Ep. 43: On Reflection

In this episode, James delves into the concept of reflection within Vedantic philosophy, addressing common questions about how one should reflect effectively. He explains the three daily practices of Vedanta: questioning everything, not taking anything for granted, and studying and reflecting daily. James emphasizes that reflection is not just about passively listening or reading; it's about actively engaging with the material. He highlights the three powerful ways to reflect: sitting quietly and thinking, writing about it personally, and discussing it within a community (satsang). James argues that the most potent form of reflection is through discussion with others on the same path, as it forces one to internalize and articulate their understanding. This episode encourages listeners to actively engage with philosophical concepts and to seek out communities where they can share and deepen their reflections. The Daily Vedantic is a daily podcast and YouTube channel dedicated to the timeless wisdom of the Upanishads (⁠https://www.thedailyvedantic.co⁠). Dating back to over 5,000 years ago, the source of nearly all Eastern Philosophy, and loved by Western giants from Emerson to Thoreau to Carl Jung and Alan Watts, studied daily by Joseph Campbell to Aldous Huxley to Arthur Schopenhauer and countless others, The Daily Vedantic aims to make this ancient philosophy as modern and accessible as it is simple, practical — and profound.

James Beshara (⁠https://www.twitter.com/jamesbeshara⁠) is a renowned startup founder of multiple companies, a prolific startup investor in 200+ others including some of the biggest startup names on the planet, a husband and father of three little girls, and philosophy student and teacher in Los Angeles.

James also co-hosts Yoga For Your Intellect (⁠https://www.YFYI.co⁠), a biweekly long-form conversational podcast with his teacher Joseph Emmett ( ⁠https://www.instagram.com/yogaforyourintellect⁠ ).

James is a student of Swami Parthasarathy, the acclaimed author of Vedanta Treatise (⁠Vedanta Treatise – The Eternities⁠)  and teacher at Vedanta Academy in Malavli, India. As James says often, when you’re ready for the real thing, Swami’s daily lectures are where the true wisdom and systematic discovery of the world’s oldest continually studied philosophy resides: ⁠https://www.vedantaworld.org⁠