S1 · E80
November 1 · 54 min
SW
EducationSelf-Improvement
Sunday Wisdom Sessions by Vedantin
Vedantin
Sunday Wisdom Session is a recording of a live, interactive session with Sudhakar, where we journey into the depths of Vedanta philosophy. Through insightful dialogue and audience engagement, Sudhakar unpacks timeless teachings in a way that feels accessible, relevant, and transformative. Whether you're new to Vedanta or looking to enrich your existing understanding, these sessions offer a rare opportunity to explore its wisdom in a dynamic format.
- 28 episodes
- weekly
- Avg 1 hr 1 min
- English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
- SWS1 · E79October 26 · 1 hr
E79 Good, Bad and Ugly Decisions Part 2
0:00 The rajasika and tamasika intellect48:17 Q&A Q1: When a person does extremely violent actions because they genuinely believe they are doing good and have been brainwashed since childhood to believe that what they are doing is good, where does such an intellect belong?50:51 Q&A Q2: Is it natural to fall in and out of alignment as we navigate life? For example, you master a skill, a role, or even yourself, but then begin to overindulge because you figured out how the remote works, so to speak.54:42 Q&A Q3: Is the concept of what is righteous subjective for an individual or social group, or is it common for all humanity?
- SWS1 · E78October 18 · 1 hr 5 min
E78 Good, Bad & Ugly Decisions
0:00 Vulgarity and stubbornness – characteristics of a tamasika actor 13:36 The sattvika intellect 50:33 Q&A Q1: What is it about being funny or kind that we associate with intelligence? And what do we believe we lose intellectually when we lose our calm or composure? 54:52 Q&A Q2: What happens if someone has a negative, brutal, and violent nature? 57:31 Q&A Q3: It seems that many vulgar and tamasika people seek luxury for ostentation and ego, rather than for refinement of personality. Please comment. 59:50 Q&A Q4: Roles change throughout life, but so do goals. The basic characteristics of kindness and humility are part of every stage. Is that true?
- SWS1 · E77October 11 · 1 hr
E77 The Headless Chicken
0:00 The Headless Chicken: Actors fall into three grades. The rajasika actor is led by mind and ego, places happiness in future results and runs like a headless chicken, full of energy but without direction. The sattvika actor is guided by the intellect, acts with clarity, consistency and cheer, and finds fulfilment in the action itself, which moves the actor towards the Self. The tamasika actor is marked by inertia, laziness and procrastination, and expects to be taken care of without making any contribution. 48:01 Q&A Q1: How can we shift our focus from the problems we face to learning what is necessary to overcome them with the tools we have gathered throughout life? 52:30 Q&A Q2: How do we balance the practice of being altruistic and showing grace to others with the need to set boundaries and hold people accountable when they disrespect us, without allowing our response to be based on ego, punishment, or revenge? 56:06 Q&A Q3: Why do so many political leaders seem to be rajasika rather than sattvika? Can we expect this to change someday, and what can we do individually to influence it? 57:54 Q&A Q4: What do you think about the constant talk about manifestation techniques and positive affirmations?
- SWS1 · E76October 3 · 52 min
E76 Q&A: The one with Getting Agitated when Criticised
0:00 The importance of Q&A 1:20 Q&A Q1: How can one build dedicated sessions of reflection over and above reading and listening in the study of Vedanta? Summarising a verse or paragraphs is one known method. Are there any other ways in addition to this? What techniques do you follow? 7:08 Q&A Q2: The 'I' that is used to denote the permanent aspect in the waking, dream, and deep sleep states seems to mainly rely on language constructs. Could there be some experiential way or another line of thought to understand that there is a permanent aspect in our personality? 16:29 Q&A Q3: In the chronology of action, we know that vasanas (inherent nature) determine our thoughts, but through observation and experience we also know that the environment (nurture) around us can also shape our thoughts. So where does the environment fit into the chronology? 23:44 Q&A Q4: How does one avoid antagonising others while following one's own conviction? 38:28 Q&A Q5: How does one avoid getting agitated when criticised?
