Know Thyself!

The Simple Secret To A Happy Life!

The Seven Sages of Greece understood the simple secret to a happy, peaceful, satisfied, contented and meaningful life about 500 years BC. ... all summed up in two words: "Know thyself." When we know ourselves we know the truth that sets us free ... free from fear and deeply held false beliefs, and consequently, free to be healthy, happy, satisfied and contented.   

Knowing ourselves is the key to a loving, happy, satisfied and contented life. Listening to ourselves is the key to knowing ourselves.

Although this did not get recorded in the Bible, Jesus said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is within you; and whosoever knoweth himself shall find it" (The Home Book of Quotations, by Burton Stevenson).

The ultimate of wisdom is knowing ourselves ... and consequently, knowing the truth that sets us free. When we know ourselves, we know the way we believe and think in our heart. Then we can discern between that which is true and that which is false.

From the Proverbs, we know: “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverb 23:7).  If our heart is pure, our thoughts are on those things that bring us peace, love and joy. If our heart is embedded with fear and false beliefs about ourselves, our thoughts are on those things that bring us mental turmoil and suffering.

It’s the law of the Universe, and it will not fail. We know from Job: “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me” (Job 3:25).

From Jesus, we know that it is done unto us as we believe.

Thomas Man, German novelist, said, "No man remains quite what he was when he recognizes himself."

Discovering ourselves (discovering the truth that sets us free) is simple ... as simple as being still, paying attention, and listening to ourselves.

However, a quiet mind is imperative. Saints and sages have long recognized and cherished the value of the quiet mind. From Taoism we learn, "To the mind that is still the whole Universe surrenders."

David, the Psalmist, alluded to the quiet mind as "the secret place of the most high." We discover the truth that sets us free by being still and retreating to the "secret place of the most high."

Jesus said, "Cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean also" (Matthew 23:24-26). James, brother of Jesus and author of "The Letter of James," said, "Purify your hearts, ye double minded." Jeremiah said, "Wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved." "Washing our heart from wickedness" is the same thing as purifying our heart … the same thing as "cleaning the inside of the cup and the platter."

When our heart is pure, we know ourselves. Otherwise, we are under the guidance of the false ego-self that always wants to appear special and important and always brings mental turmoil and suffering.

When we know ourselves, we have peace, joy and happiness. We discover our true self — we purify our heart — by being still and communing — and understanding — with our heart. There is no other way!

Something to Think about

Socrates, Buddha, Jesus, the prophets of the Old Testament, and other biblical teachers knew the secret to a peaceful, loving, satisfying life thousands of years ago. They did not have telephones, the Internet, biblical reference materials, the Bible, dictionaries, encyclopedias, libraries and so on like we have today. Yet, they had everything they needed for discovering the truth that sets one free.

We have the potential for doing what they did; it's all within us. Why have we not learned to tap into the power within us? The answer must be unwarranted fear, ignorance and ego. Rather than seek within ourselves (the only place we can find the truth that sets us free), we spend considerable time searching outside ourselves for things to bring us peace, joy and happiness. We try psychics, astrologers, cults, psychiatry, marriage counselors, self-help books, personal growth groups, and on and on and on … but there is never enough.

Jesus said, "Seek and ye shall find." The apostle James said, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all liberally … and it shall be given him. … Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:5-21). 

We ask of God and we receive with meekness by being still, by “entering into our closet and shutting the door,”  and communing with our heart. And, note that truth would save our souls (the "engrafted word" is truth).

In stead of doing what biblical teachers said to do, we follow the whims of our ego, and we spend much of our time trying to appear special and important, wearing our masks, trying to impress others, pretending to be something we are not … pretending to different from the way we believe and think in our heart. 

All the while, the solution to all our mental confusion, turmoil and suffering is within ourselves … if only we would be still, commune and understand with our hearts.

 

Copyright © 2000—2006 by Dwight Nichols