In this episode of The Daily Vedantic, James dives into the concept of "Nothing Happens" as taught in Vedanta philosophy. He begins by urging listeners to explore the previous episode on "pile driving" and recommends the Vedanta Treatise as a transformative read. James then unpacks the notion that externally, nothing truly happens—whether it's making choices, achieving milestones, or experiencing highs and lows. He contrasts this with the deeper philosophical truth that our inner essence, our true nature, remains unchanged regardless of external circumstances. James shares anecdotes to illustrate this point, including the experiences of a friend who sold his company for a billion dollars and a world champion surfer. He emphasizes that true peace, happiness, and freedom are not dependent on external factors but are intrinsic to our being. James encourages listeners to reflect on this concept and to understand that the pursuit of external validation or satisfaction is ultimately futile. Instead, he suggests turning inward and aligning with one's true essence, where true fulfillment resides. This episode serves as a reminder to shift our focus from the external to the internal and to find contentment in simply being.
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