Introducing A School of Thought… Rajiv Malhotra Reveals 108 Frameworks

The second Banyan Tree Network meeting was focused on celebrating and honouring 30 years of Infinity Foundation’s game-changing work, which also coincided with 75 years of its founder, Sri Rajiv Malhotra’s life. On this joyous occasion, Rajiv’s address to the gathering presented an overview of some of the most important aspects of his School of Thought. Drawing on decades’ of experience, the talk saw Rajiv explain his unique insights on focus areas such as AI and Consciousness and the importance of each of his significant books…..

In this historic and deeply reflective address, Rajiv Malhotra, founder of the Infinity Foundation and Chairman Emeritus of the Banyan Tree Network, unveils the culmination of decades of scholarship, debate, meditation, and civilizational service: his 108 Frameworks. These frameworks represent a bold, coherent, and original school of thought rooted in Vedic first principles—yet designed to engage the modern world with intellectual sharpness, strategic clarity, and cultural confidence. This is not merely a speech; it is the first public articulation of a lifetime’s work that systematizes Indic knowledge into a living, evolving civilizational toolkit.

Rajivji narrates how each framework emerged from real encounters—academic battles, philosophical challenges, digestion attempts, cultural misinterpretations, and geopolitical Kurukshetra—and how these insights crystallized into a comprehensive system capable of training scholars, shaping AI, countering distorted narratives, and empowering future generations. This rare exposition marks a once-in-a-lifetime milestone, capturing the birth of a modern Indic school of thought destined to influence global discourse for decades to come.

00:00:00 – Opening & Purpose of the Talk
Rajiv introduces why he rarely speaks autobiographically and sets the stage for sharing his intellectual journey.

00:02:00 – What Is a School of Thought?
Explains internal coherence, consistent vocabulary, and why Indic knowledge must be systematized.

00:05:00 – The Birth of the 108 Frameworks
How decades of debates, encounters, and challenges crystallized into structured frameworks.

00:08:30 – Key Framework Examples
Hinduphobia, Digestion, Mutual Respect, Sanskrit Non-Translatables, Poison Pill & more.

00:14:00 – Why Frameworks Must Be Coherent (AI, Logic & Contradictions)
Rajiv discusses how fragmented training data leads to contradiction and why frameworks solve this.

00:17:00 – Applications: AI, Dharma Index & Civilizational Tools
How the frameworks are being used to build new AI systems and evaluate institutions through a Dharmic lens.

00:23:00 – Colonization Through Indices & Western Lenses
ESG vs Dharma Index; redefining evaluation systems with Vedic first principles.

00:27:00 – Constructive vs Disruptive Work
Overview of projects: Breaking India, Battle for Sanskrit, Mind Sciences, Grand Narrative.

00:35:00 – Western Digestion & Decolonizing Knowledge
Examples from yoga, Sanskrit studies, psychology, and Harvard/Columbia academic politics.

00:44:00 – Major Intellectual Battles & Policy Impact
Shankara-Columbia MoU fight, institutional pushback, and policy-level outcomes.

00:52:00 – Teaching Sanskrit Scholars Western Philosophy
The ambitious project to equip traditional scholars with tools for purva-paksha.

00:56:00 – Meditation, Inner Processes & the 4 Levels of Vāk
Explaining Madhyama, Pashyanti, Para, and how these subtler layers produce insight.

01:07:00 – AI vs Human Consciousness
Why AI cannot access deeper layers of cognition—and why meditators will lead the future.

01:09:30 – Freedom “To” vs Freedom “From”
Rajiv’s philosophical climax on real liberation and the purpose of dharma.

01:13:15 – Acknowledgments & Closing Reflections
Tributes, personal memories, blessings, and concluding gratitude.

Who Is Raising Your Children? - https://whoisraisingyourchildren.com/
Battle For Consciousness Theory - http://battleforconsciousnesstheory.com
Snakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.com
Varna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.com
The Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.com
Power of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com
10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.com

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