Vedic Worldview Thom Knoles

What’s the distinction between mind, intellect and ego? And what are their functions? Unlike many modern psychological approaches, the Vedic worldview honors and celebrates the role of all three. 

While they may not always function perfectly – like the 'mistaken intellect' often discussed by Thom – each of these elements plays a specific and essential role in our evolution.

Thom explains in this episode, that rather than putting our efforts into “getting rid of the ego,” we’re best served by enlisting our ego as a cooperative component in our quest for enlightenment. Ironically, it’s allowing the ego to transcend itself, that gives it the ability to truly know its ultimate, unchanging essence.

Episode Highlights:
[00:45] Vedic Psychology on Mind, Intellect, and Ego
[02:32] Manas
[03:53] What Remains Unchanged Within Us?
[05:21] Mind Stays the Same
[06:39] Two Elements of Manas
[07:49] Buddhi
[08:54] Ego in Western Psychology
[11:47] Vedic Ego (Ahaṃkar)
[13:32] Intellect's Role in Ego Formation
[14:41] The Ego Structure
[16:22] Ahaṃkar in Vedic Meditation
[18:03] You Minus All the Thoughts
[19:24] True Nature of the Self
[20:48] When Mantra Surpasses Ego
[22:31] Ego's Experience of The Unbounded Field
[24:03] Ego + Cosmic Consciousness
[25:57] No Ego, No Enlightenment
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When most people think of abundance or self-sufficiency, they think of cash and assets, having the wealth to do what they want when they want it. In fact, for many people, it’s a driving goal to become “financially independent” so as to have more choices in their lives.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi took an alternative approach, demonstrating that true freedom and true abundance actually require us to surrender our sense of choice and to simply follow the call of Nature.

Through this approach, he was able to accomplish more in half a lifetime, than most of us would accomplish many lifetimes over, all while remaining ”penniless” himself. 

Thom shares some real-life examples from his experiences with Maharishi in this episode, giving us a taste of the true meaning of wealth.

Episode Highlights:
[00:45] Five Blind Men and an Elephant
[03:11] Different Perceptions of Maharishi
[04:31] Maharishi's Simple Possessions
[08:34] Wooden Sandals and Shahtoosh
[10:19] Traveling the World Without a Penny
[12:08] Maharishi's Persuasive Consciousness State 
[13:55] Why Maharishi Didn't Have to Think Before Acting
[15:54] Follow Charm and See What Happens
[16:53] Helicopter Came
[17:46] Simple, Natural and Innocent
[19:12] Charm, Action, and Results
[20:17] The Inexorable Forces of Nature
[22:01] Be a Maharishi Yourself
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We’re celebrating episode 200 of The Vedic Worldview by featuring more questions from listeners and answers from Thom. The questions cover a variety of topics…
To what extent should we intervene when we see someone potentially harming others, especially young children?Will enlightenment for all mean an end to humanity?How do we meet the demands of the moment?How can we counteract toxic masculinity?It’s a mixed bag, with each question and each answer having relevance to us all, Enjoy…

Episode Highlights:
[00:45] Q - How to Deal with Loved Ones Causing Suffering?
[01:18] A - Become an Inspiration
[02:57] Silence for Wise Influence
[04:44] Align Knowledge with Inquiry Levels
[06:40] Responsible Intervention in Egregious Situations
[08:27] Foster Inspiration for Societal Change
[09:27] Q - Will Enlightenment for All End Humanity?
[10:08] A - The Cycle of Evolution and Reincarnation
[11:51] Impact of Human Enlightenment on Reincarnation Patterns
[13:26] Q - How to Discover My Purpose and Contribution?
[14:06] A - Spontaneous Right Action
[15:48] In the Zone with Vedic Meditation
[17:32] Changing Course to Stay on Course
[19:35] Strategy, Tactics, and Frictionless Flow
[21:41] Q - How to Balance Masculine and Feminine Energies to Counteract Toxic Masculinity?
[22:07] A - Masculine and Feminine Archetypes
[24:08] Break the Symmetry
[25:53] Avoid Lopsided Perspectives Through Transcendence
[27:39] The Secret to Removing Toxicity
[29:43] Achieving Balance with Regular Meditation Practice
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Modern science and ancient Vedic wisdom often take different routes to reach the same destination.

