Knowing to being
Lao Tzu said, 'He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.' True spiritual growth does not come from gathering information but from deepening self-awareness. Vedas and Upanishads also urge us to move beyond intellectual understanding toward direct, inner experience. They do not ask for blind acceptance but encourage us to question, explore and realise the truth for ourselves.
The Brihadaranyak Upanishad affirms, 'Atma va are drastavyah srotavyo mantavyo nididhyasitavyah' - the Self must be seen, heard, reflected upon and meditated upon. This layered approach guides us from outer knowledge to inner realisation. Philosophers and sages have shared their wisdom through their own first-person experiences.
Ramana Maharshi echoed this approach through self-inquiry, gently asking, 'Who am I?' In this context, meditation is not merely silence or stillness but a mirror that helps us see ourselves. The Bhagwad Gita reminds us, 'One must elevate oneself by one's mind, for the mind can be the friend or the enemy of the self.' This inner journey is ours to undertake. No one else can do it for us. Questions arise not from doubt but from insight. What once felt like borrowed knowledge transforms into personal wisdom. At the core of this transformation lies a simple yet profound truth: consciousness is a fundamental source where all wisdom already exists. Through sincere reflection and contemplation, this awareness reveals what has been within.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Beyond Ego: Why Future Demands An Ecocentric Worldview
Rene Descartes, one of the foremost rationalists, famously proclaimed 'Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum,' which means 'i doubt, therefore i think, therefore i am.' Ethically speaking, besides pointing to importance of critical thinking, which is fundamental to existence, the phrase carries weight of 'i', the self: i doubt-i think-i am, intensely focusing on 'i', representative of ego. Self-centredness reflects a lack of ability to understand different perspectives on the same truth, an inherent cognitive bias towards the self to exclude all others, and a lack of empathy. This self-serving approach is egocentric, where 'i' wants to manipulate the world, modifying its environment at the cost other beings for whom the Earth is a shared home. An egocentric approach considers existence self-serving. It does not accept the environmental crises and treats rivers, lakes, forests, and mountains merely as resources to be exploited for ego's aggrandisement. This attitude must be transcended to save the planet. Transcendence of ego comes from expanding the sense of self to include rest of the world – species on the brink of extinction, polluted rivers, plastic-filled oceans and toxic air. It requires a paradigm shift – from being egocentric to becoming ecocentric. With being and becoming a constant exercise in inclusion resulting in expansion of self that ultimately leads to realisation of the Self. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Krishn says in the Bhagwad Gita : 'Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason, and also ego; these constitute My nature divided into eight parts. This, indeed, is my material nature. Other than this, by which the whole universe is sustained, know it to be My higher nature in the form of Jiva.' Everything that we see or feel, in a way, is Krishn. There is no duality. Krishn and nature are not separate; they are one. Krishn is both within existence and outside of it, but he is not limited to it, because he is representative of the Supreme Self. He says in Gita: 'There is nothing else besides Me, Arjun. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this is threaded on me.' Krishn challenges Arjun's egocentricity by enabling him to see beyond the self and fulfil his dharm. In the 21st century, our dharm is to become eco-centric, that is, to acknowledge and value all living beings, not just by how useful they are to us. Buddhists believe in dependent origination , that is, nothing exists without causes or conditions that enable its existence. All phenomena are interdependent, and realising this is shunyata, emptiness. Our existence is relative to causes and conditions and dependent on many other factors beyond our control. Even an empty bottle, which we toss nonchalantly in the bin, carries unseen labour of hundreds of people who worked to ensure it reached us. These things may not occur to us when we discard bottles, clothes, gadgets, utensils, and other things and reach out for new ones. An egocentric model will not sustain us; we need an ecocentric model for a brighter tomorrow that nourishes our being and the environment. Authored by: Sonal Srivastava Why Arjun Was Chosen: The Untold Secret of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 3
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
For vedic students, practice and focused lifestyle are mantras for mind power
1 2 Prayagraj: Adarsh Tiwari, a Samaveda student, has memorised over 4,000 mantras, while Pranjal Shukla can recite all 40 chapters of the Shukla Yajurveda Samhita and 8 chapters of Pada Path. Other students like Pawan Tiwari, Shivank Mishra, and Prateek Tiwari share similar experiences, as these Vedic students find rigorous practice, discipline and a focused lifestyle to be the sole mantra for mind power. All Vedic students strictly follow their daily routine, including yoga, meditation and a balanced and nutritional diet to improve their memory power. They claim that mantra repetition keeps their focus sharp. At Shri Swami Narottamanand Giri Ved Vidyalaya, Vedic students wake up before dawn to chant the eternal mantras of the Vedas with astonishing clarity and devotion. They not only memorise large volumes of Vedic hymns with precision but also cultivate mental discipline, spiritual awareness and a strong moral range. Secretary of Shri Swami Narottamanand Giri Ved Vidyalaya, Dr Manoj Jhunjhunwala says, "The mind power behind Vedic chanting in Gurukuls is an age-old practice, comprising learning by listening, repeating and absorbing mantras passed down from their guru, generation to generation." