1. Define self-exploration. What is the content of self–exploration?

Self-exploration is the process of finding out what is valuable to me by investigating within

myself. What is right for me and true for me has to be judged within myself. Once we start
paying attention towards investigating into our present beliefs and aspirations, we get to
know whether our aspirations and what we really want to be (i.e. what is naturally
acceptable to us) are one and the same or not. If they are the same, then it’s no problem.
But if the two are different, it means that we are leading a life against our natural
acceptance. Such a life cannot bring us happiness. Self-exploration is a process of
discovering that there is something innate, invariant and universal in all human beings. This
enables us to look at the confusions and contradictions within us and resolve them by
becoming aware of our natural acceptance. Once we start observing inside, we can achieve
harmony at all levels of our living.

Content of self-exploration involves finding answers for the following fundamental

questions of all the human beings:

1. The Desire/Goal/Aspiration: What is my (human) Desire/ Goal? What do I really want

in life, or what is the goal of human life?

2. The Program: What is my (human) program for fulfilling my aspirations? How to fulfil
it? What is the program to actualize the above?

In short, the above two questions cover the whole domain of human aspirations and human
endeavor. Thus, they form the content of self- exploration

2. What is the purpose of Self exploration?

Purpose of Self-Exploration: Self exploration helps us to identify our innateness (Svatva)

and move towards Self-Organization (Swantantrata) and Self-Expression (Swarajya).

• It is a process of dialogue between ‘what you are’ and ‘what you really want to be.

• It is a process of self-evolution through self-investigation.

• It is a process of knowing oneself and through that, knowing the entire existence.

• It is a process of recognizing one’s relationship with every unit in existence and fulfilling
it.

• It is a process of knowing human conduct, human character and living accordingly.

• It is a process of being in harmony with oneself and harmony with entire existence.

3. Self-exploration is a process of dialogue between ‘what you are’ and ‘what you
want to be’. Explain and illustrate. (Or)

Explain the process of self-exploration with the help of a diagram.

Self-exploration is the process of finding out what is valuable to me by investigating

within myself. What is right for me and true for me has to be judged within myself. Once
we start paying attention to investigating our present beliefs and aspirations, we get to know
whether our aspirations and what we want to be (i.e. what is naturally acceptable to us) are
the same or not. If they are the same, then it’s no problem. But if the two are different, it
means that we are leading a life against our natural acceptance. Such a life cannot bring us
happiness.

Self-exploration is a process of discovering that there is something innate, invariant, and

universal in all human beings. This enables us to look at the confusions and contradictions
within us and resolve them by becoming aware of our natural acceptance.

Once we start observing inside, we can achieve harmony at all levels of our living.
Process of Self-Exploration: The process of self-exploration may initially begin as a
dialogue between two people, but eventually it becomes a dialogue within yourself. It is a
dialogue between ‘what you are’ and ‘what you really want to be’. Self-exploration enables
us to look at the confusions and contradictions within us and resolve them by becoming
aware of our natural acceptance.

The following points are to be kept in mind regarding the process of Self-Exploration:

• Whatever is stated is a proposal

• Don’t start by assuming it to be true or false

• Verify it on your own right

• Don’t just accept or reject it on the basis of scriptures, instruments or on the basis of
others.
 The following two steps are involved in the process of Self-Exploration:

- Firstly, verify the proposal on the basis of your natural acceptance

- Secondly, live according to the proposal to validate it experientially

Natural Acceptance: It is the process of seeing and observing everything attentively and
then using your inner conscience to get the answer from within. It is a way to bring out the
goodness in everything naturally. It helps us to learn everything that is good from others
and absorb it in our own way, but without changing our identity.

• It does not change with time/age

• It doesn’t depend on place

• It does not depend on our beliefs or past conditioning

• It is always there within us

• It is the same for all of us.

