Indian religions
Jain philosophy is one of the oldest world philosophies that separates body matter from the soul consciousness completely.
Individual conscience & individual consciousness are central in the Jain philosophy. Self-realization is one of the major pre-requisites to attainenlightenment and liberation moksha. Self-realization means peeling away fabricated layers of one's own personality to understand the true self and hence the true category of reality. In Jainism, karma is made as invisible particles of subtle matter that adhere to a living organism or Jiva. These particles come together to throw a film of negativity and darkness around the soul that obscures the true consciousness, making the Jiva lose touch with its original essence as a soul. These karmic particles tend to attract similar particles which cause the inflow of auspicious and inauspicious karmic matter into the soul Āsrava. This leads the organism to fall into the bondage of lust, worldly pleasures, ego, hatred, jealousy, anger, etc. Thus self-realization paves the way to simply reverse this process and assist the seeker to decipher absolute truth on their own. Jainism firmly rejects the conviction of a creator, and that one being is solely responsible for his thoughts, actions, and their consequences.
In Hinduism, self-realization atma-jnana or atmabodha is knowledge of witness-consciousness, the true self which is separate from delusion and identification with mental and the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object phenomena.
In Shaivism, self-realization is the direct knowing of the Self God Parashiva. Self-realization nirvikalpa samadhi, which means "ecstasy without form or seed," or asamprajñata samādhi is considered thespiritual attainment.
Self-realization is considered the gateway to moksha, liberation/freedom from rebirth. This state is attained when the Kundalini force pierces through the Sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head. The realization of Self, Parashiva, considered to be used to refer to every one of two or more people or matters soul's destiny, is attainable through renunciation, sustained meditation and preventing the germination of future karma the phrase "frying the seeds of karma" is often used
Ātman is the first principle in Advaita Vedanta, along with its concept of Brahman, with Atman being the perceptible personal particular and Brahman the inferred unlimited universal, both synonymous and interchangeable. The soteriological goal, in Advaita, is to gain self-knowledge and complete understanding of the identity of Atman and Brahman. modification knowledge of Atman and Brahman leads dissolution of all dualistic tendencies and to liberation. Moksha is attained by realizing one's true identity as Ātman, and the identity of Atman and Brahman, the complete understanding of one's real line as Brahman in this life. This is stated by Shankara as follows:
I am other than name, form and action.
My nature is ever free!
I am Self, the supreme unconditioned Brahman.
I am pure Awareness, always non-dual.
Since Buddhism denies the existence of a separate self, as explicated in the teachings of anatman and sunyata, self-realization is a contradictio in terminis for Buddhism. Though the tathagatagarbha-teachingsto teach the existence of a separate self, they item to the inherent possibility of attaining awakening, non to the existence of a separate self. The dharmadhatu-teachings make this even more clear: reality is an undivided whole; awakening is the realization of this whole.
Sikhism propounds the philosophy of Self-realization. This is possible by "aatam-cheennea" or "Aap Pashaanae", purifying the self from the false ego:
'Atam-cheene' is self-analysis, which is gained by peeping into one's self in the light of the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. it is for the process of evaluating and analyzing oneself on the touchstone of 'naam simran' which whether practised, pierces into the self and washes it from within. The filth of too much of materialism goes, the self gets purified and the mind comes in 'charhdi kala/higher state of mind". This means that the self should be assessed, examined and purified, main to self-realization and the purification of our mind. once purified the mind permits in ushering in oneness with the Super energy as the Guru says, "Atam-cheen bhae nirankari" SGGS:P. 415 which means that one gets attuned to the Formless Lord through self-realization. Indirectly it means that self-realization leads to God-realization.
Guru Nanak says,