self-exploration

Self exploration is the process to find out what is valuable to me by investigating within myself, what is right for me, true for me, has to be judged within myself. Through self exploration we get the value of ourselves. The process of self exploration is a follows:

First of all we have to keep in mind that,

Whatever is being presented is a PROPOSAL.

Don’t assume it to be true immediately, nor reject it without proper exploration.

Verify it in your own right, on the basis of it being naturally acceptable to you,

Not just on the basis of scriptures

Not on the basis of equipment/instrument data

Not on the basis of the assertion by other human beings.

Therefore, it is essential to carefully ponder over these on your own right. Neither accepts these as true immediately nor rejects them prematurely without proper exploration.

Don’t just accept / reject these only on the basis of the following:

Because something like this/ different from this, has been mentioned in scriptures,

Or, because it has been preached/ denied by some great men,

Or, a large number of people posses such a view / a different view,

Or it is claimed to have been verified through some physical instrument or, claimed that this is beyond the domain of verifiability by physical instruments.

Then what to do

Verify on the basis of your natural acceptance

Live accordingly to validate it experientially

If the proposal is true in behaviour with human leads to mutual happiness

If the proposal is true in work with rest of the nature leads to mutual prosperity

Remember, it is a process of self- exploration, therefore, it has to be authenticated by us alone by means of verification at the level of natural acceptance and experiential validation. The process is shown in the diagram below:

- It is a proposal

· Don’t assume it to be true

· Verify it in your own right

o Not on the basis of scriptures

o Not on the basis of readings from instrument

o Not on the basis of others

- Self verification

Process of Self Exploration

Verify on the basis of our natural acceptance

Proposal

Live according to

behaviour with work with rest of the

human leads to nature leads to

mutual happiness mutual prosperity

But this process is not complete. It will be completed when on verification on the basis of natural acceptance and testing in our living ultimately results in ‘realization’ and ‘understanding’ in us.

Verify on the basis of your natural acceptance

Live accordingly to validate it experientially

o If the proposal is true in behaviour with human leads to mutual happiness

o If the proposal is true in work with rest of the nature leads to mutual prosperity

Results in realization and understanding

On having realization and understanding we get

o Satisfaction

o Universality (Applies to all time, space and individual)

				Process of Self Exploration
	- It is a proposal			Process of Self Exploration
	- It is a proposal
	· Don’t assume it to be true
	· Verify it in your own right
	o Not on the basis of scriptures
	o Not on the basis of readings from
	Instrument
	o Not on the basis of others
	- Self verification

		Proposal		Live according to
Verify on the basis of			behaviour with		work with rest of the
our natural acceptance		Result in	human leads to		nature leads to
		Realization	mutual happiness		mutual prosperity
		and Understanding			Assurance
				Test	Satisfaction
					Universally
Keep asking again and again:
What is my natural acceptance?				Time	Space Individual

Take for example: a proposal- ‘respect’ is a value in human relation. When I verify at the level of natural acceptance, I find that it is naturally acceptable to me. Similarly, when I behave with respect, it is mutually fulfilling to me and to the other.

Thus the proposal is ‘True’. If it fails on any of the two tests, it is untrue.

This verification leads to realization of the truthfulness of the proposal and it becomes part and parcel of my understanding. It is reflected in my thoughts and in my behaviour.

Ilustrate the purpose of self exploration-

1. It is a process of dialogue between “what you are” and “what you really want to be”: It is a process of focusing attention on ourselves, our present beliefs and aspirations vis-à-vis what we really want to be (that is to say, what is naturally acceptable to us). If these two are the same, then there is no problem. If on investigation we find that these two are not the same, then it means we are living with this contradiction (of not being what we really want to be) and hence, we need to resolve this contradiction this conflict within us.

It is a process of discovering that there is something innate, invariant and universal in all human beings. This enables us to look at our confusions and contradictions within and resolve them by becoming aware of our natural acceptance.

2. It is a process of self evolution through self investigation: It successively enables us to evolve by bridging the gap between ‘what we are’ and ‘what to be’. Hence, the self exploration leads to our own improvement, our self evolution – we will become qualitatively better.

3. It is a process of knowing oneself and through that, knowing the entire existence: The exploration starts by asking simple questions about ourselves, which gives our clarity about our being, and then clarity about everything around us.

4. It is a process of recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in existence and fulfilling it: It is a process of becoming aware about our right relationship with other entities in existence and through that discovering the interconnectedness, co-existence and other in the entire existence, and living accordingly.

5. It is a process of knowing human conduct, human character and living accordingly: It is a process of discovering the definitiveness of human conduct and human character and enabling one to be definite in thought, behaviour and work.

6. It is a process of being in harmony in oneself and in harmony with entire existence: This process of self exploration helps us to be in harmony with ourselves and with everything around.

7. It is a process of identifying our innateness and moving towards self organization and self expression: This process of self exploration helps us to identify our swatvaand through that acquiring swantantrata and swarajya.

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Swatva: Innateness of self – the natural acceptance of harmony

Swatantrata: Being self- organized – being in harmony with oneself

Swarajya: Self-expression, self- extension – living in harmony with others