Self-knowledge is the central subject matter of our scriptures, the Vedas. The Vedas are broadly divided into two parts. The initial portion deals with Dharma Śāstra—guidelines on how to live our lives in harmony with the world. The final portion, known as Vedānta, presents spiritual teachings primarily in the form of the Upaniṣads.

There are several Upaniṣads, most of them structured as dialogues between a teacher and a student. The Upaniṣadic students discerned the fundamental problem of humanity. This problem is martyatvam—mortality, or being subject to the principle of time. Because of time, everything is constantly changing. These changes bring both favorable and unfavorable conditions, and unfortunately, their nature is unpredictable and unknown. As a result, life often feels as though it is moving in darkness. We feel that we are not fully in control of ourselves or our future, which creates a constant sense of vulnerability. Anxiety and stress regarding the future of ourselves, our friends, and our family naturally follow. All these are consequences of change.

In the first part of life, we experience stress and anxiety. As life progresses, old age arrives along with various diseases, ultimately leading to death. These are the most explicit expressions of mortality. Over time, stress and anxiety intensify into fear and panic. Stress, anxiety, and fear are universal problems, all rooted in mortality. Another word for this condition is saṁsāra. Although we live with this problem daily, we rarely attempt to solve it. The students of the Upaniṣads recognized this problem clearly and sought a remedy.

The remedy discovered by the Upaniṣads is the recognition of the opposite of mortality—immortality. This immortal principle is called Ātma, and the knowledge of this truth is known as Ātma-vidyā. Ātma-vidyā enables us to face mortality without stress, fear, or panic. Many Upaniṣadic teachings are presented through dialogues between a teacher and a student to communicate this knowledge.

In the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, there is a dialogue between Yājñavalkya and Maitreyi. Yājñavalkya informs Maitreyi of his decision to take sannyāsa and renounces all his material possessions. He asks his wife Maitreyi to share it with his other wife. Maitreyi, however, asks whether wealth can give immortality. Upon learning that it cannot, she chooses knowledge over possessions and asks for Ātma-vidyā.

In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, Naciketā seeks this same knowledge from Yama Dharma Rāja. Yama tests Naciketā by offering wealth, pleasure, and even a kingdom. Naciketā rejects all these, recognizing that none of them can solve the problem of saṁsāra. Pleased with his discernment, Yama teaches him Ātma-vidyā.

Śāstra explains that we have both changing and unchanging aspects in our personality. Our personality is divided into four layers:

These three layers are subject to arrival and departure. At the time of death, we shed the outer layer. At the time of pralaya, the total dissolution, even the subtle and causal layers resolve.

Behind these changing layers lies the core, the Ātma. The three changing layers are called anātma, while Ātma is immortal and unchanging. Ātma is our true and higher nature. Through spiritual pursuit, we discover this truth and remain anchored in it. One who is firmly established in this knowledge is called a mukta puruṣa.

If I am anchored in immortality, I am no longer disturbed by change. Degeneration, disease, and death—the three “D’s”—belong only to the anātma. When we accept the mortality of the anātma while remaining established in the Ātma, the problem of saṁsāra is resolved. This freedom is called mokṣa, and it is open to everyone, not only to the elderly.

Let self-knowledge (Ātma-vidyā) be our primary goal and New Year resolution for 2026.

Taking decisions is an important exercise which a human being should do all the time.  Our very future depends on the types of decisions we make in our early years.  Even fatalists should make a decision because the fate does not indicate the future before it happens.  After the event, we can attribute it to free will or fate, but before that we have to make a decision.  This makes us wonder whether this faculty of making decisions is good or bad. 

Decision making is not easy because there are many obstacles:

1. Wavering mind: Wavering mind makes serious decisions difficult.  It also makes one change the decisions often.  Lord Krishna criticizes people with wavering mind.  Such people will have difficulty in making great achievements.
2. Doubts:  When there are so many options, we are not sure which one to choose.  All options have advantages and disadvantages.  Doubting person avoids impulsive decisions, but he is also indecisive.  Even wrong decisions are often better than indefinite indecision.  Doubting people also will have difficulty in making great achievements.
3. Fear:  Fear to make a decision, because the mind always sees one risk or another.  Risk-free decisions do not exist.  Our choices are between wild risk and calculated risk.  There are people who discourage the decisions we make.  If our decisions happen to fail, they are prompt to point out the failure. 

