Human consciousness naturally moves between two poles: the known (what we have already experienced) and the knower (the silent awareness that witnesses experience). When attention is weak and faith in our own awareness is low, we tend to lean heavily on the known. This dependence blocks access to the knower—the ever-present, quiet, non-involved observer within us, watching life without bias.
Relying too much on the known strengthens the ego. In simple terms, ego is identification with and attachment to what is known—our memories, labels, stories, and conclusions. Because of this attachment, we interpret the present moment through the lens of the past or through hopes and fears about the future. The ego rarely allows us to meet the present as it truly is; it reshapes “now” according to old experiences or expected outcomes.
The capacity to see the present clearly, without distortion, lives in the knower within—the witnessing consciousness that has observed both past and present with detachment. This inner observer does not cling, does not interfere, and does not judge. It simply knows.
To surrender to this ever-present knower requires faith—faith that this awareness within you is real, steady, and wiser than the restless mind. The knower understands exactly how much of the past is useful and how much must be released so that fresh perception can arise. It blends necessary memory with pure present observation, allowing you to act with clarity and wholeness.
When you live from this inner witnessing, you become fully united with your action. This is the state many Karma Yogis seek—the flow state, where doing happens naturally and completely, without inner resistance.
The renunciation (sanyas) of a Karma Yogi is not escape from action, but detachment from outcomes and surrender to the divine knower within, supported by unwavering faith in that silent, conscious presence.
OM 🙏