About John
“It’s not possible to separate the Teacher from the Teachings in this instance, for John is simply the embodiment of these Teachings.”
John Weddepohl | Siddharthan सिद्धार्थन
Describing himself as a vagabond, rogue and rascal, John has been blessed by teachers his whole life.
Meeting his master a PhD in English, fluent in the language of the Self, over the next seven years John stayed glued to Swamiji as his guru passed on the timeless teaching of the vedaupanishads.
Born in Johannesburg South Africa, making his way to India in 2004 John met his visionary master who initiated him in Atma Vidya, Self-knowledge the Royal Knowledge of the vedaupanishads.
Mandated by his guru to share the timeless wisdom John has been sharing atma vidya – knowledge of the Self in English ever since.
About the teachings
Truth is independent of race, creed, colour, gender or religion. No matter who we are, common to us all, pending discovery as each of us is creation’s greatest gift and great secret. Simply being born human we carry the eternal Grand Prize. and solution to life’s grand mystery with us. Already touched by the infinite, before we can even think, drinking the immortal with each breath, without knowing it the eternal has reached and captured all of us. No one can escape life’s great miracle. The eternal existing as all of us, finding someone to point it out we cant help but recognise it. Being human is creations greatest blessing. Blessed 24/7, already carrying the truth with us, to recognise and acknowledge it and collect our gift all we need is someone to introduce us. Already the proof, whoever can convince and show us ourselves exploding the Truth of who we are, removes all our burdens and obstacles.
Whoever introduces us to ourselves helps put Forever in our pocket. Recognising the Truth that is ever present residing and shining as each of us, the universe explodes and we never look back. Once someone points out, unable to see anything else; no longer missing the obvious we stop stumbling around in utter darkness. Forever waiting for life’s grand prize and mystery to open and explode our secret, all we need is to be shown. Already you are the miracle and bring the complete solution with you. Once you recognise it, where there once were nothing but problems, you find nothing but solutions. All problems, darkness and conflict disappears and left with only joy, feeling utterly stupid, you wonder why you could not see it before.
‘The theme of the Vedaupanishads has always been simple: To introduce us to the miracle of Who we are. To carry the exquisite miracle and not know what we carry is a waste of time. Already all of us, universal, because we cannot see or introduce ourselves, we need someone else who can. Whoever knows – who knows the methodology can introduce us.
There is no difference between someone who knows the truth and one who doesn’t. Both human beings, one knows, one is yet to know.’
The teacher is one who acts as the mirror. Knowing truth like their own back yard, the teacher uses the age old methodology to wield Truth like a laser to point out Self eternally fresh sanathana, ever available and present that is ourself. Once we see it we cannot unsee it. Never looking back, the mirror no longer needed, both teacher and student roles drop out and all our problems disappear we get on with our lives.
Self-knowledge completes the journey and completes the puzzle of the human being. By exploding the meaning of one word ‘I’, thriving and flourishing in the completeness brings us fully alive. Looking for the meaning of the universe, the vedaupanishads reveals us to be the meaning. Knowledge of Self is our common destiny. Once we recognise ourselves TRUTH instantly shines forth.
More about John
Deciding late in his life the little fame and fortune had to offer was not good enough, hoping to catch a rare glimpse of what sages and prophets call truth, John found that there is only truth – we just haven’t seen it yet! Never closer than ourselves, once our eternal nature is pointed out, finding completeness we cant help but thrive. To discover Self-knowledge is to discover the timeless gift of the universe. Waiting to explode, is the ever present magic that is oneself.’
In 1969 at nineteen, John took to yoga like a fish to water. Urged by ISHTA founders Alan Finger and his late father Mani Finger John became an ISHTA yoga teacher and opened the ISHTA yoga school for them in downtown Johannesburg. Located on the top floor of the city’s first flea market, the building soon became a hotbed of anti-establishment radicalism and, under South Africa’s apartheid system, was forced to shut down by the authorities. Finding himself out of a job, a talented musician from the age of seven, John found success as a singer-songwriter performing with some of South Africa’s popular bands. After recording a number of local and international hits, he later found his niche scoring music for film and television.
Awarded internationally for his work, despite enjoying his success, John found something missing. To fill the hole he started exploring African wilderness areas. Visiting Namibia, Okavango Delta, finding the flame of yoga could not be extinguished, in 2004, with the release of Nelson Mandela from prison, when the cultural boycott banning South Africans from visiting India lifted, travelling across India John lived as a western sadhu साधु.
Meeting his guru, John’s guru pointed out that the only thing missing in his life was himself! Explaining that already everything we look for we bring with us. Hearing that happiness is not a destination or secret but ourselves, wanting to find out more, John withdrew into the seclusion of ‘Self-Knowledge Village’, his guru’s ashram. Immersing in the teachings in Tiruvanamali, listening to the ancient wisdom in the lineage of Adi Shankara daily John got his education in Self-knowledge of the veda/upanishads. Finding the eternal we seek is never further than ourselves. Finding peace was not the ‘Long walk to Freedom’ he’d imagine but ever oneself, ever gained, (we just have yet to recognise it), John’s Guru removed his blind spot. No longer missing to himself, like the sun exploding in his life, Self-knowledge exploded destroying all Johns doubts,.
