Value: Self-honesty - April 2025
Third Week: Be true to yourself
In Sanskrit, reference to someone who is away is third person (प्रथम पुरुष), the one in front is second person (मध्यम पुरुष), and the primary one, which is oneself is the higher Self (उत्तम पुरुष). Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita says He is the उत्तम पुरुष in everyone, the only Truth.
Thus Vedanta teaches us that our higher Self is the only truth. Being true to yourself means being the Self, being with God! Though in theory, this appears fine, discarding our false self, the one which we presently are, is very hard. As we study and understand our higher nature as birthless, changeless, formless Truth, we become aware that we, as individual beings, should not hold on to all that are false, illusory, and transitory.
The progress depends entirely on how eager we are to know our true Self and what steps we take every day to come closer to That.
Only commit to what you can complete.
Simple advice from highly efficient individuals is to always fulfill your commitments. To achieve this, avoid overloading yourself with too many tasks. Efficiency is closely linked to not only completing a task but also raising it to a high standard while maintaining a positive mindset. The outcomes of our efforts should provide both inner satisfaction and outer perfection. As someone wisely noted, "Commitment is not just a word; it is action."
When you realize that your skills and resources are insufficient to complete a task, seek help or delegate it to someone more capable. It’s important to be honest about your own limitations. Ultimately, commit yourself to becoming free from all commitments!!!
Speak only the truth after verifying the source of information.
In the Bhagavad Gita 17:15, Lord Krishna discusses the austerities necessary for becoming an integrated person, emphasizing the austerity of speech. He advises that speech should be non-painful, true, agreeable, and beneficial, and that it includes the practice of studying scriptures.
Not everything shared on social media is trustworthy. Its popularity among the youth allows many deceptive schemes to spread quickly, creating chaos in individuals' minds, families, communities, and the world as a whole.
It is best to speak only from personal experience. If you are sharing information that is not your own experience, ensure that you verify the source and determine its authenticity. If people trust your words and they turn out to be false, you may be held responsible for the negative consequences that follow. Therefore, do not be afraid to admit that you do not know what you do not know.
April Week 3 Guidance Audio:
