Know Thyself as The One

At the entrance to the Temple of Delphi, those who came to consult with the oracle would pass beneath a gateway of stone on which were carved two words that were chosen by seven sages as a command for all seekers: Gnothi Sauton, ‘Know Thyself’.

Self-Knowledge or realization of the divine has been the goal of the esoteric teaching of every religion from the ancient Egyptian and Greek mystery schools to the early Christian Gnostics to Sufis and modern mystics like Eckart Tolle and Omraam Mikhail Aivanhov. It is the essence and the first stage of The Way of the Awareness Now movement at awarenessnow.com. In Hinduism, this is called Swadhyaya, self-study.

The First Step: Study Sacred and Divinely Inspired Writings

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar wrote, “Swadhyaya or self-study is unfortunately called the study of scriptures and books. In a way it is correct, but not just that. The scriptures and books are only aids in the study of the self. Just reading scriptures without any experience is of no use.” So, just remember, it’s the first step of Swadhyaya, just as reading about a new location your moving to and studying maps to get there is the first step in planning a move.

However, ”the study of scriptures” isn’t limited to just reading the traditional scriptures of various religions such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao Te Ching, the Bible, and the Talmud. Swadhyaya suggests that any inspirational book, article, or a blog such as this that offers insight into the human condition can help as a means of deeper self-understanding.

Founts of wisdom can be found everywhere, and when you immerse yourself in these springs of truth, you're learning who you are and who you are not. You gain profound insight into your true nature as you study these wisdom teachings. Here are 10 highly recommended books: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, The Alchemist by Pablo Coelho, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Wayne Dyer, The Power of Now by Eckart Tolle, Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, Buddha’s Brian by Rick Hanson, and The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler. The last book, The Writer’s Journey, presents a good understanding of the hero’s journey lens through which you can view your life and a good source of books and movies that follow the hero’s journey elements.

Second Step: Reflect on What You Read

However, just reading inspiring books or watching movies of the hero’s journey like The Wizard of Oz is not enough. Reading doesn’t make much difference unless you reflect upon it. When reading one of these books, have the intention to apply it to your own life. Meditate upon how it resonates with you, whether it bears any resemblance to your own experiences. Reading lots of self-help and inspirational books is one thing, but fully understanding and living the principles that you learn allows them to become more a part of your life.

Third Step; Self-Reflection

The detailed study of wisdom teachings and reflecting upon it in terms of your own life, though necessary, are only the first two steps of Swadhyaya. You have to really “experience” in order to “know.” Experimenting on a personal level with the wisdom of these teachings is essential for transformation. As Swami Sivananda said, "A gram of practice is worth a ton of theory."

Through Swadhyaya, you come to understand the inner workings of your mind, uncover your profound nature, and achieve communion with the divine. Swadhyaya translated directly from Sanskrit, can simply mean “self-study” or turning inward and observing your actions, reaction, emotions, and habits. In Swadhyaya, you scan the body, bring your awareness to your breath, and still your mind, all practices of self-reflection. By doing this, you get to know yourself more honestly and see yourself for what you are, not who you think you are.

You're practicing this step of Swadhyaya when you clear and rewire during the Three Pillar meditation. You observe what you’re resisting, what you’re wanting, and your sense of separation, and you release tendencies that aren’t useful. This can teach you to be accepting of everything and everyone as exactly as they’re meant to be in this moment, and to be wholly self-sufficient without feeling any need, want, or lack. It challenges you to look deeply into your essence and discern your superficial ego from your divine Self.

But you don’t have to wait for clearing sessions to do this. You can begin your own Swadhyaya practice at any time of your day. In the midst of activity, take a moment to ask:

• What are my intentions in doing/saying this?

• Are my actions and words coming from a place of kindness and compassion?

• How can I be more present right now?

Swadhyaya comes down to recognizing your words and actions, and discerning which ones come from ego and which ones are the result of listening to your true Self.

Observe yourself as though you were watching someone else; observe the way you speak to coworkers, friends, and family; listen to your words when your computer crashes and you lose an hour of work (as I finished typing this, my computer threatened to crash; I thought, the Universe is playing with me and I laughed); see your body language and facial tension when you have to stand in front of an audience and give a presentation. It all tells the story of your hero’s journey.

The practice of Swadhyaya requires satya (honesty) in order to admit that you’re operating from ego, tapas (discipline) because being honest with yourself isn’t easy, and ahimsa (nonviolence), which reminds you to look upon yourself without judgment or criticism.

It also takes great courage to search out all the things that disturb you when you rewire, such as death. The path of self-knowledge is not a primrose path. You will come to know yourself by wading through the quagmire of egoic thoughts, feeling, words, and actions, getting your hands dirty, with eyes and heart open, observing all that you would prefer to turn away from. But don’t feel that you have to face drudgery in your search for self. Keep your eye on the goal: union with the divine. That way, you will approach your hero’s journey with joy and curiosity.

The Goal Is At-One-Ment with the Divine

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra says, "Study thy self, discover the divine" II.44

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar also wrote concerning the goal of Swadhyaya, “The last rule, eshwara pranidhana means letting go and surrendering to the higher self, to the divine. Seeing life with context to the universe. This universe which is so vast, enormous has been here for millions of years, billions of years and will continue to be here for billions of years. That consciousness which is the substratum of creation, offering and surrendering to that.”

This is the ultimate goal of The Way. In the hero’s journey, it’s called Apotheosis, meaning "making into a god." An example of this is in Lord of the Rings, when after battling the Balrog, Gandalf changes from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White. Another example is in The Matrix when Neo is shot but is resurrected by Trinity’s belief in him as The One. Suddenly, he is able to see the agents as just subprograms of the matrix and is able to stop their bullets and defy gravity. You too can achieve apotheosis, see yourself as The One, and see the “reality” of human existence as the matrix, dream, play, or holographic game that it truly is.

When you awaken to your true nature as a divine being, at one with the universe, you understand that your life is just a dream, and that fame, wealth, good relationships, and human happiness or the lack of these are all just illusions. You can look at your life with detachment and see the nuggets of gold hidden in the sand of your dream experiences. These are the lessons you need to learn, which are seen in the symbolism of the events in your life. Just as in the dreams you have at night, the waking dream of your life contain deeper meanings in the events that happen to you. For an example of this, read my blog entry, Living the Dream, from March 28th, 2020.