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He further adds, "The students' phenomenal memory is not just a gift but result of a unique combination of unwavering discipline, focus, regular practice and a natural lifestyle. " The tradition, known as Shruti Parampara, has sustained the Vedas for thousands of years. Through this method, Vedic students listen to the exact pronunciation of mantras from their Acharyas (teachers), repeat them continually, and memorise them without any written aid. UNESCO recognised 30 manuscripts of the Rigveda (dating from 1800–1500 BCE) as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage—a testament to this unparalleled tradition. Jhunjhunwala says, "The structure and scope of Vedic knowledge is vast, and the magnitude of what these students memorise is staggering, which includes Rigveda: 10 mandalas, 1,028 suktas, and 10,552 mantras. Yajurveda includes 15 branches of Shukla Yajurveda and 86 of Krishna Yajurveda; Samaveda: 4,511 mantras, including chanting patterns; and Atharvaveda: 20 kandas, 731 suktas, and 5,977 mantras. " Students use complex recitation methods like Samhita, Pada, Krama, Jata, and the advanced Ghana Patha, where words are chanted in intricate permutations to reinforce memory and prevent error. The Vedic students also follow a highly regulated, sattvic (pure) diet. Meals include seasonal green vegetables, pulses, and lightly spiced foods that are easy to digest, keeping the body light and the mind calm. Principal Brajmohan Pandey explains, "When new students join, they often have no background in Sanskrit or Vedic chanting. Their memory is developed over time through carefully designed methods, gradually turning them into masters of oral knowledge. " Vedic experts claim that at these Gurukuls, ancient tradition meets scientific methodology, shaping students not only into scholars of sacred knowledge but also into disciplined individuals with exceptional memory. Students employ a three-tiered learning process: reciting with the teacher, practising alone, and then chanting in groups. They also share memory tips with each other and engage in activities beyond chanting, such as gardening, physical games, and even computer learning to maintain a balanced lifestyle. Pranjal Shukla, a Vedic student, explains, "Each day starts with sandhya rituals and 'agnihotra'. These practices centre the mind, allowing us to absorb mantras more deeply. When we repeat a mantra hundreds of times, it stops being just sound and becomes a part of our consciousness."
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Time of India
Yog: The Art of Attention In A Distracted World
"Yog is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self" – Bhagwad Gita 6.20 On this , as yoga mats unfurl across continents and millions synchronise their breath to a timeless rhythm, let us pause and reflect—not merely on posture or flexibility—but on the inner posture of the mind, the quiet alignment of attention with the divine. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the sixth chapter of the Bhagwad Gita, Krishn elevates the discourse on yog from the external to the internal. He asserts that Karm Yog —performing one's worldly duties without attachment—is nobler than renunciation. But beyond all, the yogi who meditates with unwavering devotion to the Divine is supreme (6.47). This vision of yog is not escapism, but a precise alignment of our attention, energy, and time with spiritual realization. The Age of Scattered Attention Modern life is not short of stimulation, but it is starved of stillness. In an era of infinite scrolling, attention has become our rarest resource. And as the Gita proclaims, 'Elevate yourself through the power of your mind, not degrade yourself; for the mind is both friend and enemy' (6.5). This internal war—between the distracted and the disciplined mind—is where yog truly begins. Focus: The Spiritual Muscle often emphasised the role of disciplined attention as the core of spiritual training . He said, "The difference between an ordinary man and a great man lies in the degree of concentration." Yog is the ancient art of winning that battle. It is the practice of bringing the mind back—again and again—to the Divine, as described in Gita 6.26: 'Whenever the mind wanders... bring it back under control.' The Kundalini, the rising serpent, symbolizes this precise power—of awakening focus, of uncoiling our spiritual energy toward its highest possibility. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Attention as Enlightenment Modern psychology echoes these ancient truths. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in his seminal work, Flow , observes: "The best moments in life occur when a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile." This is Yog: not relaxation, but immersion. Not escape, but engagement with our highest self. The Lamp That Does Not Flicker A mind trained in yog becomes like a flame in a windless place (6.19)—still, unwavering, full of light. It sees gold, dirt, and stone as equal (6.8), and beholds the Self in all beings and all beings in the Self (6.29). This is not poetic fantasy, but a lived transformation, attainable by persistent practice and joyful detachment. From Self-Help to Selflessness Real yog is not about helping ourselves—but transcending the self. The Gita teaches that the yogi lives in the world but is not of it. He works, sleeps, eats, and interacts in balance (6.17), free from the turbulence of likes and dislikes. He becomes a mirror, not a mask—a presence that reflects love, impartiality, and inner bliss. The Way Forward As we honour Yog on this day, let us honor not just its physical elegance, but its spiritual essence. Let us strive not just to stretch our limbs, but to still our minds, not just to master poses, but to master attention. In a world of noise, the yogi is the silence that sings. In the storm of desires, the yogi is the center that holds. And above all, in a civilization distracted by consumption, the yogi is a reminder that being is enough. Shivoham, Shivoham – I am He, I am He. Not the doer, not the doing, but the undying awareness behind all. Happy International Yoga Day. Authored by: Shambo Samrat Samajdar and Shashank R Joshi Why Arjun Was Chosen: The Untold Secret of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 3
