By GS Tripathi

The Bhagvad Gita says that those who do not have self-knowledge are ever in doubt. Doubt, if not cleared, leads to sansayatma vinashyati, self-destruction. Self-knowledge is knowledge that you create for yourself, through an independent approach. Self-consistency means several repetitive steps, until you get almost the same result as a solution to a problem.

There are different ways to create self-awareness. It cannot be created independently; that is, it is not independent of the external knowledge. Yes, external observations ultimately lead to self-knowledge. Once you have this knowledge, you cannot store it in you forever. You need to share it with the outside world for testing and consolidation. Only when the outer world confirms through reason and experiment do you become a wayfinder, the enlightened one.

Gautam Buddha followed this example. From birth he proved to be introverted. However, he was restless until he observed the outer world and disturbing but inevitable events of suffering, misery and cessation in death. He decided to abandon worldly pleasures, continued meditation and attained self-knowledge. He realized the absolute truth. His words came from his own realization of the truth. There was tremendous acceptance of this truth, and he became the Enlightened One, the Buddha. Self-knowledge is thus only relevant when the external world accepts it. Even after hundreds of years, his message to humanity is followed by a large number of people and respected by all.

On the other hand, MK Gandhi gained self-awareness when he fought for the abolition of inequality and discrimination prevalent in the society. His approach was based on adherence to truthfulness, non-violence and zero tolerance for pressure and threats. It was not an easy road. His experiments with truth became a formidable weapon against a powerful colonial power.

Self-consistency is a common word in science, especially when searching for solutions to problems in theoretical physics and chemistry. It is also understood in the fields of quantum chemistry and computational physics. In this approach, a problem is dealt with in terms of a mathematical equation. Then one tries to solve this equation using empirical methods or independent methods. Because problems are often complex, researchers resort to approximations and prove their closeness to reality by iterating solutions until convergence.

Empirical methods are dependent on external parameters, while independent methods lead to solutions that are gradually built in by the process itself.

Now the question comes to mind if solutions to problems in life can be studied through independence. It could be possible by cultivating self-awareness. Scriptures and philosophers suggest ways. The realization of self-knowledge is also a gradual process that goes through mistakes and corrections. Repeated applications of this process can lead to reality. When we master the process, we become confident and no goal in life seems formidable.
The Gita says that there is nothing purer than knowledge. Those who persevere in the cultivation of knowledge find it ultimately self-knowledge. Once achieved, our perception of reality becomes meaningful to both the self and society.

The author is Adjunct Professor of Physics, Berhampur University

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