- SWS1 · E14September 27 · 1 hr 10 min
E75 Effortless Action
0:00 Effortless Action: Actions fall into three grades. Sattvika action is doing your duty without attachment or anxiety. Rajasika action is driven by desire and ego and causes strain. Tamasika action gives no thought to consequence or capacity. When the intellect holds the mind in the present, action flows with ease. 50:24 Q&A Q1: When an action becomes effortless, will it always remain effortless, or could it regress to requiring effort again? 52:54 Q&A Q2: You mentioned the tool of asking 'What do I need to do today?' to stay present. Do you have any other tools for bringing the mind back to the present when we are thinking about the future or the past? 57:21 Q&A Q3: Regarding filling out the self-development chart, how can we be more precise, or perhaps more honest with ourselves, when evaluating the three gunas: sattva, rajas, and tamas? 1:00:51 Q&A Q4: What about multitasking? Corporate training emphasizes 'being here now,' but the reality is different. How do we reconcile that? 1:05:06 Q&A Q5: Despite efforts to develop and use the intellect in planning and executing actions, why is it still sometimes difficult to judge and decide what our obligations are? 1:07:11 Q&A Q6: Despite performing actions effortlessly, why might the results not materialize?
- SWS1 · E74September 20 · 1 hr 1 min
E74 Beyond Differences
0:00 Beyond Differences. Drawing on Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita, this session explores the three grades of knowledge — sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika. The quality of our knowledge determines whether we see division or unity, and ultimately shapes our relationships, our peace, and our capacity for love. 48:14 Q&A Q1: Can we draw a parallel between the quality of 'hatred to no being,' which is the quality of a devotee, and a person having sattvika knowledge? 51:55 Q&A Q2: As we strive towards increased sattvika knowledge, how do we handle or cope with the rajasika and tamasika people and attitudes we face all the time? 54:43 Q&A Q3: Is 100% sattvika knowledge the ideal to aspire for, or is there a need to exercise rajasika knowledge in certain situations, like protection of your family, community, or country?
- SWSeptember 13 · 1 hr 1 min
E73 Charting Self-Development
0:00 Charting Self-Development: Every action in our life carries the imprint of one of three qualities — tamas, rajas, or sattva — and understanding these qualities is the key to understanding ourselves. This session traces the path of evolution from tamas(inaction and dormancy), to rajas(driven but agitated effort), to sattva(calm and purposeful) — and beyond, to the freedom that lies on the other side of desire. Drawn from Chapter 18 of the Bhagavad Gita, the session also introduces a practical Self-Development Chart with seven parameters of action to help you assess where you are on this path and what direction to move in. 48:34 Q&A Q1: A famous quote suggests that the best way to achieve our goals is to have fewer of them. I believe we can achieve many, even all of our goals, just not necessarily all at once. Can both ideas be true, or does it ultimately depend on our relationship with our goals and how we choose to pursue them? 52:20 Q&A Q2: Are we able to really be impartial with this self-analysis? 55:34 Q&A Q3: Is the desire to become desireless also a desire? 57:50 Q&A Q4: If rajas is agitation and sattva is calmness, is it possible to change the mind from agitated to calm while in the middle of an action?
- SWSeptember 6 · 1 hr 3 min
E72 Know Your Personality
0:00 Know Your Personality - In this session, we explore the three gunas — tamas, rajas, and sattva — as a practical tool for understanding your own personality. The Bhagavad Gita's eighteenth chapter provides a precise framework for assessing how these qualities show up across your body, mind, and intellect. The goal is not simply self-knowledge, but a structured path from inertia to action, and from action to lasting inner peace. 46:32 Q&A Q1 Are we born with gunas? How do we change them? 50:50 Q&A Q2: If we are born with the gunas, does that also mean they come from our vasanas? 52:18 Q&A Q3: In rajas you desire without analyzing, and in sattva you analyse but with flow. Is overanalysing tamas, rajas, or sattva? 56:22 Q&A Q4: If you grow up in poverty and have to convince yourself that you are better than everyone around you to get out of that environment, there can come a point where that same mindset starts working against you. Would you describe learning to manage that part of yourself — your ego — as a form of emotional or intellectual maturity? 59:03 Q&A Q5: Sometimes calmness is interpreted as not caring. How do we prevent this?
