Shortest Philosophy

Philosophers, as McEvilley insightfully observed, often attempt to answer questions no one has asked. Their primary vocation, it seems, is to ask questions themselves. McEvilley humorously captured this in the following whimsical verse, shared with him by a philosopher:

Fish gotta swim
Bird gotta fly
Man gotta sit and say
Why, why, why.1

While philosophers across the world have provided lengthy responses to life’s briefest questions, Hindu philosophy stands apart by offering some of the shortest yet most profound answers. These succinct insights reflect the essence of self-realization and wisdom in the simplest terms.

Examples of Philosophical Brevity

1. Kenopanishad (Chapter 2, Verse 3):
   यस्य मतं तस्य मतं। मतं यस्य न वेद सः।
   “He who thinks he knows It not, knows It.
   He who thinks he knows It, knows It not.
   It is unknown to those who know,
   and known to those who do not know.”

2. Tamil Wisdom:
   கண்டவர் விண்டதில்லை; விண்டவர் கண்டதில்லை
   “Whoever has seen cannot explain it.
   Whoever explains it has never truly seen.”

3 சும்மா இரு
“Be quiet.”
(Attributed to Sri Ramana Maharshi)

• Avvaiyar in Konrai Vendhan (Verse 80):
  மோனம் என்பது ஞான வரம்பு.
  “Silence is the boundary of wisdom.”

Each of these statements encapsulates the profound with an economy of words. While countless proverbs exist in Indian literature, few achieve this level of philosophical depth.

Personal Reflection

Inspired by this tradition of profound brevity, I found myself reflecting on the essence of self-realization. In a moment of introspection, I composed the following verse (BT Song 1673, see below), which seemed to echo the spirit of these timeless insights:

என்னைக் கண்ட
என்னைக் கண்டு
என்னுள் என்னை
நானும் கண்டேன்

Beholding me,
That which sees me,
I found myself,
Within myself.

This simple verse captures the journey of self-discovery, where the seeker becomes the sought and wisdom reveals itself within silence.

The Unique Contribution of Hindu Philosophy

Unlike many global traditions that rely on verbose explanations, Hindu philosophy distills wisdom into concise expressions. These brief statements serve as windows into the vast landscape of spiritual understanding, offering guidance not through elaborate arguments but through direct and intuitive insight.

In the words of Avvaiyar:
“The end of silence is wisdom.”

Hindu philosophy invites us to embrace silence—not as the absence of thought, but as the presence of understanding.

Gurukulam, 17-1-2025

Notes

1. Thomas McEvilley, The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 2002 (First Indian Edition, 2008), Foreword, pp. xxxi–xxxii.

BT Song 1673

When I read the following statements, I closed the book and began to meditate. The result is this poem:

“Therefore the Sage arrives without going, Sees all without looking, Does nothing, yet achieves everything.”—Taoism@

Simple English Translation

I Found Myself

I arrived without traveling,
Saw without looking,
Received without striving,
And found myself too.

To go in search,
There was no need,
To see and find,
Vision was not required.

Something that could not
Be gained through labor
Came seeking me,
As though it were mine.

To attain the One
That is everywhere,
Why must I search
And venture out?

For the One that
Always sees me,
Why must I
Seek to see?

For what is already
Mine by nature,
Why must I
Strive to gain again?

After learning
This secret truth,
I never journeyed
Or wandered anywhere.

Beholding me,
The one who has seen me,
I found myself,
Within myself.

Attaining it,
Blending into it,
I now live,
For it is me.

Gurukulam, 15-1-2025, 3.30 pm

Classical English Translation

I Beheld Myself

Without journeying, I arrived;
Without vision, I perceived;
Without effort, I received—
And thus found my own self.

To seek and venture forth,
There was no necessity;
To behold and discern,
Eyes were not essential.

That which eludes labor’s reach,
Yet akin to me it seemed,
Arrived unbidden at my side,
As though it sought its home.

To attain the All-pervading One,
What need have I to wander?
To the One who ever sees me,
What need have I to gaze?

What belongs to me in essence,
Why should I strive to regain?
Why should I labor anew
For what is mine already?

Upon grasping this mystery,
I ceased all wandering pursuits,
I remained still,
And ventured not again.

Beholding myself,
The seer of my being,
I discovered my essence,
Dwelling within me.

Having attained it,
I merged with it,
And now I live as it,
For it is my true being.

Gurukulam, 15-1-2025, 3.30 pm

Notes

@The Te is best translated as “virtue.” It, too, is discussed in terms of negatives and contradictions.  All efforts to gain Te must fail since it can only be gained by trying to avoid it.  As the Tao-Te Ching (Chapter 38) explains: “The one [with] the highest te does not seek te; therefore he has te.” Just as is true of the New Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, Taoism identifies overcoming the self as the key to virtue.  Thus, the Tao-Te Ching (chapter 47) advises: “Therefore the Sage arrives without going, Sees all without looking, Does nothing, yet achieves everything.”— Rodney Stock, Discovering God, New York, HarperOne, 2007, p. 258

BT Song 1673 என்னைக் கண்டேன்

போகாமல் அடைந்தேன்
பார்க்காமல் கண்டேன்
உழைக்காமல் பெற்றேன்
என்னையே நானும்

தேடிப் போகத்
தேவையே இன்றி
காணப் பார்வையின்
அவசியம் இன்றி

உழைத்தாலும் அடைய
இயலாத ஒன்று
தன்போல என்னிடம்
நாடி வந்ததால்

எங்கும் உள்ள
ஒன்றை அடைய
எதற்கு நாடிச்
செல்ல வேண்டும்

என்றும் என்னை
பார்க்கும் ஒன்றை
எதற்கு நானும்
காண வேண்டும்

எனக்கு சொந்தம்
ஆன ஒன்றை
எதற்கு மீண்டும்
பெறவும் வேண்டும்

இந்த இரகசியம்
அறிந்த பின்னே
எங்கும் நாட்டிப்
போகவே இல்லை

என்னைக் கண்ட
என்னைக் கண்டு
என்னுள் என்னை
நானும் கண்டேன்

அதனை அடைந்து
அதனுள் கலந்து
அதுவே நானாய்
வாழுகின்றேன்

குருகுலம், 15-1-2025, மதியம் 3.30