Realization and Understanding

The process of Self-Exploration results in ‘Realization’ and ‘Understanding’ in us. This

realization and understanding leads to the following answers –

• Assuring

• Satisfying

• Universal with respect to Time, Space, and Individual

4. What do you mean by your natural acceptance? Illustrate with examples. Is it

innate, universal, and invariant with time? Explain

Natural Acceptance: It is the process of seeing and observing everything attentively and then
using your inner conscience to get the answer from within. It is a way to bring out the goodness
in everything naturally. It helps us to learn everything that is good from others and absorb it in
our own way, but without changing our identity.

a) Natural acceptance does not change with time/age. It remains invariant with time. For
example, our natural acceptance of trust and respect does not change with age.
b) It does not depend on the place. Whatever we have naturally accepted in our life does not
change with our age, place, or time. For example, our desire for respect doesn’t change with
age or with a change in our place.

c) It does not depend on our beliefs or past conditionings. No matter how deep our beliefs
or past conditionings are, as long as we keep investigating deep into ourselves, the answers
will always be the same. Natural acceptance does not get influenced by our beliefs or past
conditionings. For example, we may believe that money is the most important thing in life. But
looking deep down in our heart , we know that money alone cannot keep us happy.

d) This natural acceptance is always there within us. Natural acceptance is always present
within us, it always tells us what is right.

e) Natural acceptance is the same for all of us: Each one of us have our own lifestyle, beliefs,
preconditioning, etc. But deep inside our minds, the purpose of all human desires, success and
achievements are based on common goals like the need to be happy, need to be respected and
cared for, need to be prosperous etc. So, the basic natural acceptance remains the same for all
the human beings.

All human beings can lead a happy and prosperous life as long as they follow their natural
acceptance. All miseries begin only when we start going against our Natural acceptance.

5.What do you understand by the terms Svatva, Swatantrata and Swarajya?

Svatva: Swatva means innateness of self – the natural acceptance of harmony. The word
"innate" is defined as originating in or derived from the mind. It is present in an individual by
birth. When we identify our innateness, we realise the difference between what we are and we
really want to be.

Swatantrata: Swatantrata means being self- organized – being in harmony with oneself. When
we identify our innateness, we establish a dialogue with our conscience, and it enables us to
become self-organised, i.e. we attain harmony in ourself. This is called swatantrata.

Swarajya: Swarajya means self-expression, self-extension – living in harmony with others.

When we identify our innateness, what we really what to be and establish a dialogue within, it
enables us to become self-organised, i.e. we attain harmony in ourselves. When we start living
with this harmony, it starts expressing itself through our harmonious behavior towards others
and toward our work, and it naturally leads to healthy participation in the surroundings. This is
called swarajya.

5.What are pre-conditionings? What is their source? Do you feel that you have some pre-
conditioning? How do you evaluate them?

Preconditioning means the condition developed by beliefs (manyatas). Often we have our own
assumptions about something on the basis of our prevailing notions. They come from what we
read, see hear, what our parents tell us, what our friends talk about what the magazines talk of,
what we see on the TV, etc. Most of our desires, thoughts, and selections are based on these
pre-conditionings. We do not verify our desires in our own right. As a result, we are not clear
about what we will get out of the fulfilment of that desire. Because of this, we often end up
spending an entire lifetime accumulating desires that are not ours, and running about trying to
fulfill them. As a result, our desires, thoughts and selections are always in conflict. Since the
desires are in conflict, the thoughts they give rise to, are also in conflict and in turn, the selection
from the thoughts are also in conflict leading to dissatisfaction and unhappiness. All of us have
some pre conditionings, sensations and beliefs. For example, most of us believe that money
and position bring us respect and make us happy. We start living by this pre conditioning and
work hard to achieve it. We also involve ourselves in all those activities which are needed to
achieve it. During this process, we often experience disharmony within ourselves and with
others. With unhappiness within, we also make others unhappy. However, once we start
exploring deep into ourselves on the basis of our natural acceptance, we realize the difference
between what we are and what we really want to be. This realization leads to the right
understanding which paves the way to a harmonious living within ourselves, our family, our
society, and also with nature.