Shijya and Moni were brothers, twins conceived at the same time, sharing the same womb, connected by the same life-force. Their destinies had been entwined from the moment of their birth. Yet, despite the congruence of their cosmic karma, the lives of Shijya and Moni unfolded in perfectly divergent paths, in diametrically opposite tangents. So much so that it made their kinship almost unrecognizable to those who knew them. Shijya was the ideal child, a paragon of virtue, and the embodiment of studiousness, diligence and integrity. He excelled at everything he did. A favourite among his teachers, and a darling to his aunts and uncles, he was known to be humble, polite, kind, and helpful. He had no enemies and many friends, all of whom saw him as a reliable confidant they could turn to at any time. By the time he was 16, Shijya had all academic avenues open to him to explore any field of study he wanted, winning scholarships and Ivy League admissions. He was also frequently seen spe...
Long before the Oracle pointed Neo to the words above her doorway, numerous teachers, sages and mystics have uttered different versions of the same maxim - "Know Thyself". Although historians credit the Greek philosopher Heraclitus (~ 500BC) with the first written record of the saying, there are various articulations of the same aphorism which date back even further. For example, in shamanic wisdom traditions, some of which find their roots 5000-6000 years ago, there is great emphasis on acquiring deep self-knowledge before assuming the role of a shaman. Similarly, Buddhist teachings dating back to around 2500 BC centre around meditative practices that equip one to delve into one's inner universe. Closer to present day, the Hadith quotes Prophet Muhammad saying "whosoever knows himself knows his lord", highlighting the importance of self-knowledge for communion with the divine. Meanwhile, in the bible, when Jesus Christ asks his followers to "know the kingd...