Drawing water from many different ghats (springs and watering holes), from traditional healers (sangomas)in Africa, to living Guru’s on ashrams in Orissa, Nepal, Rishikesh, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, John’s teaching reflects these different lineages and streams of knowledge.
Traditional without being traditionalist students love his quick wit, sense of humour and down to earth practical approach.
Meeting and marrying Rachel Zinman, John and Rachel spend their time teaching इष्टम् ISHTAM at festivals teacher trainings and workshops around the world. Sharing their love of music John and Rachel also sing devotional Kirtan wherever possible.
Spending the majority of their time abroad, John and Rachel’s dream is to develop ‘Sundaram Ashram’ into a centre for higher learning and living.
John and Rachel currently live between Byron Bay, NSW. Australia and सुन्दरम् Sundaram Ashram their home in South Africa.
one word unlocks your secret
Carrying creations secret, and life’s biggest mystery and grand prize with you, to resolve your mystery, and collect the grand prize you just need someone to point it out. Long before you go searching for the truth, Truth has already found and reached you. Already ourselves, the Sun of the Self never sets. Just covered by a cloud of ignorance, to remove the cloud, all we have to do is show up, and make ourselves available. Having lived with it our whole lives and bringing nothing but the truth with us we cant hide or miss it. Ignorance of one word separates us from what is eternal. ‘I’ already eternal holds all our secrets. ‘I’ not only reveals the Truth, ‘I’ is the Truth. Wielding the word ‘I’ like a laser the teacher who knows how, explodes the mystery. For truth to be revealed, just one thought needs to be resolved. Obliterating the darkness, recognising Self removes the blackness. Once pointed out the vacuum of ignorance like a black hole the size of the universe instantly disappears. No longer bound, having always lived in the shadow of Truth recognising the limitless Self removes all fear, uncertainty and doubt. Like the sun rising in the morning destroys all darkness, Self-knowledge removes the darkness of ignorance instantaneously. Once recognised, revelling in the light of the Self that is brighter than a thousand suns, the Truth that was always shining becomes apparent. Recognising what has always been, complete in the knowledge, finding out the eternal destination and outcome is oneself, the weight of endless pain and suffering the size of the universe lifts instantly off your shoulders.
I the eternal time traveller
The veda upanishads declare long before you look for the eternal, or search for everlasting happiness, it has already found all of us. Without you, not only Truth, has no meaning, nothing has meaning…
What was once kept a secret, is no longer exclusive.
It is said there is nothing new under the sun. When it comes to the human being, as the seer of time, Self outshines and outlives everything.Described by Sri Krishna in the Bhagava…
Why is what I teach called इष्टम् ISHTAM
Combining the teachings of Vedanta/Upanishads and ASTA YOGA of Rishi Agustya John calls what he teaches इष्टम् ISHTAM‘Arriving in India, thirsty for knowledge, I fina…
From Our Students
“I don’t believe there is anything I could do on this planet more valuable than gaining this teaching. What an extraordinary blessing and privilege to have the deepest and most ancient revelatory wisdom not only available but given by a living teacher in a timeless lineage of living teachers. This knowledge can only be given by one who has already realised the truth of themselves. John’s realisation, his complete humility, his love and his deep, deep knowledge are a delight and a living access to Self-Knowledge. – Dale Rhodes
“Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! If everyone listened & participated in these teachings the world would become a better place for all of us to live in. ‘They’ say the best way to heal the planet is to heal ourselves and these teachings provide that level of insight & opportunity for anyone willing to take the leap. “ Thank you John
“I loved the simplicity of the teachings. The step by step approach over seven weeks gave me ample time to digest the content of each session. It deepened my understanding of the nature of happiness, the nature of my thoughts and ideas/beliefs, as well as the nature of consciousness. Practically speaking, it helped me get better at slowing myself down when I catch my mind racing away. I highly recommend this to anyone who’s even remotely curious about Self Knowledge.”
John Weddepohl taught philosophy on my Yoga Teacher Training course in Goa. The students loved him and I’m impressed by his kindness and humility. He teaches in a way that dusts off the old manuscripts and brings the Gita to life off the page. As a lecturer, he brilliantly takes difficult concepts like Advaita Vedanta and renders them simple and comprehensible. He is a brilliant teacher of Self Knowledge and shares his knowledge in a way that inspires others. John’s Kirtan performances are filled with beauty and bhakti. He teaches with humour and compassion – a truly great soul.
Brunch at Brenners with Rachel & John was great. And most of all John’s lecture at AIRYOGA was very very inspiring – after class I tried to push every thought away and just be me – it was most relaxing (even in a terrible traffic jam I was smiling) and to be not caught up in a thought:) Thank you so much John. Can’t wait to have you back at AIRYOGA next year!
We had the good fortune of experiencing John’s wonderful energy and colourful teaching style during a YTT 200 course. His shining baby blue eyes and radiant smile tell the tale of his joyous approach to teaching…and life. John has the ability to speak about the burning questions to life with a childlike wonder and fascination. By breaking down complicated philosophical teachings through the use of real world examples and stories, the lessons became easier to grasp. The stories also provided as much entertainment as learning value…we will never see ice-cream the same again! Our only complaint was not having more time to sit and learn from such a generous soul. We thoroughly enjoyed every moment with John and will take advantage of any opportunity to study with him in the future!