In Bagawad Gita, Lord Krishna gives some important guidance to Arjuna, and by extension, to humanity.  Lord Krishna gave these guidelines for moksha or liberation, however, these guidelines are also useful to us, here and now, whatever our goals in life are.  Four important factors given by Lord Krishna are:

1. Self-confidence:  Never look down upon yourself; never have low self-image.  Never have an inferiority complex.  Lord has given us the powers to make decisions on time:
   1. Jñāna sakthi:  Power to know the goals and the means to achieve that),
   1. Icha sakthi: Choosing power, which culminates in making a decision) and

   1. kriya sakthi Power to do things.

Our scriptures have given various meditation processes to cultivate and use these powers.  Build up self-confidence every day.  When you have self-confidence, you become your own friend. 

• Self-integration: We have many layers of personality – physical personality, sensory personality, emotional personality, intellectual personality.  All these personalities must be healthy and perform in a coordinated form.  Katha upanishad provides the example of a horse drawn chariot:
  • The body is compared to a chariot,
  • The horses are compared to the sense organs.
  • The mind is compared to the reins directing the sense organs.  The mind must be calm and equanimous all the time – when I am doing an action and when I am getting the result.   

  • Intellect is compared to the charioteer or the driver.  The driver must know the destination and the route.

Every organ must be healthy, and they must work in coordination with each other.  When you are working on a goal, first fix the goal then fix the means.  After this focus on the means and not on the goals.  Because our attention is required for the means and not for the goal.  Goal should be in the subconscious mind, but not at the forefront of our mind and action.

The result may be a success or failure because of many other factors including our karma from previous jenma.  Don’t lose equanimity either in success or failure.  Don’t react to the results, because a reacting mind can’t learn from success and failure.  Spiritual success is nourished by all experiences including unpleasant experiences.  Non reacting mind is learning mind.  Look upon failure as a brief pause for more refinement and the continuation of effort until the goal is reached.  Failure of current jenma will become prodigy of next jenma – we will get back our remembrance in next life.  Success is definite in one jenma or another.

• Self-surrender: Faith in God, devotion to go and surrender to God.  Surrender to God is required for humility.  It is difficult to differentiate between arrogance and confidence.  One of the best methods to handle arrogance is to surrender to God.  You don’t even need to go to the temple, because the lord is in our heart.  Close your eyes and surrender to the power within you and charge your mind.  The most powerful obstacle to success is fear of failure.  Surrendering to God will remove the fear and give courage to start the journey. 
• Self-effort: The first three factors are launching pad; self-effort completes the task.  Many stories of purana illustrate the importance of self-effort. 

Please click on the link below to listen to Swamiji’s Talk for 2020 Sivaratri:

Relationship between bakti and jananam

Please listen to Swamiji’s Special talk for 2020 at this link: Hinduism and Family Life

On July 16, 2019, Swami Paramarthananda gave a Gurupurnima talk regarding jivan mukthi. You can listen to this talk (approximately 50 minutes long) at this link:

Gurupurnima Talk 2019

On the occasion of Sivaratri, Swamiji gave a specal talk on March 3, 2019. The topic of the talk is Purpose of Meditation. You can listen to this talk at the following link:

Swamiji gave a special talk on the occasion of Guru Purnima on July 27, 2018.  The subject of the talk was A Gyani’s Relationship with God.  Please click on the link below to listen to the talk;

2018 Guru Purnima Talk

Swami Paramarthananda gave a special talk on February 13, 2018 for Shivarathri.  The topic of the message was two types of bakthi.  Please listen to Swamiji’s message at this link:

2018 Shivarathri Message

Namathe:

Swamiji has given a special talk for the New Year and the subject of the talk is Glory of Sanatana Dharma.  Please listen to this talk by clicking below:

New Year 2018 Special Talk

Swamiji’s gave a special talk on the new years day and the topic for this year was “Power of Prayer”.  Please click on the link below to listen to this special class:

Swamiji Talk on Power of Prayer