James explores the concept of compassion through the lens of Vedanta philosophy. Highlighting the absence of a traditional notion of evil in Advaita Vedanta, we discuss how individuals often labeled as 'wicked' are seen as lacking proper guidance. We dive into the idea that all beings are shaped by their experiences and the guidance they receive, or lack thereof, and emphasize the importance of viewing others with empathy and understanding. Featuring insights from both Vedantic teachings and personal anecdotes, including a notable quote from comedian and fellow Vedantin Pete Holmes, the episode encourages listeners to adopt a compassionate perspective, recognizing that everyone is doing the best they can with the guidance they've had. The discussion also touches on the futility of expecting others to conform to our ideals and the importance of appreciating them for who they are.

The Daily Vedantic is a daily podcast and YouTube channel dedicated to the timeless wisdom of the Upanishads (https://thedailyvedantic.com/). 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