On Swadhyaya From Shree Vasant's Teachings

All we have been telling is nothing new, nothing novel. It is ancient knowledge. It is all Fivefold Path.

When we ask that you look over your day, how your actions affect others, check your attachments, expectations, it is Swadhyaya, self-study.

To make an effort to correct behavior is good Karma. To discipline the mind, what is required is Tapa. When you observe yourself and look over the day, do not criticize yourself. Do not berate yourself. Simply look at it honestly. If you have erred, then best to act in a forgiving way with yourself. Learn from your mistakes. If it is through speech you have erred, practice Tapa. For example, “Think before you speak.” If it is thought, try to examine your thoughts. ONE CANNOT PROGRESS WITHOUT LOOKING WITHIN.

When a married couple does this practice of Swadhyaya each night, you can sometimes share your realization with the other person, if this helps. It may not be necessary, but at other times it may be helpful. This promotes honest communication between the partners. If children learn to practice Swadhyaya in this way, they will have their own check and balance system.

It is a time of change. It is a time when powerful forces intermingle. Everything is intensified now.