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 Power

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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] Unoffendable

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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] Knowledge is Different in Different States of Consciousness

[12:47] Consciousness Dictates Our Behavior

[14:03] The State of Consciousness of the Reporter

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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 everything is available for appreciation. 

Episode Highlights: 

[00:45] What Makes Things Sacred?

[02:47] Prana Pratishtha — Becoming the Sentient

[04:40] Everyone has Experienced Love

[06:23] Bringing Sentience Together in an Alliance

[07:49] The Process of Navajo Weaving...

[09:13] Prana Pratistha in Action

[10:47] The World Reflects Back to Us

[13:00] The Man Who Enjoyed Himself in Prison

[15:06] The World is for Us as We Can Be for it

[17:04] Shoes-Off Rooms

[18:39] A Special Room

[19:41] Nobody's Watching

[21:13] Prana Pratishtha Creates a State of Consciousness

[22:37] The Unified Field Starts to Undulate

[24:43] Everything is Natural

[25:42] The Capacity to Awaken Consciousness

[27:26] Many Layers of Sophistication

[28:29] Two Dreamers Don't Dream the Same Dream

[29:57] Infinite Potential

[31:18] Turiya—The Fourth Consciousness State

[33:07] Cosmic Consciousness—The Fifth State

[35:09] God Consciousness and Unity Consciousness

[36:48] Consciousness Manifests Itself in One's Surroundings

[38:11] Same World, Different Experience

[39:55] What Effect Are We Having on the World?

[41:18] Inviting the World Into Our Consciousness State

[42:36] Nothing is Inanimate.

[44:45] The Gold and the Diamond Qualities

[45:54] Disgusting

[46:58] Make the World We Want to Make

[48:31] Culturing Our Environment

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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?

[09:54] The Cause of Everyone's Suffering

[11:49] Behaviors That Amplify the Misery

[13:58] Everyone Wants Freedom. Freedom to Do What?

[16:02] A Fulfilled Person

[18:00] Becoming a Very Ideal Citizen

[19:29] Happy People are Safe to Be Free

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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' Initiator Training

[02:47] The Masterful Approach to Initiator Training

[03:55] Shankaracharya - The Teaching Tradition

[05:46] The Most Memorable Camaraderie

[06:55] Bypassing Shoddy Guesswork

[08:27] A Long Line of Wisdom

[09:53] Does This Sound Like Something I Would Do?

[11:34] The Opposite of Knowledge

[13:11] The Balance Between Purity and Accessibility

[14:24] The Danger of the Ever-Repeating Known

[16:48] We Want to Be Change Designers

[19:14] Initiator Training is Not for Everyone

[20:34] The Most Precious Thing

[22:09] You Deserve Plan A

[23:42] This is How It's Done

[25:18] Diligence About Integrity

[26:05] I Learned His Thinking

[27:54] Check Here. Don't Check.

[30:05] Align Your Thinking With the Enlightened Mind

[31:43] Jump the Hurdles You Need to Jump

[33:27] You Are a Bright Star

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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 to Help Revolutionize Society
[04:35] Meeting the Demand of the Time

[06:29] There’s Always a Room for Meditation Teachers

[07:36] Vedic Meditation Initiator Training 2023

[09:16] Radiating Life for All to Enjoy

[10:40] How Do You Know if You Are Ready for Initiator Training?

[12:18] Revolutionizing Lives in a Matter of Days

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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 Depression

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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 yourself,’ but if you follow Thom’s counsel, you’ll know yourself better than you ever have.

Episode highlights: 

[00:50] Who We Are and What We Are

[02:02] "I'm a This. I'm a That."

[03:17] "Nobody Knows Me at All"

[04:30] The Distinction Between Consciousness and The Absolute

[06:21] Change Defines Relativity

[07:57] I Exist

[09:28] The Evolution of Psychology

[11:13] Nurturance Shapes the Way You See Yourself

[12:47] The Vedic Concept of Psyche

[14:24] Are We Alone in The Universe?

[15:21] "What Are We Actually?"

[16:05] The Body is Constantly in Flux

[17:15] Unsatisfying Pronouns

[18:46] Out of Africa

[20:28] What Are You Actually?

[21:20] Tat Wale Baba

[22:49] Ageless Rishi

[24:07] A Forest Dweller

[25:00] "I am London"

[26:04] "That Also"

[27:10] Also "That Also"

[27:55] A Mantra is Resonant With the Thinker of It

[29:19] "I Am Totality"

[31:13] A Return to Homeostasis

[32:35] In Symbiosis With Our Environment

[33:48] The Microbiome in Our Gut

[35:18] An Exchange of Energy and Intelligence

[36:38] I Am Not this Body that Changes Constantly

[38:03] The Crescendo of the Development of Human Consciousness

[39:32] Rigid Attachment

[40:23] "Don't Say the C Word"

[41:45] There is Nothing Worse Than a Human Being Not Knowing Why They Exist

[43:01] Vedanta - The Highest Science of the Vedic Worldview

[44:44] Brahman and Brahmin

[46:26] Totality is Not Separate

[47:46] Brahman is Not Pervaded or Infused into Anything; It IS Everything

[49:07] The Fulfillment of the Search for Identity

[50:07] The True Santosha

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It’s Q&A time again and this one has something for everyone.

The first question for Thom is about the relationship between Catholicism and the Vedic Worldview. Whether you are Catholic or not, Thom’s answer will be of interest as he affirms the compatibility of the Vedic worldview, not just with Christianity, but with religion in general.

And if you have trouble distinguishing between negative thinking and intuitive insights, Thom’s answer to the second question in this episode will help you with this dilemma. You’ll be pleased to know the answer is pretty straight forward.

And last but not least, a situation that we’ll all face more than once in our lifetime, how to help someone who is nearing the end of their life. Thom gives us an easy choice to make, whether to be a ‘needy one’ or a ‘capable one’. No points for guessing which option is more evolutionary for all concerned.

Episode Highlights: 

[00:45] Q - Can You Elaborate on Jesus Christ and the Vedic Worldview as Compared with the Catholic View?

[01:27] A - There is No Conflict Between Catholic Beliefs and Vedic Philosophy

[03:06] Universal Wisdom

[04:57] Catholicism Shares Much With Vedic Philosophy

[06:33] There is No Religious Requirement to Practice Vedic Meditation

[07:45] Meditation is an Aid to Christian Growth

[09:38] Q - How Can You Distinguish a Negative Thought From the One That is Trying to Tell You Something?

[09:57] A - Vedic Mediation Enhances Meditators' Awareness

[11:45] Moving Frictionlessly and Effortlessly From One Place to the Next

[13:27] Red Lights and Green Lights

[14:17] Negative Thoughts vs Feelings

[16:08] Q - How Can We Help Those Who Are Nearing the End of Their Lives?

[16:44] A - Understand How a Dying Person Feels

[18:20] Unfinished Business

[20:00] Mistakes People Make With the Dying

[21:43] Conscious Protectors

[23:41] Agenda Free

[25:14] The Needy Ones and the Capable Ones

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