence and Truth: The Key to Understanding Self

[10:30] Punya: Finding Your True Self

[12:25] How to Get 90% Punya

[14:27] Authenticity in the Age of Social Media

[16:12] Low Punya & High Punya

[17:57] The Young Man Who Knew It All

[19:45] "I Don't Care About My Body."

[21:22] Non-Negotiable Strategy of Vedic Meditation

[23:29] The Oceanic Consciousness: Adopting the River of Life

[25:37] Embracing Totality: The Journey to Cosmic Consciousness

[27:39] 100% Punya: The Key to Living a Life of Fullness

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Maharishi Mahesh Yogi said on more than one occasion that free will was God’s greatest gift to mankind. And while that may well be, we have to ask ourselves whether we actually make the most of this gift. 

In this episode, Thom takes us to a pivotal moment in The Mahabharata, when Yudhishthira, the offspring of Dharma, and Arjuna’s older brother, puts his wisdom to the test to restore the lives of his brothers.

Like much of The Mahabharata, and most Vedic literature, it makes a sobering point about how we can take more responsibility for our own evolution, and bring and end to the cycle of life and death.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Sequence in the Form of Storyline

[03:18] Mahabharata: The Story of India's Royal Family

[05:06] Exile of the Pandava Brothers and Draupadi

[07:30] Nakula and The Crane

[09:24] A Genetic Advantage

[11:44] Hurtling Towards Death

[13:39] A Pivotal Point

[14:56] The Most Valuable Asset

[17:36] The Ultimate Vedic Teaching

[20:03] This is What I Am

[21:57] We Form an Opinion of Ourselves

[23:57] I Am Also This

[25:51] I Am a Human Being, Not Just a Human Doing.

[27:30] Longevity is a Fatal Condition

[29:57] Make Great Priorities in Life

[31:48] Living in Heaven-on-Earth Status

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Family relationships aren’t usually simple or straight forward.

This is a matter of design, because our karmic blueprint brings us into family situations where we can play out the dramas necessary for our evolution.

In this episode, Thom answers questions from listeners about the dynamics of family relationships during times of difficulty. 

He discusses how to cope with family relationships that have broken down, and how to show adult children how they can make the most of their world, even when outer circumstances appear tough.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Q - How Can I Find Peace of Mind After My Adult Son Has Abandoned Me as His Mother?

[00:50] A - A Wry Sense of Humor

[02:54] Accepting the Reality of Your Child's Consciousness State

[04:36] Expanding Your Sense of Self After Abandonment

[06:22] The Transcendent Influence of a Conscious Mother

[08:14] Q - How to with Emotionally Abusive Family Members?

[08:28] A - Guru Deva's Message — You Deserve the Best

[10:22] Soma — How Our Responses Feed Bad Behavior

[12:33] Dealing with Soma Bandits in Relationships

[14:43] Good Behavior Gets Soma

[15:39] Not Available for a Hold-up

[17:09] Q - How Can I Communicate with Discouraged Adult Children?

[17:32] A - The Uncertainty Principle

[19:29] Creative Intelligence Always Finds Employment

[21:52] Be the Guru

[22:45] An End to All Uncertainty

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By the time 2023 comes to a close, there’s a very good chance that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a front runner for the Word of the Year. Since the release of ChatGPT late last year, the use and development of AI tools for day-to-day purposes has exploded.

People are coming up with creative ways of using AI to take on some of their regular tasks, and often even to take on their creative workload. 

There’s no doubt that AI is a boon to humanity and that it comes with great benefits, but is there any downside to having a tool as powerful as this? Is there a chance that we’re one step closer to the reality that so many ‘science fiction’ movies and books have described, where the robots take over?

Of course we’ll have Thom’s views on the subject in this episode, and in fairness to AI, we also gave it a chance to participate, and posed the question to ChatGPT, What would Thom Knoles say about AI and Singularity?

Read the answer below and listen to Thom’s view on the matter on the podcast, then you can be the judge as to how accurate the answer was…

Question: Good morning. What would Thom Knole's say about AI and Singularity?

Answer: Thom Knoles is a Vedic meditation teacher and I cannot say for certain what his views on Al and Singularity are. However, generally speaking, the Vedic tradition emphasizes the importance of human consciousness and inner development. In this tradition, the ultimate goal of human life is to realize one's true nature and attain a state of enlightenment.

Regarding Al and Singularity, some Vedic teachings may suggest that while technological advancements can be useful, they cannot replace the importance of human consciousness and spiritual evolution. It may be said that Al, no matter how advanced, lacks consciousness and self-awareness, which are essential components of human life.

However, without specific information on Thom Knoles' personal views on the subject, I cannot give a more specific answer.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] What Would Thom Knoles Say About AI and Singularity?

