Disciplined Path to Self-Knowledge: Eastern Wisdom for Life’s Final Chapters
Girish Jha, Coach and Guide, Eastern Wisdom . Blog for Silent-Generation
The Quest for Enduring Truth
Those of us who endured the Great Depression in the Second World War know something about resilience and the steady dedication required to overcome life’s greatest challenges. Yet even after a lifetime of achievement and perseverance, the majority find themselves confronting a profound question: “Who am I beyond the roles I have fulfilled in professional and family life and the struggles I have endured?”
This question transcends cultures and generations, and the ancient traditions of Eastern wisdom have developed systematic approaches to answering it with clarity and precision. The teachings presented here echo those found in venerable texts such as the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the works of great masters who have illuminated the path to self-knowledge for millennia.
The Science of Self-Discovery: Understanding Viveka (Discernment)
At the heart of Eastern wisdom lies a fundamental principle known as “Viveka” — the disciplined practice of discernment between the self and non-self, the real and the unreal, the permanent and the impermanent. This practice is not unlike the clarity of purpose you demonstrated when facing wartime rationing or rebuilding communities after hardship.
“The real self is only one reality that is of the nature of peace and happiness, love, truth, and wisdom,” says Eastern Wisdom. In contrast, that which changes and fluctuates — our bodies, emotions, thoughts, and social roles — belongs to the realm of the non-self. The systematic discernment between these two domains constitutes the heart of Eastern Wisdom self-inquiry.
The Structure of Reality: Three Fundamental Elements for Understanding.
To understand this path of self-discovery, we must first comprehend three foundational concepts that form the basis of Eastern metaphysics:
Consciousness (चित्) — The unchanging awareness that persists through all states of experience: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. This pure consciousness is equated with our real self.
Prakriti (प्रकृति) — The primordial source code of creation, from which all manifest phenomena arise. “Prakriti serves as the source code of creation… It’s a primordial model that manifests everything in existence.”
The Three Gunas (त्रिगुण) — The three fundamental qualities that govern all phenomena:
- Sattva (सत्त्व) — Knowledge, clarity, harmony
- Rajas (रजस्) — Activity, dynamism, change
- Tamas (तमस्) — Inertia, resistance, stability
The Systematic Analysis of Experience
The Eastern approach teaches us to analyze our experience with methodical precision. Consider how your generation-built systems and institutions that endure to this day — this same disciplined approach is required for self-knowledge.
The Three Levels of Being
The teaching delineates three fundamental levels of being:
- Ishvara (ईश्वर) — “Consciousness reflected in Sattva Guna,” representing the principle of supreme knowledge and inner controller. “Consciousness reflected in the Satya guna inner controller. No change. It is settled in Absolute knowledge completely. No ignorance at all.”
- Jiva (जीव) — “Consciousness reflected in Rajo guna and Tamoguna,” representing the individual being like we all. We spend most of our lives identifying with this level, constantly shifting between activity and inertia.
- Jagat (जगत्) — “Consciousness reflected in Tamoguna,” constituting the material world. This is the physical universe we perceive with our senses.
The Problem of Superimposition
Why do we fail to recognize our true nature as pure consciousness? Through the principle of “superimposition” (अध्यास) — the fundamental error of projecting qualities of the non-self onto the self.
“Superimposition. It has two challenges. It veils what I truly am. And then it projects what is not there.”
This is analogous to mistaking a rope for a snake in dim light. First, the real nature of the rope is veiled; second, the qualities of a snake are projected onto it. Similarly, our true nature as consciousness is veiled, and we project onto ourselves the limited qualities of body, mind, and social roles.
Practical Application: Disciplined Self-Inquiry for Daily Life
How might one apply these profound teachings in the final chapters of life? The systematic approach of Eastern wisdom offers clear guidance:
Structured Self-Observation
Begin with a disciplined practice of self-observation. Find 30 minutes every day only for youself to follow the path of Eastern Wisdom and systematically observe the contents of your experience:
- Observe the physical sensations in your body.
- Notice the emotions that arise and pass!
- Watch the thoughts that come and go.
- Become aware of the consciousness that observes all this.
Ask yourself: “Who is aware of these changing phenomena?” This observer — distinct from what is observed — points toward your true nature.
Systematic Analysis of the Three States
Following the tradition outlined in the Mandukya Upanishad, examine your experience across the three states of consciousness:
- Waking State — Note that consciousness is present as the knower of all waking experiences.
- Dream State — Observe that the same consciousness knows the dream world.
- Deep Sleep — Recognize that consciousness persists even in the absence of objects, as evidenced by the knowledge upon waking that one slept well.
“The consciousness is present in all three states… in the waking state… in the dream state… also in the sleep state.”
Disciplined Practice of Discrimination
Throughout your day, practice discernment between the changing and the unchanging:
- When experiencing physical discomfort, ask: “Am I this discomfort, or am I awareness of it?”
- When powerful emotions arise, then inquire: “Am I these emotions, or am I that which knows them?”
- When facing challenging circumstances, reflect: “Do these circumstances change the knower, or only what is known?”
An Exemplar of Self-Knowledge
Consider the example of Colonel James Henderson (a composite character), who served with distinction in World War II and later built a successful manufacturing business. After retirement at age 75, he found himself struggling with his identity. Who was he without his military rank and business responsibilities?
Colonel Henderson began studying Eastern philosophy with the same discipline he had applied to military service and business leadership. Each morning, he devoted one hour to systematic self-inquiry, methodically working through the principles outlined above.
After two years of disciplined practice, he experienced a profound shift in perspective. During a family gathering, while watching his great-grandchildren play, he suddenly recognized with crystal clarity that he was neither his aging body nor his accomplished past, but the unchanging awareness that had witnessed his entire life story.
This recognition did not diminish his appreciation for his life’s work or his family. Rather, it placed these precious aspects of life in their proper context. As he later explained to a close friend, “I’ve discovered that I am not what changes. I am that in which all changes occur—the unchanging field of awareness itself.”
A Question for Contemplation
Having lived through profound historical changes and personal transformations, what in your experience has remained truly constant? Beyond your changing body, roles, relationships, and circumstances, what unchanging principle has witnessed your entire life journey?
The Enduring Wisdom
The teachings of Eastern wisdom remind us that beyond all our accomplishments, struggles, and identities lies our true nature as pure consciousness—unchanging, ever-present, and fundamentally free.
“Our real self is of the nature of peace, happiness, love, truth, and wisdom.” This is not merely a philosophical concept but a living reality that can be directly recognized through disciplined self-inquiry.
The Silent Generation has demonstrated remarkable discipline, perseverance, and commitment to duty throughout historical challenges. These same qualities, directed inward toward the systematic discovery of your true nature, can lead to the most significant realization of all—the recognition of who you truly are beyond all change and circumstance.
In the words of the Katha Upanishad (2.3.17): “That which is never born and never dies, that which is neither cause nor effect, that which is unchanging in the midst of the changing—That thou art.”
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