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The one due to whose consciousness you and I have come into this world is Paramatma. Paramatma is both within and outside us, but we can neither see nor know Him. However, there is a way through which the divine presence of Paramatma can be experienced – and that is Self-knowledge.
When a seeker attains Self-knowledge, he first comes to know his own ego.
It is not as if “the seeker read some book or heard from someone and attained knowledge of the self.”
Rather, it is like “he understood the nature of his mind, ego, and inner self through self-awareness or by being in pure consciousness, and separated it from the Self. Thus, he became a pure Self.” He did this by investigating within himself.
“Who am I?” Finding the answer is Self-knowledge…
Reaching Self-knowledge is not so easy because it is found within. The Self is not an object found in the external world, so it cannot be known like an external object.
Here, ‘Self’ means ‘one’s own being,’ that which you recognize as ‘I’ while being aware (not the body, but consciousness).
For example, a dead person has a body, but there is no awareness or consciousness in it, so he cannot experience himself.
A living person is aware, but due to ignorance, he considers the flesh-and-bone body to be ‘I’ instead of consciousness.
Self-knowledge brings purity and freedom from ego…
Self-knowledge means knowing the ego while being a pure Self and separating it from the Self…
To attain Self-knowledge, one has to know the ‘ego’.
In this practice, the seeker faces many difficulties because ‘ego’ is known only when the knower is separate from it.
For example, if you want to see the engine and quality of a vehicle, you need to step out of the vehicle. You cannot see it while sitting in the seat.
Similarly, when you, as a pure Self (aware and conscious), become free from the mind and ego, only then can you know the nature of the Self through awareness.
The Self is what you are, and the ego is what you know.
When a ‘Mumukshu’ (seeker of liberation) or ‘devotee’ attains Self-knowledge, he destroys the ego through awareness and attains oneness with Paramatma.
This allows him to experience the divine presence of Paramatma within and realize the supreme, pure consciousness and blissful nature.
Experience of oneness with Paramatma through Self-knowledge…
Paramatma is the element that exists in a radiant form within you, me, all animals, birds, and all living beings.
It is the dimension whose shadow manifests as this entire existence, and it is the supreme reality.
When Self-knowledge is attained and one dwells in the Self, then through spiritual awareness, one attains liberation from the bondage of ‘being’.
By attaining Nirvana (freedom from ‘being anything’), one realizes the supreme truth, which is Paramatma.
The necessity of renunciation for Self-knowledge…
Those who practice to attain Self-knowledge are called ‘Mumukshu’.
They choose the path of transcendence and consider the liberation of the Self as the sole purpose of life.
To attain Self-knowledge, one must be a renunciate because renunciation allows one to turn inward.
However, this does not mean abandoning home, family, and worldly pleasures to live in forests or mountains.
Renunciation symbolizes detachment, but it does not happen merely by leaving a place.
If you become aware of the meaning of life, i.e., attaining liberation, then at that very moment, you become a renunciate.
Renunciation is not of the body but of the mental state and spiritual revolution.
When a person makes knowledge and yoga the center of life and strives to purify himself, he is called a renunciate.
Yoga is the practice of attaining purity.
For example – Karma Sannyasa Yoga, Dhyana Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga.
Their authentic practice becomes a method for attaining Self-knowledge.
By adopting them, we attempt to free ourselves from the bondage of mind, intellect, speech, and actions.
Realizing Self-knowledge through devotion and surrender to Paramatma…
We devotedly establish Paramatma in our hearts, which inspires our intellect to follow the righteous path.
Our devotion and surrender become the cause and means of attaining Self-knowledge by freeing our consciousness from worldly bondage.
Through devotion, we make Paramatma the center of our feelings and remain engrossed in chanting, remembrance, worship, and kirtan.
This leads to the realization of Paramatma.
That is, the Self merges into supreme purity, which is inseparable from Paramatma.
This is called Bhagavat realization, where the devotee and Paramatma are no longer separate.
The devotee dissolves into Paramatma, and only Paramatma remains, which is the ultimate reality.
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