One could easily spend a lifetime exploring Vedic literature and still barely scratch the surface in terms of the wisdom that’s available to us. Between the four Vedas, Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda, the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, the six schools of Vedic philosophy, and countless other written and oral texts or translations, there’s no shortage of avenues to explore.

And even if you could absorb them all in a lifetime, you’d probably need to reread them to understand them from a more evolved point of view.  

Fortunately, the Vedic worldview is that all this wisdom is experiential, and we can shortcut the process of attaining wisdom through “knowledge of the Knower.” 

Thom provides an example of this in this assessment of Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga, a subset of The Yoga Sutras. 

Thom clarifies that the piecemeal approach of trying to check off the eight limbs through our actions in order to attain the state of Yoga, is a misguided approach to take, and that practicing Vedic Meditation provides an express route that accelerates our personal evolution.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] The Yoga Sutras

[02:36] Ashta Anga

[03:44] Yoga - Unification

[06:27] Samadhi

[07:39] The Simultaneous Arrival of Balance

[09:57] 1. Yama and Its Five Qualities

[13:21] Outcomes vs Causes

[15:05] 2. Niyama and Its Five Observances

[20:18] 3. Asana - The Sequential Elaboration of Limbs

[23:32] Asana for Transcendence

[24:51] 4. Pranayama - Administration of Breath

[27:00] 5. Pratyahara - Inward Intentionality

[29:31] Reversing Habits of the Senses

[32:05] 6. Dharana - Inward Movement

[33:41] 7. Dhyana - Arriving at the Subtlest Layer of Thought

[35:14] 8. Samadhi - Being Knows Itself

[36:50] Samadhi Affects Yama

[39:50] Spontaneous Self-Sufficiency

[41:34] Samadhi Affects Niyama

[45:09] Samadhi Affects All Other Limbs

[46:56] A Process of Verification and Validation

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/
_

We often hear cries for justice when what’s being called for is actually revenge. So, what exactly is justice? And how do we distinguish the difference between the two? 

In this episode Thom lays out the Vedic perspective on revenge and justice, giving us clear guidelines to follow, and indicators on when we might have favored revenge over justice. 

Fortunately the distinction between the two is unambiguous and will leave us in no doubt moving forward as to whether we are leaning towards justice or revenge in our actions.

Episode Highlights

[00:45] Restoration of Balance

[05:03] Was It Just?

[07:33] Misguided Avengers

[10:28] Satisfaction Through Moksha - Liberation

[12:50] Karma - Actions or Thoughts That Bind You

[15:43] A Futile Act

[19:48] Does Nature Know What It's Doing?

[21:33] Aham Brahmasmi - I Am Totality

[23:53] Further Studies

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

One thing that sets the Vedic worldview apart from other schools of thought is the notion that everything that we get to witness, every form, every phenomena, is the unfolding of an epic story.

Thom explains the mechanism of evolution in this episode, including the infinite organizing power that it takes for stories to play out, with play being the operative word. Seeing our lives unfold in this way offers us an opportunity to reconsider our own stories from a vast, more Universal perspective.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] The Writing of the Gods

[02:53] The Infinite Organizing Power Attributed to The Feminine

[04:50] Play Power of The Totality

[07:41] Simplicity to Sophistication

[09:15] Sequential Elaboration

[11:55] Elevational Theater

[14:04] Plateaus and the Status Quo

[16:02] Leela Shakti and the History of The Universe

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Listeners are steering the ship once again, in our latest Q&A episode.

Thom answers a question about karma and how it fits into the dynamics of our relationships. It turns out that it’s our relationship with our Self that matters most.

Thom also tackles a question about charm, in particular, how we can adapt when charm doesn’t seem to be as supported by Nature as we would expect.

Finally, Thom gives a definitive answer to the age-old question, can there be art without suffering? It’s a question that could easily be answered with one word, but Thom provides a rationale that leaves us in no doubt about the role of suffering in art.

Episode Highlights

[00:45] Q - How do karmic relationships with others work?

