Seeking...Knowledge...Ego...and Wisdom...Part - 2

The word knowledge consists of the fundamental word "KNOW". It's but natural to ask - KNOW WHAT? To my mind comes this universal answer - KNOW THAT WHICH IS TO BE KNOWN. WHAT IS IT THAT IS TO BE KNOWN? And, HOW DO I KNOW THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS TO BE KNOWN?

All the objective knowledge in the universe is relative, & a subject seeks this objective knowledge. Hence, the subject is the seeker. Because the subject seeks to know the object, objectivity by itself is rendered meaningless without the subject; for, it is the subject alone who is able to differentiate, deliberate, & debate upon the objects in relation to itself. Therefore, objects exist in relativity, & the subject actively seeks knowledge of objects. Now, what are these objects? Objects are essentially those which can be perceived by the senses independently or in a coordinated manner, sometimes using external means such as scientific instruments to gain deeper understanding of them. What is the nature of these objects? Science has taught us that objects in general are made up of atoms and molecules, which in turn are made up of sub-atomic particles. Science also teaches us about the physical properties, structure, chemical properties, etc., about objects, and even assigns some numerical values to these attributes. If objects are those external entities perceived by the senses, then the subject has to be the one who seeks knowledge of the objects thru’ senses and other faculties. Therefore, naturally, a person is the subject because he is the one who actively seeks objective knowledge. Indian philosophy says - at the center of everything in the universe (objects) is man, the subject. Whereas we have endeavored enough in making man's life pleasurable and comfortable by seeking objective knowledge and gainfully employing them to our advantage, enough efforts have not gone into understanding of the subject itself. Therefore, Indian philosophy says, and so have many great western philosophers like Aristotle and Socrates, "KNOW YOUR SELF". What does knowing oneself mean? It simply means I have to know WHO I AM. Therefore, knowing oneself begins with seeking answer to the most fundamental and profound question - WHO AM I? The profoundness of this question is such that, there is no objective answer at all to this question; for, the answer lies in the experience of the subject itself, which is one's own self. How am I to experience myself? The thought (of experiencing myself) itself drives me crazy. Should I ask questions like this to my neighbor’s lovely daughter, & she’ll think I’ve lost my mental balance and will most likely look for another boyfriend. Thankfully, the situation is not that bad. These questions and thoughts are true, valid, fair, natural, and profound. Therefore, they should be pursued relentlessly until we know the answers and take our thoughts to their logical ends. Having said that, I know I am the subject; I can feel, smell, think, see, hear, move my limbs, & am able to perform several tasks by applying my faculties…what not? What is the need to experience myself? In other words, am I not what I appear to be when I stand in front of a mirror? Better still, isn’t this thought of “experiencing oneself” illogical, perhaps even mad? Well, it is not so. The problem is, we are not what we think we are, or appear to be. All that was mentioned above are mere expressions of the subject. If these are mere expressions, then what exactly is the subject and what is its nature?

In order to understand the subject, we have to first and foremost define WHO THIS "I" IS, and in doing so we have to fix this “identity crisis” once and for all. We have to address the issue of “I” because when we think about the subject, the first thing that comes to our mind is “I”. Unfortunately, we do not know or realize who or what this “I” is and what it has got to do with the subject. At the macro level, it appears that the I in question is the person, the man. A little observation clearly shows us that the man is not a single entity at all; the man is in fact an INTEGRATED BEING. The man, who is in fact the subject, is an integration of the senses, limbs, the nervous system, the mind, & the intellect. If man is an integrated being, which is true, then who do we assign the "I"ness to? Is it the senses, the mind, the nervous system, the intellect, or all of these put together? The problem is that the “I” is none of these independently or collectively put together. It gets even more complicated when we realize that all the senses and other organs of the body & the nervous system are working independently of the person. That is, without the person’s active participation, all the various faculties of the person just do their work by themselves. To a large extent, the person merely reacts to the information sent by the various faculties.

