Samayasāra turns the spotlight inward, painting self-realization as the art of stripping away karmic layers to uncover the soul’s pure glow. Acharya Kundakunda frames the true self (jīva) not as body or mind but as consciousness shackled by subtle karmic particles. Liberation springs when awareness disentangles from these bonds.

Right perception (samyag-darśana) sits at the very heart of this journey. By distinguishing the eternal soul from transient passions, cravings and ignorance, a practitioner begins peeling away afflictive emotions—much like peeling an onion until only the core remains. Kundakunda’s insistence on dravya-nishcaya (substance perspective) and vyavahāra-nishcaya (practical perspective) offers a two-pronged roadmap: understand the self’s true nature in theory, then live it out in daily conduct.

Meditative disciplines such as samayika (forty-eight-minute sessions of equanimity) and gupti (control of speech, mind and body) act as tools for chipping away at accumulated karma. In today’s world, where mindfulness apps promise calm with a tap, Samayasāra challenges seekers to go deeper—trading trendy guided breaths for rigorous self-scrutiny and unwavering truthfulness. It’s a silent revolution, turning every thought and action into a tender act of self-purification.

By dissolving inner disturbances—anger, pride, deceit, greed—true knowledge (samyag-jñāna) dawns. That light, Kundakunda explains, is the soul’s unblemished reality. When neither pleasure nor pain can ruffle this core, liberation (mokṣa) follows naturally. Samayasāra paints mokṣa not as a distant utopia but as an ever-present possibility, waiting beneath layers of karmic dust.

Today’s surge in holistic well-being echoes these ancient insights: real freedom emerges when inner bonds are loosened. Samayasāra remains a timeless compass, guiding anyone willing to embrace its clear-eyed discipline toward the radiant simplicity of self-realization.