Ancient Indian Answers - Pillars by Vishnu Build Your Life Series
Meditation - Consciousness - Self-Inquiry - Inner Truth
As shown in our poster, ancient Indian thought offers four pillars of self-knowledge for the question "Who am I?"
01 - The Upanishads
Tat Tvam Asi - "Thou art That"
Aham Brahmam - "I am Brahmam"
The Self is identical with the universal Brahman - realization of oneness.
02 - The Bhagavad Gita
Atman is the eternal driver, body is the chariot.
"Na jayate mriyate va kadachit" - The soul is never born, never dies.
Chariot metaphor: Self as charioteer, guiding body & mind.
03 - Advaita Vedanta
Adi Shankara - Neti Neti - "Not this, not this"
Brahman: Beyond all definition, pure consciousness.
Disidentification. Beyond thought, name, form - only infinite awareness remains.
04 - Buddhism
Anatta - No permanent self.
River Flow - like a stream, ever changing.
No fixed I. Self is process, like flowing water - transient, interdependent.
Four Pillars of Self-Knowledge
See within. The answer is within you.
