The term ‘self-knowledge’ has been in use for several hundred years or perhaps even longer. Many people from around the world have spoken about it. But I would request you, the readers, to avoid getting influenced by the views of others and forming any conclusions. That would prevent you from looking clearly at what is written here and impede your understanding of this book. However, I am not suggesting that you should dismiss what others say. Neither am I saying that they are wrong nor am I proposing that you should accept whatever is written in this book as the ultimate truth. I am merely encouraging you to doubt, question, investigate and look at whatever is written here with a certain dose of scepticism. I also urge you to look at various issues that are discussed here from different angles for better understanding and find out what is true and what is false. You will find that, within the content of this book, I have doubted and questioned various things that we have consciously, unconsciously or blindly accepted in society. I have also looked at the various psychological issues that humanity is facing.

Self-knowledge is the knowledge of the self. Therefore, it is important to know what the term ‘self ’ implies. ‘Self ’ or ‘me’ is one’s accumulated knowledge, beliefs, ideologies and philosophies. It is our desire to be great or be nobody. It also includes our various fears and numerous psychological pains, conscious as well as unconscious. Self is also the unnecessary greed to accumulate various things without the biological need for them but for the sake of achieving pride and fame, which means seeking pleasure. It is all in our brain. These pursuits keep us unnecessarily occupied in our lives and prevent us from living life to the fullest extent possible. Having self-knowledge is to be naturally aware of the process of ourselves, which includes all our thoughts, feelings, words and actions, without making any obvious effort to know them. Also, ‘self ’ or ‘me’ creates a particular personality, which becomes our ego (this is discussed in detail in Chapter 2 on natural pride, personality or ego and humility).

Now, if one watches these pursuits and fears, then he or she will find out that these are not static but are continuously undergoing changes. This means the self is not static but is a living thing and is constantly undergoing changes. Self-knowledge means the ability to investigate into the whole nature of ‘myself,’ which is ‘my’ consciousness: i.e the conscious and unconscious self. Self-knowledge gives the understanding of ourselves both at the conscious level as well as the unconscious level, and thus brings freedom from various psychological problems.

Acquiring Self-Knowledge

Now, another question that comes to mind is this: how does one acquire this self-knowledge? Is it to be acquired with the help of a guru or a psychoanalyst? In observing the self, the mind must not be tied to any particular method or system because method means knowledge. As knowledge is always limited, observation from that particular viewpoint will also be limited. This prevents complete understanding. As there is no method required, there is no need for a brain specialist or guru. For understanding the living self, the mind must be passively alert and not aggressively alert, to catch all the new intimations from time to time, understand them, and free itself from them.

To know ourselves, we should stay with ‘what is.’ This means staying with our desires, hurts, fears and any other psychological problems. When you stay with ‘what is,’ there is understanding of ‘what is.’ This understanding gives freedom from ‘what is.’ In this understanding and freedom, there comes order psychologically, which is the order of the brain. Then the brain is without any conflict. When there is freedom from the self and there is no conflict in the brain, then there is right thinking and right action, which is not static or according to a blueprint. It is very much a living thing.