Seeking...Knowledge...Ego...and Wisdom...Part - 1

Ever since man set foot on Earth, he has nourished an insatiable desire, an unquenchable thirst, for knowledge - of himself, his surroundings, objects around him, and an entire universe. Knowledge is primarily of 2 kinds according to the Indian philosophy, namely - Para Vidya (higher knowledge), & Apara Vidya (lower knowledge). Without getting into the technical details or the reasons behind such classification, to put it simply, Apara Vidya is the knowledge of worldly objects, & hence regarded lower in nature; Para Vidya is the knowledge of the Supreme Being or Self, gaining which, a person attains contentment, peace, & omniscience. Is it right to regard knowledge as higher or lower? Perhaps not. Knowledge in my opinion has to be regarded in totality. Para or Apara, both are important and necessary, & fulfill their own objectives. In my experience, relentless pursuit of excellence in seeking Apara Vidya eventually leads the seeker toward Para Vidya. Having said that, one reason why they could've been classified thus could be from the standpoint of "inner contentment", which is difficult to explain about. Whereas Apara Vidya is endless and there has perhaps been no one person in time who has ever been able to command knowledge of the entire gamut of Apara Vidya, it is not the case with Para Vidya. There have been many men who have experienced the true philosophical intent and essence of Para Vidya. Some of these men have gone on to command faiths, & there are many many men who have experienced It & just been. The fundamental question with which a seeker usually comes to seek Para Vidya is – WHAT IS IT, KNOWING WHICH, ALL THAT IS TO BE KNOWN IN THE UNIVERSE IS REALIZED?

In India, the importance given to knowledge is simply unparalleled. In fact, the Mother Goddess Saraswati represents the entire gamut of knowledge or Jnana. When we pray to Mother Saraswati, we seek her blessings, her guidance, in seeking the right knowledge & to eventually acquire that right knowledge. In my personal experience, Mother Saraswati represents both Para & Apara Vidya, & She steadily guides Her disciples toward seeking that knowledge which gives contentment & peace in life, which in my opinion is supreme in man's life. There are thousands of sayings in Sanskrit highlighting the importance of knowledge in man's life. One of the most widely known sayings goes something like this - Vidyaa viheenah pashubhih samaanaha. What this means is - a man without knowledge is equivalent to an animal. Well, in the 21st century, we are heralding the dawn of what is made out to be "knowledge economy". I am clueless why it has to be so only in this century, or so has been made out to be? Since times immemorial, in India, we have placed enormous importance on acquiring knowledge. In fact, in our Varnaashrama system, during the Brahmacharya stage, young boys used to spend 12 - 14 years under the aegis of learned Guru, learning skills to support themselves and their families' livelihood & parallely, they used to also seek that knowledge which would bless them with contentment and peace in life. During these 12 - 14 years, the Guru not only imparted knowledge of worldly affairs which enabled the young disciples to seek and earn wealth and other material gratification, but, he’d also have made the students clearly understand and to seek the supreme goal in life; this supreme goal the Guru taught his young disciples, is to attain contentment and peace in life. The Guru also used to teach the students the 4 Purushaarthas in the life of every man – DHARMA, ARTHA, KAAMA, & MOKSHA. By imparting the knowledge of the 4 Purushaarthas, the Guru used to mould characters of the young disciples. It is important to observe & appreciate that the latter 3 Purushaarthas are based on the strong foundation of DHARMA – RIGHTEOUSNESS. At a very broad level, DHARMA MEANS RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THOUGHT, SPEECH, & ACTION. DHARMA ALSO MEANS TRUTH; for, TRUTH ALONE IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. DHARMA IS ALSO USED TO MEAN DUTY; for, DOING ONE’S DUTY IS RIGHTEOUSNESS. The primary intent of the Gurukula system was "CHARACTER BUILDING" by imparting the knowledge of both Para and Apara Vidya. Essentially, the Gurukula system imparted that kind of education, which Swami Vivekananda very beautifully put in his words - We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one's own feet. In the present times, it is highly debatable how much importance we place upon character formation; for, in the 21st century, everything depends on 'economic cost'. Unfortunately, policy makers and educationists alike do not seem to realize that life of a human being is infinitely more precious than just the economic cost.

