Introspection

One should raise the self by the self; one should not let the self fall. The self alone is the self's friend; the self alone is the self's enemy.

Arjuna said: O Achyuta, place my chariot between the two armies.

The Self-existent pierced the openings of the senses outward; therefore one looks outward, not at the inner Self. Some rare wise one, seeking immortality, turns the gaze inward and sees the inner Self.

'Just as a bird tied by a string flies in every direction and, finding no resting place elsewhere, settles down upon its very tether, even so, dear boy, the mind flies in every direction and, finding no resting place elsewhere, settles down upon the breath; for the mind, dear boy, is tethered to the breath.'

What is this Ātman that we seek to understand? Which of these is the Ātman — by which one sees, by which one hears, by which one smells fragrances, by which one articulates speech, by which one discerns the pleasant and the unpleasant?

In front of Bhishma, Drona, and all the kings of the earth, he said: O Partha, behold these Kurus assembled here.

So that I may look upon those who stand here thirsting for battle, and see with whom I must fight in this great undertaking of war.

Yogic practices alone are not enough; purification of the heart is essential. Self-reflection is necessary to eliminate faults and bad habits. Correct your flaws, such as selfishness, pride, jealousy, and hatred. Cultivate your heart by sharing with others and engaging in selfless service, which will lead to a pure mind.

"When a man reflects, then he understands; without reflecting one does not understand. Only by reflecting does one understand. But one must seek to understand reflection." "Venerable sir, I seek to understand reflection."

I wish to see those who have come here ready to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhritarashtra in this battle.

He reflected: 'How could all this exist without me?' He contemplated: 'By which opening shall I enter?' He thought: whatever is spoken by speech, breathed by prāṇa, seen by eye, heard by ear, touched by skin, thought by mind, drawn in by apāna, released by the generative organ — in all of that, 'who am I?'

The Person reflected: When I depart, what departs? When I am established, what is established?

Not to be aware of one's own shortcomings is the greatest human shortcoming. To see one's own fault is the sign of modesty.

A proud person never sees his own fault, never admits his own fault. The proud one cannot even accept that he is bad, and not seeing one's own faults is the very root of all faults. To see one's own faults is the mark of humility, the sign of meekness.

The vastness or omnipresence of the Almighty broadens our view point also. Then, instead of pointing out the shortcoming of others, we try to improve ourselves. Religion inspires for self improvement. When we improve ourselves, the entire world improves for us.

Those seeking to satisfy their desires and experience pleasure will instead find spiritual dryness and distraction, as true fulfillment can only be found through introspection.

However, this criticism holds little value because the mystic's goal is self-awareness and knowledge of God, which can only be achieved through introspection, not through external observation.

The initial effect was the liberation of life and mind from matter, and the final effect was to assist the emergence of spiritual consciousness, will, and sense of existence, allowing the being to look within and discover their inner self, surpassing earthly limitations.

Although we can gain knowledge about our inner self through penetration and introspection, true self-awareness can only be achieved by moving beyond the superficial mind and living from a deeper, inner level of being, and by rising to a higher level of consciousness than our ordinary waking state.

As a result, a planned self-deception is added to a deliberate self-ignorance. The only way to overcome this confusion is to look within and understand the roots of these issues.