[03:04] AI Singularity

[05:08] Is-ness to Am-ness to I-ness to My-ness

[07:49] The Breaking of Symmetry

[10:14] The Evolution of Technology: From Fire to AI

[12:03] Cascades of Technologies and Capabilities

[14:12] The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Technology

[15:56] The Abuse of Technology

[17:55] A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

[20:11] Is Technology Bad?

[22:11] The Mirage of Fulfilling Life

[24:29] Finding Fulfillment in the Bliss Layer

[26:17] Awaken the Full Potential of Consciousness

[28:47] The Larval Stages of AI: What Lies Ahead?

[30:32] Fire 3.0

[33:10] Y2K and AI: False Alarms or Real Threats?

[35:34] Is AI a Potential Danger or a Tool for Enlightenment?

[37:50] Interacting Effectively with the Demands of the World?

[39:34] The Potential for Humanity

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Few things stir up fear quite like the economy does. Though few of us could even accurately define what “the economy” actually is, talk of a tough economy is enough to cause most people worry.

Whether it be mortgage increases, rising inflation, falling stock prices, or looming recessions, as soon as the financial experts start talking down the economy, large parts of the population start seeing problems with their own situation that they don’t understand, let alone know how to solve. 

Given the infinite variety of economic situations that each of us face, coming up with universal tactics that we could all apply is an impossible task. But while there may not be a viable universal tactical approach that we could all take, there is a viable universal strategic approach that we can take.

In fact it’s so universal, that it isn’t just applicable to economic situations, and can apply to any problem or challenge that comes our way…

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Tough Economic Features

[02:25] Contributing Factors

[04:13] Problem is a Consciousness State

[05:46] The Impact of Consciousness on Coping with Economic Hardship

[07:31] Overloading the Brain

[09:07] Fight-Flight Reactivity

[10:46] Stress Accumulation vs Deep Restfulness

[12:56] Unleash Your Brain's Potential with Vedic Meditation

[16:57] Accurate Expectations via Vedic Meditation

[18:52] "Where's the Money Going to Come From?"

[20:27] Opulence at $5 a Day

[21:31] Sleeping on the Couch in the Presidential Suite

[22:53] A Fully Awakened Brain

[24:12] How to Deal with Problems

[25:41] Welcome to the Solution to All Problems

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If we look at the origin of the word habit, it comes from Latin, meaning have, or consist of. Hence the once common saying, Habits maketh man.

So if our habits essentially define, in a sense, who we are, then it makes sense for us to adopt habits that are more evolutionary in nature than others.

This episode is a sneak preview of what to expect from Thom’s new course, Evolutionary Habits. 

It goes beyond the common approach of simply using discipline and willpower to force change, and inspires a fundamental shift in how we think of ourselves, thus inspiring change elegantly, rather than forcing it upon ourselves from a sense of lack or inadequacy. 

Episode  Highlights:

[00:45] Who Am I? What Am I?

[02:43] Your Habits Shape Your Reality

[04:53] The Big Bang

[07:17] Evolution is Inexorable

[09:15] This Entity I Call Myself

[11:09] You Can't Step Into the Same Body Twice

[12:47] Your Thoughts Shape Your Physical Self

[14:36] The Fundamental Aspect of Habituation

[16:02] A Very Positive Change

[17:22] The Habit of Identifying Oneself Correctly

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One of the most commonly misunderstood Sanskrit terms is the word Maya. It’s frequently referred to as “illusion” and is sometimes used to describe “reality” as being unimportant or insignificant. 

Often when it’s used in spiritual circles, it’s an attempt to imply that one has a sense of detachment, “It’s just Maya, an illusion. Nothing to take too seriously…”

But like many Sanskrit words, its meaning cannot really be found in a single English word. 

Equally, the importance of Maya means putting the word “just” in front of it, doesn’t do it justice. Maya is neither unimportant, nor insignificant.

Listen in and allow Thom to set the record straight, and give Maya the mystery and significance she deserves.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] A Poorly Understood Concept

[03:16] Appearance

[05:30] Appearance Requires Some Action

[07:33] Brahman in Action

[10:38] Brahman as Para

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Thom gave us plenty of reading in his recent episode covering his favorite Vedic literature. In this episode, he closes the loop and shares some of his favorite non-Vedic literature. 

Not surprisingly, most of it is non-fiction and explores the ways in which the Universe, and we humans work. 

Thom also includes a fictional piece which is very much aligned with the Vedic worldview of consciousness being everywhere and in everything.

As Thom says in the podcast, “...even if you are a fast reader, you'll probably spend the better part of the year trying to get through some of this stuff.”

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Recommended Reading

[01:38] The Overstory

[03:14] Non-fiction Books by Paul Davies

[06:23] Davies' Exploration of the Perfect Conditions

[08:03] Come to Your Own Conclusion

[09:41] Professor John Gribben's Thesis

[10:45] Professor Brian Josephson's Works

[12:31] Books on Neuroscience - Norman Doidge

[14:27] Sapiens - Yuval Noah Harari

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