Coming back to the subject of this article, what is it so fundamental in man, in his mind, in his intellect, in his being, that makes him "seek"? I am not sure how convincing I can be about answering this question, but let me make an honest attempt here. Firstly, it is important to note that by nature, man has been inquisitive. This is so starkly evident from the simple fact that most children are so inquisitive that, quite often, we elders are left speechless about how and what to answer to the seemingly innocent, but profound questions. It is a matter of another subject altogether that during the course of education, we ruthlessly kill that inherent inquisitiveness in children.

Since times immemorial, man has been endeavoring to make his life more and more simple, easy, pleasurable, comfortable, & so on. In pursuit of making life easy, comfortable, etc., and in the course of this relentless, endless endeavor, perhaps were sown the first seeds of what I'd like to call - THE MOTIVATION TO SEEK. While seeking pleasure, comfort, etc., man began experimenting with how best he could gainfully employ objects around him to make his life simple & comfortable. In doing so, he began expanding the horizon of his inherent inquisitiveness. Therein man took the first steps toward the most exciting journey in his life - THE JOURNEY TO SEEK KNOWLEDGE. In the course of making his life simple & comfortable, man began seeking objective knowledge (Apara Vidya). The entire gamut of objective knowledge falls under Apara Vidya.

While discussing about objective knowledge, it is also important to consider the motivation behind seeking objective knowledge. Basically, senses are the means of acquiring objective knowledge. The fundamental premise of seeking objective knowledge is - here is the seeker who is a person, & then there are objects external to the person, about which the seeker has to acquire knowledge. Thus, in order to acquire knowledge of the external objects, the seeker has to direct his senses, mind, & other necessary faculties on the external object. Subsequently, he gathers information about the object, processes it internally in his mind using logic, reason, etc., and finally arrives at knowledge about the object based on the deductions made by applying his intelligence. Therefore, the means of acquiring objective knowledge is “outside – in”, that is, gather necessary information about the object from outside (the objective world), process that information internally (within the mind and intelligence of the seeker seeking objective knowledge), & make conclusions about the object sought, & hence acquire knowledge about the object.

Purpose of life...Dialogues between a Guru & Shishya - Part III...

That night, after the startling conclusion that Siddhartha arrived at, he slept peacefully. But, he was still restless; for, his intellectual thirst to seek answers to his questions weren't fully quenched. So, the next morning, as always, Siddhartha wakes up early in the morning. After offering his morning prayers to Mother Gayathri, he heads to meet his Guru. Even today, he finds his Guru in absolute calm, contentment, & peace. He wonders whether his Guru is truly in such absolute state or is it just his perception. So thinking, Siddhartha sits near his Guru waiting for him to open his eyes. When the Guru comes out of meditation, Siddhartha notices the infinite compassion that his Guru radiates. He also observes that his Guru does not have any questions in his mind; the kind that Siddhartha was seeking answers for. On the contrary, the Guru not only seemed to be without any questions, but also seemed to express "complete understanding" of all the answers to Siddhartha's questions. This was something strange to Siddhartha. He wondered,"how can my Guru be so confident about the total understanding of such an abstract thing like life"? So thinking, Siddhartha pays his respects to his Guru & sits beside him.

Guru: My child, did you have good sleep at night?

Siddhartha: Sir, I did have a relatively good sleep yesterday. But, there are still questions in my mind. Please be gracious in clearing these doubts that I have.

Guru: Yes, my child. I shall try answering your questions with whatever little understanding I have gained in my life thus far. Without any fear, ask your questions.

