208 episodes
Vedic Worldview Thom Knoles
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- Religion & Spirituality
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4.9 • 210 Ratings
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Join philosopher, educator and celebrated speaker on the cognitive sciences, Thom Knoles for inspiring insights and wisdom to support your personal evolution. Thom is an renowned expert on the relationship between quantum physics and human consciousness, and on the 5,000 year-old body of wisdom known as The Veda. For over 50 years, he has personally taught Vedic Meditation to tens of thousands of students and consulted to governments and private corporations throughout the world.
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I Had an Awakening Experience. Now What?
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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https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/ -
Minimizing Violence Through Ahiṃsa
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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https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/ -
How to Inspire Worthy Enquiry
Wisdom is of little use unless it’s shared, however it can go to waste if it’s shared where it isn’t wanted. It can even have a damaging effect if it’s shared where it’s unwelcome.
So when you have wisdom that you know would be valuable, knowledge about Vedic Meditation for example, how can you inspire others to receive that wisdom willingly?
Thom frequently talks about “worthy enquiry” on the podcast, and in this episode he dives more deeply into the subject. He explains the concept of worthy enquiry and it’s origin, which is deeply embedded in Vedic history.
He also explains how we can inspire worthy enquiry, and provides reassurance that even if we don’t, we’re in good company…
Episode Highlights:
[00:45] Wise Do Not Bewilder the Ignorant
[02:27] Loving Controllers
[04:32] Wise and Trusted Counselor
[06:15] Maharishi Mahesh Yogi - The Ultimate Inspirer
[08:06] Subtle Ridicule
[10:13] Not an Absolute Sure Shot
[11:31] An Incident on an International Border
[13:17] Mangoes Don't Come from Walnut Trees
[14:55] Knowers of Reality
[16:16] Radiate Life for All to Enjoy
Useful Links
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https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
info@thomknoles.com
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https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/ -
The Symbology of the Shiva Lingam
One of the mistakes often made by those outside of India is to look at Vedic symbology in superficial terms.
The Shiva Lingam is one such symbol. Frequently viewed as a representation of male and female genitalia, it actually has a much deeper and richer significance than this.
Thom gives us an entry-level look at the subject in this episode, correcting the misuse of the term Shiva Lingam, and clarifying its symbolism.
Episode Highlights:
[00:45] A Sacred Form
[02:40] Shakti: The Fabric of Creation
[04:31] Yoni
[06:44] Parashakti and Parashiva
[08:57] Union of Yoni and Lingam
[11:01] Masculine and Feminine in Vedic Perspective
[12:34] Ardhanarishvara: Fusion of Masculine and Feminine
[15:12] Interplay of Masculine and Feminine Energies
[16:59] Omnisexuality
[18:59] Shiva and God Consciousness
[20:42] Consciousness Through Different States
[22:22] From Transcendental to Cosmic Consciousness
[24:11] Five Facets of Supreme Being
[26:20] Shiva - The Supreme Being
[27:52] Every Being is a Manifestation of Mother Divine
Useful Links
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https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/ -
Devas 101
All of us are used to perceiving the world around us in terms of varying objective characteristics; hard and soft, hot and cold, solid and fluid, and so on.
We might even attribute subjective qualities to the world around us; hostile, inviting, harsh, comfortable…
But does it make sense to attribute ‘personality’ to the world around us?
In the Vedic worldview, it doesn’t just “make” sense, but it’s actually a natural consequence of the refinement of the senses that we can perceive personality in everything around us.
In this episode, Thom gives us an entry-level look into the worlds of Devas. He shares a tempting glimpse into the delights that await us, especially those who maintain their regular twice-daily practice of Vedic Meditation.
Episode Highlights
[00:45] Deva: More Than Just Shining One
[04:17] Vedic Literature and the Devas
[06:35] Power of Mantras
[08:55] Letting Go of External Distractions
[10:38] Fascination of Subtle Mind States
[12:15] Enchantment in the Super-Subtle Mind
[13:57] Ritam: Transition to Pure Transcendence
[16:27] The Laws of Nature
[18:57] From Snow to Flow: Nature's Transformations
[20:55] The Source of All Laws: Consciousness
[23:02] Sharpening Your Senses Through Meditation
[25:24] The Shining Ones
[28:24] Development of God Consciousness
[31:02] Benefits of Experiencing the Devic World
[33:14] The Wise Seers
[35:38] Progression to Cosmic and Deva Consciousness
[37:37] Consciousness Is Everything
[39:58] Your Inner Observer
[42:17] Deva Quality in Meditation
[44:16] Let Deva Consciousness Come to You Naturally
Useful Links
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https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/ -
AI, Sacred Cows, Exceptional Children
It’s another Q&A episode with Thom, answering questions with a common thread of consciousness running through them.
He starts off by tackling the question of consciousness and AI, before exploring the consciousness of cows, and bulls for that matter, and what it is about their consciousness that makes them sacred (Hint:evolution is the only thing that’s ever happening).
And he also helps a mother navigate the responsibility of supporting a child whose consciousness gives him levels of perception beyond the ordinary.
Episode Highlights:
[00:45] Q - Does AI Have the Potential to Experience Consciousness?
[00:54] Consciousness Is the Foundation of Everything
[02:38] AI Is Already Conscious
[05:47] The Repertoire of AI
[07:05] Q - Why is the cow sacred in the Vedic Worldview?
[07:11] A - Cows Everywhere in India
[09:06] The Legal Sacredness of Cows
[10:28] A Very Simple Thing
[12:24] Fond of Dairy
[13:27] Q - How to Support a Sensitive Toddler?
[14:16] A - Wise Do Not Bewilder Ignorant
[16:11] Honor and Validate Your Child's Perceptual Abilities
Useful Links
info@thomknoles.com
https://thomknoles.com/
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Customer Reviews
Yay! Thank You!
Thom is an attorney representing your consciousness, embodiment of knowledge gained through Maharishi, and those before.
More an inquiry than a review
I see several comments about how Thom has stolen Maharishi’s knowledge and teachings. Why is this? As far as I understand it, this knowledge is thousands of years old and is meant to be passed down from teacher to student over and over again. Isn’t that exactly what Thom is doing? Isn’t that what Maharishi would have wanted?
Maharishi didn’t invent this. He learned from Guru Dev. And Guru Dev learned it from his master. And that continues back for many years. TM has been around since, I believe, the 1950s. This knowledge and this technique for many years more than that. So how could Thom be stealing the knowledge from anyone?
Thom very often praises Maharishi in this podcast. He doesn’t claim to own any of this knowledge and he is constantly giving credit to Maharishi as well as other prominent teachers.
The only thing Thom isn’t doing, as far as I can tell, is teaching under the umbrella of the TM organization. He used to, and I am curious as to why he decided to sever ties and go out on his own. I have heard that Thom has inflated his credentials. If so that is shameful.
But, provided Thom is as qualified as he seems, this knowledge and technique can now be spread around the world in more than just one way. What a gift.
Some might say the TM organization exists in part to insure that the technique is taught correctly and so that there can be a maintaining of a certain level of quality. Well, maybe. But it’s been passed down for thousands of years without the existence of TM. So it’s certainly possible. And who’s to say all of those TM teachers all around the world are more qualified than Thom Knoles? I’m sure some are, and I’m sure some are not.
108% Enjoyment
Thom’s mellifluous voice makes his podcast completely enrapturing. Touching on a wide breadth of topics, this podcast is one that you can listen to again and again, finding enjoyment and new knowledge in every listen.