Many of the concepts of Ayurveda, for example, have been known and understood for millennia, yet modern science is only just now catching up with some of these principles, and explaining them from the scientific point of view. 

Perhaps the most profound slice of Vedic wisdom, Vedanta, is another frontier that modern science, quantum physics specifically, has only recently crossed.

There is only one thing. This has been the final conclusion of The Veda, Vedanta, for well over 5,000 years, and now quantum physics has come to the same conclusion.

Thom explains Vedanta, and its correlation with quantum physics, in this episode, and shares the technique we can all use to not just understand Vedanta at a theoretical level, but to embody it at an experiential level.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Meaning of Vedanta
[02:57] Physics and Vedanta
[04:50] "You Are It"
[06:56] You Are the Unified Field
[09:02] The World Embodies Vedanta in Unity Consciousness
[10:24] The Greatest Challenge of Unity Consciousness
[12:06] Defining Empty Space
[15:27] The Purpose of Vedanta
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There’s no end to the number of ways we can have awakening experiences. It can come as an epiphany, a realization, a side-effect of taking a hallucinogen, a near-death experience, or even just a spontaneous event while sipping a cup of tea.

While reports on such experiences vary dramatically, they consistently feature a high level of contrast between these normal and our regular day-to-day experiences, and a longing to have more of the same.

Thom explains the mechanics of such events in this episode, and how we can cultivate awakening experiences on a more consistent basis. Importantly, he describes awakenings as the enlivening of something that is dormant within us, making such experiences more accessible than most might think.

Episode Highlights:
[00:45] Realizations
[02:35] Bija Mantra: Gateway to Transcendence
[04:25] Awakening the Unified Field
[06:39] Breaking Free from the Web of Constant Thought
[08:23] Bliss is the Product of Supreme Inner Contentedness
[10:19] Stabilizing the Inner Awakening
[12:06] Transient Transcendence: Near-Death Experience
[13:58] Varieties of Awakening
[15:40] Transcendence in the Junction Points
[17:29] Transcendence in Consciousness States
[19:15] Irregular Transcendent Experiences
[21:31] The Role of Vedic Meditation in Systematic Awakening
[23:18] The Truth Behind Meditation and Transcendence
[26:11] From Awakening to Enlightenment: Vedic Meditation's Promise
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Ahiṃsa is a term made famous outside India, in large part, as a result of Mahatma Gandhi's ‘non-violent’ approach to securing independence for India.

It’s often thought of as pacifism, rejecting violence altogether. For some, that means non-violence towards fellow humans, and for others, it means non-violence towards all living beings.

As is often the case, this common understanding of Ahiṃsa is incomplete. Thom explains the meaning of Ahiṃsa in this episode and clarifies the role of Ahiṃsa in our personal evolutionary process.

Episode Highlights
[00:45] Yoga – A Place Inside of Us
[02:48] Ashtanga, Samadhi, and Ahiṃsa
[05:16] Misinterpretation of Ahiṃsa
[06:54] Story of Meditation and Ahiṃsa
[08:37] Ahiṃsa in Practice
[10:26] The Reality of Ahiṃsa
[12:06] Inevitability of Hiṃsa in Life
[13:56] Pure Ahiṃsa Can Never Be Achieved by Human
[16:01] Yoga and Ahiṃsa
[17:57] Vedic Worldview on Veganism
[19:28] Gandhi's Non-Violent Approach to Indian Independence
[21:17] Influence of Vedic Philosophy on Gandhi
[24:04] Ahiṃsa in Warfare
[25:43] Ahiṃsa Unfolds Naturally through Meditation Practice
[27:32] Nishkama Karma Yoga
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