Siddhartha: Sir, yesterday you made me come to the conclusion that - THE SELF AS THE SUBJECT IS SEEKING ITSELF. But, my question is, if The Self is seeking Itself, where does that leave me?

Guru: You? Who are you Siddhartha? Is that not the question that we began our deliberations with?

Siddhartha: Yes sir. We indeed began our deliberations with that very fundamental question. And, you very rightly pointed out that there is nothing more to Siddhartha than a name. But, what about this body sir? This body, that has been named Siddhartha?

Guru: My dear child, be patient. Let the "understanding" dawn upon you slowly & steadily. Do not hurry. Let me answer your question about the body. When you say,"the body named Siddhartha", which body are you referring to? Is it the eyes, nose, limbs, heart, or any other organ? Which body are you referring to, Siddhartha?

Siddhartha: Sir, I am unable to make sense of what you are asking. Why would I be any of these organs independently of each other? Am I not the sum total of all these?

Guru: Listen my child, for argument's sake, let's take your point of view that you are the sum total of all these organs. Where does that leave the independent functioning of most organs irrespective of your awareness, liking, or disliking? What I mean is, what you call as you by referring to the body, is by & large working the way it should, irrespective of your wishes. Your stomach gets hungry when there is no food & sends signal that you have to feed; your eyes see objects & send signals about them to comprehend the object; your heart works untiringly from the moment you took birth in this body, till the time you depart the body; likewise it is with almost all the other parts. If these organs were to wait for your permission to do their work, the body called Siddhartha would be dead by now. It is only because they are functioning independent of your wishes or otherwise, you are able to seek answers to your questions. Having said that, should you choose to identify yourself with the body, you'll have to answer the question, which of the organs in the body is you? The reason you have to answer this question is because, what you call as the human body, is not actually one body. The human being is an INTEGRATED BEING. This human form along with the mind & the intellect constitutes what I call as the HUMAN INTEGRATED BEING. What value has this human form without "THAT" which gives it life? What gives life to the integrated human being is The Self. It is the same very Self that powers each of the organs to perform their work. This Self is also the BEING. Therefore, The Self & The Being are one & the same.

Siddhartha: Sir, in that case, The Self exists in other forms also. The Self is also a dog, a tiger, a donkey, a rock, everything.

Guru: My dear Siddhartha, not only does The Self exist in various forms as you said, but The Self also exists in non-forms. The Self exists in all forms, non-forms, & also beyond.

Siddhartha: Sir, if, as you said, everything is The Self, then, The Self should also have been "SELF AWARE". Why then does The Self seek Itself?
Guru: That is indeed a very profound question my dear child. As you very rightly pointed out, THE SELF IS INDEED SELF AWARE. But for your coming in the middle in the form of this "I"ness, The Self is aware of Itself. This "I"ness is like a temporary separation between a small water body & the ocean. The moment this temporary separation is removed, there is no more "I"ness. There is only The Self. To make it even more clear, suppose there is a empty clay pot. As you know, there is space within the empty clay pot & so also outside of it. Is the space inside the pot any different from that outside? No. This apparent difference is not because of the space, but because of the transcient existence of the pot. The moment the pot ceases to be, there is no more any duality. There is only one Self & It is universal.

Siddhartha: In that case, the pot also is nothing but the space. Only that the same universal space has been modified. That means, there is no such absolute existence of the pot; only space exists. The pot is a temporary form arising out of the universal space. Therefore, The Self exists in Its Universal Being; & the same Universal Being takes all the forms & non-forms. By Itself, The Self is not just the Being in all the forms & non-forms, but Is beyond everything.
Guru: Yes my dear Siddhartha. Your understanding is becoming clear.
Siddhartha: Sir, since it follows that The Self is transcendental, does it also not follow that IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO "UNDERSTAND OR COMPREHEND" THE SELF? For, The Self is nothing but The Being. And, Being, is an experience & cannot be a subject of intellectual debate. The "understanding" aspect exists because of the "I"ness.
Guru: (Silently observing Siddhartha's deductions, deeply smiles).
Siddhartha: Which means, the very existence of "I"ness is a hinderance to experiencing The Self.
Guru: Yes my dear. This "I"ness is the root cause of all the evil & hence, the most formidable opponent "TO BE". The moment this "I"ness vanishes, there is no more you or me. There is only The Self.

Siddhartha: Does that mean I do not exist?

Guru: No, my child. Most definitely, you exist. But, you do not exist in the way you think you exist. YOU EXIST AS EXISTENCE ITSELF & not in any form. Moreover, remember that even in all the forms, "EXISTENCE MANIFESTS ITSELF IN THAT FORM". The form, by itself, has no existence, unless existence manifests in that form.

Siddhartha: Sir, how then do I experience The Self?
Guru: My dear Siddhartha, too much knowledge is a hinderance to Being. Transcend the "I"ness & you shall experience The Self & Be.
Siddhartha: Please guide me on how to lose the sense of "I"ness, sir.
Guru: Seek, my dear Siddhartha, seek. You have to relentlessly seek The Self before you lose sense of this "I"ness & Be one with The Self, which you have always been.
Siddhartha (in tears): Please bless me my most revered Master. Only your grace can save me.
Guru: Do not grieve, Siddhartha. You shall attain to oneness. Let there not be any duality about that. Continue to seek, & you shall Be; for, THAT YOU ARE.

Purpose of life...Dialogues between a Guru & Shishya - Part II...

After the previous day's discourse with the Guru, Siddhartha woke up early in the morning & as is necessary in the Gurukula system, he completes all his morning ablutions & offers his prayers to Mother Gaayathri. Thereupon, he sets out to meet his Guru who was sitting in deep meditation under the banyan tree in the Aashrama. Siddhartha deeply observed his Guru & noticed that there was not an iota of any sign of discomfort, unhappiness, frustration, or anger on his face. He also observed that the Guru was totally at peace; and, peace radiated from his face like early morning sunrays falling on fresh dew drops on blades of grass in the garden. He also noticed that the Guru appeared to be one with meditation without any signs of duality. After some time, the Guru opened his eyes & found Siddhartha sitting in front of him observing him deeply. The Guru smiled silently & signaled Siddhartha to come & sit near him.
Guru: Siddhartha, my child, come and sit near me. Did you have a good sleep at night? For, you seem disturbed. What happened, my child?

Siddhartha: Sir, after yesterday's discourse, I was deeply inquiring upon the question "WHO AM I". But, I couldn't arrive at any definitive answer. The whole night I lay awake sitting on the banks of Ganga pondering over the question, but to no avail. Sir, please guide me to find answer to the question & to find peace.

Guru: I see that you are indeed disturbed. However, there is no need to be disturbed. For, irrespective of my guidance, you shall "discover your Self" only when the time is ripe. It is like a seed taking its own time to become a sapling, then a tree, & finally start bearing fruits. So, learn to be patient & at the same time, endeavor to seek WHAT YOU ARE. You shall definitely find your Self, for That is what you are. The Self cannot escape you, for, It is everywhere, in everything, & everything is in the Self. YOU ARE THE SELF Siddhartha; know this Truth & be free of all the other delusions clouding your mind. Knowing this Supreme Truth you shall know everything that is to be known. This Supreme Truth is what is sought by everyone, albeit they may not be "aware" of what it is that they are seeking. Knowing that you are The Self, you shall radiate peace, happiness, contentment, fulfillment, & completeness. It is like a man on the verge of death, wandering in a desert seeking water, finding it finally. Upon quenching the killing thirst, the fulfillment & happiness that he radiates is indescribable. The thirst for "Self knowledge" should be as strong as the thirst for water that the man wandering in the desert experiences. Quench your thirst with the sacred water of "Self knowledge" & attain to peace and happiness, my dear Siddhartha.