- SWAugust 29 · 48 min
E71 The Technique for Inner Wellness
What does it mean to be truly well? While we invest enormous effort in improving the world around us, our homes, careers, and circumstances, we rarely turn that same attention inward. Drawing on Vedanta, one of the world's oldest philosophies, this session explores a practical framework for inner wellness rooted in the relationship between the mind and the intellect. The mind, our feeling and impulse centre, constantly pulls us towards desire, distraction, and attachment. The intellect, when developed, gives us the capacity to observe the mind, make clear decisions, and relate to the world with greater freedom. When the intellect is in charge, we are no longer victims of our desires, our anxieties about the future, or our expectations of others, and that shift is the foundation of a life lived with energy, clarity, and contentment.
- SWS1 · E62August 22 · 50 min
E70 Q&A The one with Being Attached to the Spiritual Path
0:00 E70 Questions and Answers 0:48 Q&A Q1: Why do we become attached to the spiritual path itself? Isn't it important how we practice spirituality? 17:33 Q&A Q2: A question is arising about suffering, the mind, and self-control. The mind has a tendency to want to relive experiences it likes and avoid experiences it doesn't like, thus lingering in a past perception. With regard to trauma, is it useful to fully feel one's own suffering rather than engage the super ego, use defensive awareness, or spiritual bypassing as a way of avoiding it? Out of one's own suffering, potentially what arises is deep compassion and the capacity to engage fully and with empathy with the suffering of others. To engage the intellect prematurely and practice self-control will certainly reduce the attachment, and as a consequence the individual may experience less suffering, but potentially it could also give rise to more emptiness. Many sages and wise beings lost a parent in early childhood — Shankaracharya, Ramakrishna, Ramana Maharshi — and became wise and deeply compassionate beings. 25:33 Q&A Q3: Can Vedanta and a biblical environment overlap in the same environment? I'm asking from the point of view of a workplace. 31:52 Q&A Q4: How do I recognize the real 'I' in daily life rather than just understanding it intellectually? 44:06 Q&A Q5: How does one determine whether one is fulfilling another's need or is aggravating their desires? Is it necessary to make this discrimination?
- SWS1 · E69August 16 · 1 hr 4 min
E69 The Rise of the Human
0:00 The Rise of the Human 48:21 Q&A Q1: How do I know if my reasoning is weak? 50:12 Q&A Q2: I have great difficulty in knowing myself. How can I improve?56:30 Q&A Q3: Could you elaborate on what happens when we die with perspectives from Advaita Vedanta and other spiritual and philosophical traditions? There seem to be many diverse views on this — which one do we believe?
- SWS1 · E64August 9 · 1 hr
E68 Return to Authentic Self
00:00 Return to Authentic Self The lecture features the below: Concept of God Gross and Subtle Intellect Distinction Understanding States of Consciousness Enlightenment
- SWS1 · E67August 2 · 1 hr 2 min
E67 Beyond the World into I
0:00 E67 Beyond the World into the I52:59 Q&A Q1: In which state would you say you manifest and create from, given the info you may receive?55:52 Q&A Q2: Will being smart help to have a good subtle intellect?
