सडझायम्मि रओ सया

Summary

Self-study (svādhyāya) is only fruitful when performed with complete absorption (tanmayatā). Without inner engagement, mere rapid vocal recitation cannot lead to the discovery of new truths or the development of concentration. The revered Gurudev considered any action performed without absorption to be a sign of spiritual inertia. When he recited self-study in a slow, rhythmic manner, the surrounding atmosphere would become vibrant, and even a negligent person would receive a new impulse toward awakening and transformation. For a calm and capable mind, self-study serves as a strong support. It is a significant means to remove the veil over consciousness and to attain self-knowledge. Mahatma Gandhi described self-study as a blooming garden that keeps the mind ever cheerful. Gurudev Tulsī regarded self-study as an integral part of spiritual practice (sādhanā). In his view, one-sided self-study remains limited to intellectual development, while one-sided practice can make the seeker rigid. When self-study is made a part of practice, the possibility of innovation arises. While not everyone can practice meditation, self-study is accessible even to those with a restless mind. Ancient teachers held that absorption in self-study gradually transforms into meditation, from which the inner Self is revealed. Gurudev Tulsī defined self-study as the study undertaken by oneself, keeping oneself at the center, to gain knowledge about oneself. This definition yields two meanings: one's own study, self-examination, self-identification, and self-analysis; and the reading and reflection upon good literature. He himself remained imbued with both types of self-study. He would bind his mind with the needle of self-study. In his monastic life, he would recite three thousand verses in the first part of the night. Even while walking, if he got a two-minute rest, he would begin self-study or learn a new verse. After becoming an Ācārya, his routine of self-study continued uninterrupted. If the first part of the night was occupied with public contact or sermons, he would invariably engage in self-study in