Siddhartha: Sir, although I see the power of conviction in your words, I still feel hollow. I am not fulfilled either intellectually or by experience of what you are saying. For instance, you say,"The Self cannot escape you, for, It is everywhere, in everything, & everything is in the Self"; and yet, I cannot see It, I cannot perceive It thru' my senses, or I cannot experience It. How then can I understand & know The Self, and be established in It as one with It? I pray to you sir, through your teachings, through the power of your grace and blessings, may all the ignorance clouding my mind be washed away just as Mother Ganga washes away all the sins through the holy dip. Bless me sir. You are everything to me. In your lotus feet I have taken refuge. Please clear my mind of all the duality; of all the disturbances; and may I be blessed with a clear & stable mind reflecting The Self in all Its splendor.

Guru (out of total compassion): My dearest Siddhartha, you are a very great soul. Only a highly evolved Being can ask & speak such powerful and mature words as you have spoken. You shall attain to peace, let there not be any doubt in your mind about that. Now, to answer your question on why you are not able to perceive or experience The Self although It exists in everything & is everywhere, let me try to answer that question thru' an anology. Suppose I tell you that the mighty Himaalayaas are fully covered in snow during winter, would you believe me?

Siddhartha: I think, I would believe you sir.

Guru: Why would you believe my words?

Siddhartha: Sir, I would believe your words because I have heard others who have visited the Himaalayaas during winter, say the same; that the mighty Himaalayaas are fully covered in snow during winter. So, if there are so many people who have experienced the same thing by going to the Himaalayaas during winter, then there must be some truth in it.

Guru: You are absolutely correct in your reasoning. Now let me tell you, there are many great Sages who have experienced The Self & have experienced for themselves that they are indeed The Self; that they have never been separate from The Self; the very idea of being separate from The Self is ignorance. Now, would you believe me?

Siddhartha: Sir, with due respects to your words, I speak the truth that I would not be satisfied with mere words.

Guru: Why would you not be satisfied with my words about The Self; whereas you believed that Himaalayaas are covered with snow during winter, although you have never seen it or experienced for yourself?

Siddhartha: I would probably believe the latter because it can be verified by seeing for oneself whether or not the Himaalayaas are indeed covered in snow during winter. All it needs is that I go to the Himaalayaas during winter & see with my own eyes.

Guru (smiling): You are perfectly right. Just as you can validate the truth about Himaalayaas during winter thru' your own experience, knowledge of The Self also can and must be validated with one's own experience. In fact, the truth about everything being nothing but The Self can only be established by one's own experience. There is no other way. The only limitation is, people who have experienced The Self can only do as much as show the path & direction to attain to The Self. It is like a person who has experienced the Himaalayaas giving directions to a person who has not seen the Himaalayaas on how to reach there, what are the potential dangers & pitfalls, how to avoid them, & so on.

Siddhartha (wondering): Sir, but, the person who has experienced the Himaalayaas can always come down & take the person seeking the Himaalayaas with him.

