To explain the true meaning of ‘Know Thyself’, the Upanishads portray a story of a young boy being taught the mystical mysteries of the Self.
This boy having witnessed his father’s traditional observance of Hindu customs, inquires whether it is possible to survive death, and if so, by which means. He is told in a profound dialogue that ensued, “The Self lies beyond the senses and can only be understood by him who knows it, and those who realize the Self are forever free from the jaws of death. This doubt haunted even the Gods of old, for the secret of death is hard to know. Those hypnotized by the world of sense, I am my body; when my body dies, I die’ fall life after life, and the key to surviving death is transferring one’s identity from the bodily senses to the Self, and those who will know the Self will become the Self.
This should be Man’s ultimate goal in life.” In the 20th century, George Gurdjieff, an influential spiritual teacher in Europe, outlined that there were different states of consciousness for man, and under normal conditions man was more like a sleeping machine. In this state of self-ignorance he was enslaved to his indulgences, fears and insecurities, which have full control over him, because he does not know himself. The first and foremost reason for man’s inner slavery was his ignorance of himself. Without self-knowledge, man cannot be free, he cannot take charge of himself and will always remain a slave. That is why in all ancient teachings, ‘Know Thyself’ is the first step at the conception of the path to liberation. He clearly emphasized that ‘Awakening’ was possible only for those who seek it and want it, and are ready to struggle and work on themselves persistently in order to attain it. Only one must know how to learn, as knowledge can only be acquired by a suitable and complete study, no matter what the starting point is. To know thyself, you must begin with the study of your Self.
Have you ever thought, why does the vast disparity between the rich and poor, successful and unsuccessful, healthy and unhealthy, keeps growing? Why only a handful of people and a small percentage of businesses are really successful in the long run? The reason is quite obvious.
It’s only a handful who take the plunge to detach the soul from the body and get acquainted with their true Self-the innermost core that houses the greatest treasure and creative powers of the Universe. This is a task available to all, to discover and unleash our true potential, but pursued only by a few, as the majority believe that it is futile to waste time on such a useless expedition of knowing your Self. They feel, what’s there to know after all? One day death will arrive, so why not make hay while the sun still shines.
A great many years ago, there lived a beggar named Smiley in a small town in the south of India.
He was a sweet natured man, slightly physically challenged from birth, and always had a smile on his face. Most of the town dwellers knew him well as he sat next to a famous holy temple from early morning to late evening. He knew the majority of them by their first names and always had some words of cheer and inspiration to share whenever they stopped by to give him alms. He had a unique way of conversing and blessing people, accompanied with an amazing heart-warming smile.
Finally, a day came when his time on Earth was up. As he lay there taking his last few breaths on the spot where he had spent over 50 years of his life, he disclosed his heart’s desire. It was his wish that he should be buried right there.
Arrangements were made for burial the following day in accordance to his wish. As a number of townsmen gathered to give Smiley a final farewell, two laborers began digging the ground. Having dug about six feet, their tools hit a metal obstruction, which made them dig deeper and wider.
Eventually, they came across a huge golden container. The crowd was simply awe-struck and amazed with what they saw, and curiosity took the better part of them as to what may be inside.
The Head-priest of the temple was invited to come open it, and as he lifted the lid, there lay a grand treasure of gold and ruby ornaments worth millions. People stood there spellbound and mesmerized, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief. No one could believe that a grand treasure worth millions was right under the place where the poor beggar had sat all his life, begging for alms to have his daily bread. If he knew what was below him, all he had to do was to dig about ten feet and get hold of this wealth, and then live like a King for the rest of his life. The question is, had he known? If he did, would he have made the effort to dig or live at the mercy of alms donated by people to ensure his survival?
This story is of course a fable, but it points toward the hidden treasure lying within each of us. A treasure that cannot be measured by any amount of wealth, as it’s priceless. If you can dig within and get hold of it, you too can live like a King for the rest of your life. This is what ‘Know Thyself’ is all about-to find out who you are and the powers contained in your Spirit. Since millennia, people of un-questionable authority, be it, spiritual, philosophers, authors, inventors or successful businessmen, have all shared one common belief— to know your Self is the greatest and most important expedition in life. Scriptures of every world religion also confirm the same reality. So then, why does the majority of humankind not understand this simple truth?
A truth that would lead to a new world, a new order, where everyone would find success and there would be no poverty, homeless people, or needless wars and terrorism.
It is highlighted in several scriptures and modern books of knowledge that if we look carefully and observe Nature, we can find the truth about our real personality. To make such an observation, we need to look no further than into the life of a tiny little spider. There are two important elements that we shall focus upon, and the first one deals with how a spider builds a web to live and catch his prey-a web that is so artistic yet technical.
To make a web the spider releases silk from its spinnerets and jumps from one end to the other, leaving a long horizontal thread connecting both sides. Then, it jumps to a third end releasing silk in the process, and eventually goes back to the original starting point. This process produces two radials which are connected to make a strong Y-shaped center. More radials are added, while ensuring that the distance between each is small enough to cross. The spider will use its own body for measurements, and after the radials are complete, fortify the center of the web with five or six circular threads.
The spaces between each radial are directly proportional to the distance from the tip of the spider’s back legs to its spinners. After the web is complete, it chews off the initial three center threads to make room to sit and wait for the prey.
It is quite possible you may have never looked at a spider’s web to know how artistically it is made and the unique technical aspects behind it. Have a good look at the photograph on the adjoining page and try to determine what kind of superior intelligence a minute creature is equipped with to build such a masterpiece. If a spider has such an amazing intelligence, what about you? It is said, Man was created as the most supreme being who by the virtue of his intelligence would control the planet and his dominance would prevail on all the other species. Perhaps, you’ve never viewed yourself in that light, never thought about the supernatural intelligence you are equipped with or the wondrous hidden powers of creation that are an integral part of your being. To ‘Know Thyself’ in simple terms is to know Who you are, the powers you possess and your unlimited capabilities.