- SWJuly 25 · 46 min
E66 Q&A The one about dealing with Toxic Behaviour
0:00 E66 Q&A Session 0:46 Q&A Q1: What is the best way to deal with people who are on the gross level and cause unnecessary problems? How does one refrain from being upset and holding on to resentment, which we know is not good for us? How best can a person deal with this toxic behavior? 14:14 Q&A Q2: What is the difference between an unselfish and a selfless person with reference to their spiritual pursuits? 17:37 Q&A Q3: What is your relationship with A Parthasarathy, the author of the Vedanta books that you mention? 27:31 Q&A Q4: Where can I buy or access the books you recommended for learning Vedanta? 28:25 Q&A Q5: When it comes to how we show up on social media, I can't help but think of our "prostitute" archetype coming into play — the part of us that trades visibility, approval, or validation for attention. Do you think there are both positives and negatives to lean into? And if so, how can we stay aware enough to keep a healthy balance? 35:47 Q&A Q6: What is the best way to limit or stop wrong imagination or suspicion? For example, I always build up stories in my mind about close people doing things behind my back. Even though I know this is not the truth, I find it difficult to stop this kind of thinking. 40:28 Q&A Q7: How can self-inquiry and looking at the shadow help in breaking the mask when the mind or the intellect uses Vedanta as a defense mechanism? How to separate knowledge from internalised truth?
- SW
- SWS1 · E64July 12 · 1 hr 5 min
E64 Less is More
0:00 E64 Less is More 48:42 Q&A Q1: As far as taking loved ones for granted, do you think it is because our nervous system isn't used to love, kindness, or peace and therefore self-sabotages? If so, how do we prevent getting to that point or fix it? 51:45 Q&A Q2: How do we manage the desire for ongoing challenges in various areas? 54:24 Q&A Q3: It doesn't seem practical or realistic that one can be happy if they do not have the means to fulfill their desires, perhaps even basic desires. 1:02:16 Q&A Q4: Is it that we can't have it all and we should work to be content with that, or that we already have it all and we should work to realize that? What role does the spirit or atma have in managing desires?
- SWS1 · E58July 4 · 52 min
E63 Q&A The one where we get to know Sudhakar
0:00 E63 Q&A Session1:27 Q&A Q1: Is it possible to detach without disconnecting from people, especially family and friends? Experience suggests that physical separation for long periods creates detachment. What role does physical distance play, if it does, in creating detachment? Does one need to actively assess and then work towards reducing dependency on people and objects, or is it something that is a natural effect of gaining this knowledge?9:03 Can you tell us a bit about your background? How did you start teaching this subject?21:38 Q&A Q3: How can we discern in daily life and practice whether we are truly expressing Swadharma, or if the ego has hijacked these concepts — real nature, detachment, contentment — to build a highly adapted, detached spiritual persona?26:08 Q&A Q4: Vedanta is a vast subject. Can you give a list of tips for leading a purposeful and successful life?35:30 Q&A Q5: If our original state is this all-pervading, infinite, universal consciousness (Brahman or Atman), why do we ever leave it? How does Vedanta explain the point of this human experiment?41:10 Q&A Q6: In a world where AI is increasingly taking over even our smallest hobbies and creative pursuits, how do we preserve our sense of happiness, purpose, and personal fulfillment? How do we master ourselves in such an era? How do we continue to find purpose when skills that once required dedication and mastery are gradually being automated? If achievement becomes instantaneous and expertise becomes optional, where do we derive our sense of growth, identity, and satisfaction? I would be interested in hearing your perspective on how individuals can continue to cultivate meaning, curiosity, and fulfillment in a future increasingly shaped by AI.
- SW
- SWS1 · E61June 21 · 1 hr 8 min
E61 Irreplaceable
0:00 Irreplaceable 50:47 Q&A Q1: Why are we so resistant towards thinking? Is the intellect a 'muscle' to be developed based only on our intention? 53:20 Q&A Q2: When we're emotionally overwhelmed, we often make impulsive decisions that we later regret. What is the Vedantic approach to acting wisely when the mind is not peaceful? How do you calm an agitated mind? 55:45 Q&A Q3: Is there such a thing as performance anxiety? You may know all the answers and be prepared well, but get overwhelmed when it's time to execute. If so, how do you work on improving your mind for high-pressure moments? 59:48 Q&A Q4: What happens when you are living someone else's life? How do you search for your purpose and ability that you are good at in life? How does one seek happiness? 1:03:22 Q&A Q5: Is it possible to ever have the mind calm without the intellect supervising it? Can it become trained, or will it always require intellectual supervision? 1:05:45 Q&A Q6: What about the intellect results in resilience? What is the mechanism of resilience?