[01:20] A - Karma: Action That Binds You

[03:24] The Knot of Karma

[05:22] Kṛiya - Spontaneous Right Action

[07:29] Untying the Knots of Karma

[09:25] Moving in the Direction of Kṛiya

[12:15] Vedic Meditation - Losing the Tendency to Create Problems

[14:12] Q - How can I understand the nuances of charm?

[14:52] A - A Big Bundle of Capability

[16:55] Charm and Aversion

[18:52] Thinning Out of Charm

[20:02] Moving from Capability to the Field of Need

[22:27] Witnessing vs. Engaging

[23:53] Witnessing the Self in Action Through Others

[26:03] Engage or Witness: Do What You Can

[27:45] Q - Can There Be Art Without Suffering?

[27:47] A - The Most Artistically Productive Era?

[29:25] What Creates Great Art?

[30:33] Artistic Talents Despite Suffering

[32:17] The Artistic Gift

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

If you've ever wondered where one of the world's most astonishing gatherings takes place, look no further than the Kumbha Mela. This grand festival of spiritual significance draws tens of millions of devotees from around the globe in a display of harmony, wisdom and tolerance like no other.

Having been to several Kumbha Melas over the past 50 years, and currently preparing to attend the next Kumbha Mela in January 2025, Thom is well equipped to give us a small but enticing glimpse into the significance and the spectacle of this truly unique phenomenon.

Episode Highlights

[00:45] A Contained Celebration

[03:25] Triveni - Where Three Sacred Rivers Meet

[06:03] Maha Kumbha Mela

[08:10] Diversity of the Mela

[10:05] Millions at Kumbha Mela

[12:41] Ardh Kumbha Mela

[14:50] Kumbha Mela 2025

[16:29] Maintaining Order and Safety

[18:52] Om Namah Shivaya

[20:37] A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Followers of Vedic wisdom often refer to the four goals, Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha, as something we should aspire to in our lives.

While these are, indeed, qualities that mark our level of consciousness, in this episode, Thom clarifies the status of these four qualities. In doing so, he also clarifies the meanings of each of the four qualities, which are often referred to in overly simplistic, and slightly misleading terms.

As always, Thom will put the horse back in front of the cart, and equip us with a process that will ensure we embody these four qualities to the best of our ability at all times. 

Episode Highlights

[00:45] The Four Goals

[05:30] Your True Dharma

[08:00] Tat Wale Baba - Abundant in All Things

[10:27] No Abundance: What a Terrible Life

[12:41] What True Abundance Looks Like

[14:26] The Ability to Extract Maximum Pleasure

[17:11] Living in a Dual Awareness

[19:15] Attaining Puruṣārtha Through Vedic Meditation

[21:45] Self-Realization by Numbers

[23:57] The Process is the Outcome

[26:03] Measuring Rods of Enlightenment

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Most of us think of laws of Nature as being those laws that determine how the environment behaves on a physical level. The Vedic worldview expands the scope of these laws to include consciousness itself, and its constantly-evolving intentions. 

This effectively makes Nature a conscious entity, hence why you’ll often find us spelling it with a capital N.

In this episode Thom gives us a masterclass on how to live in alignment with the laws of Nature, taking into consideration not just the variability of the physical laws of nature, with a small n, but also the ever-changing intentions of Nature, with a big N.

It’s an approach that guarantees to reduce, and ultimately eliminate suffering from our lives. 

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Q - What Are the Laws of Nature?
[00:51] A - Patterns of Cause and Effect
[02:25] Elegance - The Pinnacle of Sophistication
[04:12] Science's Evolving View of Nature
[06:31] Laws that Change With the Need of the Time
[08:36] A Universe Becoming Conscious of Itself
[10:58] Your Role in the Evolutionary Flow
[12:58] Survival Through Evolution
[15:24] Survival is a Product
[17:20] Reduce Suffering - Act in Tune with Nature
[19:07] Vedic Meditation and Laws of Nature
[21:08] Be The Universe
[23:44] Survival is a Product of Evolution
[25:42] Theory + Practice = Science
[28:15] Practice Vedic Meditation and Become an Effective Agent of Evolution

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Many people go to great lengths to view eclipses, sometimes traveling thousands of miles to witness the shadow of the Moon passing across the Sun or the shadow of the Earth crossing the Moon.

