Self-Inquiry is the intent to see, know, and realize the truth. It is intelligent and meditative investigation into the nature and essence of "self" or "I".
There are two wings of this investigation. One is turning attention back on itself, becoming aware of Awareness. Who is it that is aware? What is this awareness? Advaita, Zen and other expressions of Non-dual teachings attempt to point to the open secret of our true identity as Awareness itself: boundless, formless, changeless – transcending all things, yet intimately one with all things. In this revelation of the nature of awareness and of self we discover that what we are is not a person, but a presence that is the sacred and secret identity of everyone. We are infinitely more than who we thought ourselves to be. We are not our self-definitions or our sad or wonderful stories about the life that we had been convinced is our own. We are not our thoughts, feelings or desires. We are utterly free and always have been. We are free of all form and identity, and yet we appear to be a person who has stories, thoughts, feelings and desires. This appearance is a wondrous creation, not a problem. However, in our innocent mis-identification of our "self" as this appearance much suffering is created. Self-inquiry is the direct path to awakening to our true identity as pure and boundless Awareness, Wisdom and Love.
The second wing to Self-Inquiry is directly investigating who it is that we think we are and feel ourselves to be, consciously and subconsciously. Even after deep insight and direct experience of our true identity as Awareness itself, for all but the rarest, subconscious identifications with emotions, beliefs, roles and identities remains until they ripen in our conscious experience (meaning that it shows up as some form of unhappiness) and are examined in the light of truth. Then our unhappiness is an ally that shows us where we have innocently misidentified our self as some "thing" rather than as the Pure Essence that we are. The art of this wing of inquiry (investigating who we are mistakenly imagining ourselves to be) rests firmly on an unshakeable commitment to realizing the truth (rather than merely getting out of pain), and to directly experiencing the present moment.
There are two wings of this investigation. One is turning attention back on itself, becoming aware of Awareness. Who is it that is aware? What is this awareness? Advaita, Zen and other expressions of Non-dual teachings attempt to point to the open secret of our true identity as Awareness itself: boundless, formless, changeless – transcending all things, yet intimately one with all things. In this revelation of the nature of awareness and of self we discover that what we are is not a person, but a presence that is the sacred and secret identity of everyone. We are infinitely more than who we thought ourselves to be. We are not our self-definitions or our sad or wonderful stories about the life that we had been convinced is our own. We are not our thoughts, feelings or desires. We are utterly free and always have been. We are free of all form and identity, and yet we appear to be a person who has stories, thoughts, feelings and desires. This appearance is a wondrous creation, not a problem. However, in our innocent mis-identification of our "self" as this appearance much suffering is created. Self-inquiry is the direct path to awakening to our true identity as pure and boundless Awareness, Wisdom and Love.
The second wing to Self-Inquiry is directly investigating who it is that we think we are and feel ourselves to be, consciously and subconsciously. Even after deep insight and direct experience of our true identity as Awareness itself, for all but the rarest, subconscious identifications with emotions, beliefs, roles and identities remains until they ripen in our conscious experience (meaning that it shows up as some form of unhappiness) and are examined in the light of truth. Then our unhappiness is an ally that shows us where we have innocently misidentified our self as some "thing" rather than as the Pure Essence that we are. The art of this wing of inquiry (investigating who we are mistakenly imagining ourselves to be) rests firmly on an unshakeable commitment to realizing the truth (rather than merely getting out of pain), and to directly experiencing the present moment.