Guru: That's a very apt statement. Understand this my dear child, a person who knows The Self is established in The Self & is one with It. For such a realized person, there is no duality of coming down & taking you up to Himaalayaas; for the realized Sage, there exists only The Self, nothing else. Because there exists nothing but The Self, there does not arise a situation of the Sage walking the path with the seeker; in fact, in the eyes of the Sage, there does not exist the seeker himself. This is something like a person who has experienced the Himaalayaas & is established there; if you ask such a person about the Himaalayaas, all he can do is to give directions & leave it to you to follow the directions & experience for yourself. It is entirely your discretion to seek & experience The Self for yourself.
Siddhartha: But sir, I can still experience the Himaalayaas thru' my senses; what about the experience of The Self?
Guru: Suppose I tell you to see the Himaalayaas with your ears & tell me whether it is covered with snow, what would you do?
Siddhartha: Sir, how can I see with my ears? The ears are meant to hear. I can only see thru' my eyes.
Guru: Correct. That means, each faculty of the human body has its own intended purposes & hence limitations too. The mind, on its part, perceives the information in an integrated manner, based on the information it receives independently from each of the sense organs; the mind makes its deductions or conclusions by integrating all the information it receives from the senses. Therefore, when you go to Himaalayaas, your mind perceives the integrated information - that the Himaalayaas are indeed covered with snow during winter, that the snow is whitish, that it is very cold during winter, & should you taste the snow, you'll realize it has its own unique taste. You could validate all these facts only by your own experience & be established in the truth about Himaalayaas during winter although you had belief in the words of others.

Siddhartha: Yes sir, that is correct. All these facts can indeed be validated by my own experience.
Guru: You also made a very profound statement when you said - "I SEE THRU' MY EYES". Can you explain what you meant by that statement?
Siddhartha: Sir, the eyes, or for that matter any other sense organ is like an instrument used to perceive external objects. My understanding is that, by themselves, the sense organs have no purpose on their own. Just like any other tool or instrument have no independent purpose of their own unless they are gainfully employed by a master (the person who owns the tool or instrument), so also it is with our sense organs.
Guru: That is a very profound deduction you have made, Siddhartha. Now, as you rightly said, the sense organs are indeed the instruments used to perceive external objects. That brings us to the fundamental question - WHO EMPLOYS OR USES THE SENSE ORGANS TO PERCEIVE EXTERNAL OBJECTS? That is - WHO ARE YOU, THAT SEES THRU' YOUR EYES, HEARS THRU' THE EARS, TASTES THRU' THE TONGUE, FEELS, & SO ON? WHO IS THIS WHO IS USING THIS BODY TO EXPERIENCE ALL THE OBJECTS? If the external entities are the objects of interest, then, one who objectifies them is THE SUBJECT. Therefore, THE KNOWLEDGE OF SELF IS NOTHING BUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBJECT. Mind you, do not confuse knowledge of the Self to be subjective; KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF IS KNOWLEDGE OF THE SUBJECT & IS NOT SUBJECTIVE. Having said that, KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF CAN ONLY BE GAINED SUBJECTIVELY & NOT OBJECTIVELY BECAUSE THE SELF IS NOT AN OBJECT, BUT THE SUBJECT ITSELF. Because it is the subject for every individual Being, KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF CAN BE GAINED SUBJECTIVELY ONLY. Are you able to appreciate the logic so far, my dear child?
Siddhartha: Yes sir, I am.
Guru: Therefore, we can conclude that - THE SUBJECT IS USING THE SENSES, MIND, & THE INTELLECT AS A MEANS TO PERCEIVE, PROCESS, & REASON THE OBJECT. Can we make this conclusion?
Siddhartha: Yes sir. That seems to be a fair conclusion to make.
Guru: Now, if I ask you, who is seeking knowledge of The Self, what would your answer be?
Siddhartha: Sir, I am the subject who is seeking this knowledge.
Guru: What is it that you the subject are seeking?
Siddhartha: I am seeking my own Self, sir.
Guru: Who is this Self that is being sought?
Siddhartha (suddenly realising): Sir, IT IS THE SUBJECT ITSELF THAT I HAVE BEEN SEEKING. I mean, IF I AM THE SELF, THEN, THE SELF AS THE SUBJECT, IS SEEKING ITSELF.
Guru (with a very deep smile): You are absolutely right. Understand that there is nothing else to be sought in life except The Self. Real peace, contentment, happiness, & bliss comes from this Self knowledge. And, this Self is the dearest of the dear for all Beings. Desire for everything else arises because of the lack of awareness of one's own Self. That's enough for the day, my child. We will continue further tomorrow. Now you rest.