In Jyotish, or Vedic Astrology, however, such events can be seen as inauspicious, and the recommendation might be that we take shelter from them rather than expose ourselves to them.

But such things are not so cut and dry. In this episode, Thom proposes that the impact of an eclipse depends, as does the impact of most things, on the consciousness state of the observer.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Parashara Saṃhita

[02:40] Self-referral Consciousness and Object-referral Consciousness

[05:59] What's in the Sky and What's Not in the Sky

[09:00] Who are You and What are You?

[11:10] What is the Nature of the Knower?

[13:15] Degrees of Suffering

[16:23] Reinforcing Totality Consciousness Through Vedic Meditation

[18:58] A Little Bit of a Muddying Effect

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

When we think of quantum mechanics, most of us conjure up images of nutty professors and blackboards filled with incomprehensible equations. Though quantum mechanics does indeed have a lot to do with seemingly incomprehensible math, the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics are well worth understanding as they give us a fresh perspective on which to view the Universe we live in.

In this episode, Thom gives us a lay-person overview of the essentials of quantum mechanics. Importantly, he explains how our consciousness shapes our world and why we should always question our assumptions.  

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] The Quest for Quarks

[04:33] Ignore That

[07:28] The Ultimate Discovery of Physics

[09:30] Consciousness in Physics

[11:28] There Are No Particles

[13:01] Questioning Assumptions

[15:50] You Live in a Universe that is a Response to Your Expectation

[19:15] The Aristotelian Demand

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Listeners are running the show again today, with another of our popular Q&A sessions.

This time around, Thom tackles a question on spiritual mediums, and whether we can trust what they say. His answer may surprise you.

He also answers a question about right and wrong, using the Bhagavad Gita to set the context for spontaneous right action.

And he also puts a listener’s mind at rest, in answer to a question about whether a Vedic meditator can successfully be in a relationship with a non meditator.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Q - Are spiritual mediums communicating with people who have passed away?

[01:11] A - Accuracy and Purpose of Mediumship

[03:26] A Misunderstanding of What It's Like to be Dead

[05:30] Communicating from One State to Another

[07:13] How Exact Are the Medium-Delivered Messages?

[08:40] Vedic Meditation is More Effective Than Seeking Messages from the Departed

[10:16] Limitations of Mediums in Spiritual Communication

[11:55] Controlling Behavior Towards the Departed

[13:29] Let Go of the Need to Control and Embrace Self-Sufficiency

[14:49] Q - Is There a General Right and Wrong in Life?

[15:50] Q - The Paradox of Right and Wrong

[16:54] The Bhagavad Gita

[19:08] Thinking From the Narrow End of the Funnel

[21:41] Spontaneous Right Action

[23:52] Q - Can a Vedic Meditator be in a Relationship With a Non-Meditator?

[24:46] A - We Want the Pizzaz

[26:56] Consciousness Dynamics in Relationships

[29:03] Embrace and Learn from Each Other’s Views

[30:46] Being Different Makes Relationships Better

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Ceremonial fires have been used in most cultures for millenia. Often these fires just have a symbolic purpose, but the Vedic worldview has a particular use of fire, in combination with sounds and offerings, which has a specific impact on consciousness itself.

In this episode, Thom gives an entry-level view of yagyas, a fascinating and specialized process that can be used to awaken impulses of creative intelligence and allow us to reveal more of what Nature intends for us. A yagya is a bridge between desire and manifestation, so to speak, giving us a helping hand to make our potential a reality.

Episode Highlights:

[00:45] Sanskrit - The Unambiguous Language

[03:41] Awakening the Impulses of Creative Intelligence

[05:59] Name and Form are Infinitely Correlated Indeed

[07:50] Serving the Intention of the Knower

[10:38] Stirring the Depths of Consciousness

[12:27] Agni - The Sound Nature Makes When Intending Fire

[15:29] Bring Forth All the Gifts

[18:22] Favorable Conditions in the Consciousness of the Knower

[20:06] Increasing Capability

Useful Links

[email protected] 

https://thomknoles.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles

https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles

https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles

https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/