A question about self inquiry

[nowimhere]

I was told there are no stupid questions. This one feels like it may be interpreted as one of those, but I am being sincere here...

 

Is self inquiry seperate from meditation? Or can you do self inquiry during meditation? If the goal of both self inquiry and meditation is to reach no self or source, then can you combine these two at the same time? 

In one of the self inquiry videos Leo put out, he proposed it as a guided meditation. (for him leading you through these self inquiry questions)

But I always thought that in meditation the goal is no thought, so "thinking" about the source of who I am seems paridoxile to the goal, even though the end goal is the same. 

I'd appreciate any insights or feedback on this.

Thanks ! 

[Nahm]

Conscious stomach breathing meditation allows thoughts to pass, emptying the mind. Then self inquire, and in a similar fashion, let all thoughts pass, until there is the unmistakable arising feeling & knowing. 

Thoughts are like clouds blocking the clear sky, yet within the clear sky. Don’t make a goal of stopping or being without thoughts. Just consciously breathe from your stomach, and the sky will clear all on it’s own. 

[Vegan Duff]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHUajtPXPDw

This video may help clear it up @nowimhere .

Also @winterknight is a specialist in self inquiry and has it explained on his site. Here it is

https://www.siftingtothetruth.com/blog/2019/6/7/the-ultimate-guide-to-spiritual-self-inquiry

[Aakash]

@nowimhere Self-inquiry is not correctly understood by any spiritual tradition in my opinion and that includes all enlightened beings, except those who are in the know. 

Self-inquiry by ramana maharashi is a very powerful technique, i don't even feel like he, himself understood the power of his own technique 

simply put, self-inquiry is a technique that is supposed to give you an insight into the nature of ANYTHING you apply it to. To see its nature for what it is. 

disclaimer: i might be wrong about maharashi, but i'm not wrong about the enlightened beings. its a true/false relative statement. Still i've been doing self-inquiry unconsciously for 4 years, then consciously for 2 years. i'm pretty sure i understand it for what it is. 

Its ironic to understand self-inquiry- "you have to do a self-inquiry about what self-inquiry is" before you even START the self-inquiry process

its like i said, self inquiry to nothing is only half of the problem, self-inquiry to something is the other half

Edited July 13, 2019 by Aakash

[nowimhere]

10 hours ago, Nahm said:

Conscious stomach breathing meditation allows thoughts to pass, emptying the mind. Then self inquire, and in a similar fashion, let all thoughts pass, until there is the unmistakable arising feeling & knowing. 

Thoughts are like clouds blocking the clear sky, yet within the clear sky. Don’t make a goal of stopping or being without thoughts. Just consciously breathe from your stomach, and the sky will clear all on it’s own. 

I'll have to try that

10 hours ago, Vegan Duff said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHUajtPXPDw

This video may help clear it up @nowimhere .

Also @winterknight is a specialist in self inquiry and has it explained on his site. Here it is

https://www.siftingtothetruth.com/blog/2019/6/7/the-ultimate-guide-to-spiritual-self-inquiry

I actually watched this video before you posted it lol. I also have that article in cue to read. Thanks for the tips !

9 hours ago, Aakash said:

@nowimhere Self-inquiry is not correctly understood by any spiritual tradition in my opinion and that includes all enlightened beings, except those who are in the know. 

Self-inquiry by ramana maharashi is a very powerful technique, i don't even feel like he, himself understood the power of his own technique 

simply put, self-inquiry is a technique that is supposed to give you an insight into the nature of ANYTHING you apply it to. To see its nature for what it is. 

disclaimer: i might be wrong about maharashi, but i'm not wrong about the enlightened beings. its a true/false relative statement. Still i've been doing self-inquiry unconsciously for 4 years, then consciously for 2 years. i'm pretty sure i understand it for what it is. 

Its ironic to understand self-inquiry- "you have to do a self-inquiry about what self-inquiry is" before you even START the self-inquiry process

its like i said, self inquiry to nothing is only half of the problem, self-inquiry to something is the other half

Interesting. But thanks anyhow. 

----------------------------------------------------------------

I've been checking out Sri Ramana's techniques as well. That dude seems like a beast. 

Edited July 14, 2019 by nowimhere

[Inliytened1]

@nowimhere self inquiry is what awoke me.  It is a form of mediation in the form of contemplation.  I combined it with the do nothing no mind mediation.

Have you tried both?

[nowimhere]

@Inliytened1 - That's the thing that confuses me lol. In my meditation I AM doing the do nothing (quite the paradox by itself) 

So what I'm confused about is, in "do nothing" your not supposed to DO anything... But I guess your saying that you can "sprinkle" self inquiry in there as well (during the actual "do nothing" meditation?)

[Inliytened1]

@nowimhere they're separate so you can do 30 min of self inquiry then take a break and do no mind.  Or do self inquiry one day and the next day do no mind...that's what i did.  And i recommend Leos first few enlightenment videos while doing self inquiry.  I think in the 2nd or 3rd he starts to inquire - so listen to those while in self inquiry mode.  Good luck!

[nowimhere]

@Inliytened1 Thanks man. In your opinion does self inquiry count as meditation?

[Aakash]

@nowimhere  a permanent state of self-inquiry will get you to stage coral easier, a permanent state of meditation will get you to stage turquoise quicker. self-inquiry will get you to stage turquoise or non-dual awakening. But it is the fastest method of breaking out of that "safe spot" and breaking through to true god-realisation. (going from stage turquoise to stage coral) , meditation itself is misunderstood, meditation is used to reach a state of samadhi (oneness) , from which then you contemplate the nature of different things- using the mind. 

The general teachings tell you not to use the mind and hence forth there is a contradiction in "how to meditate" and reaching total enlightenment .. so i'm not sure how you want to play it 

In conclusion, they are two different things until they converge at the state of oneness or "traditional enlightenment" but after "traditional enlightenment" to get to "full enlightenment" these two methods have different pros and cons. I think self-inquiry is better because you get an idea of how to contemplate. 

The draw back of self-inquiry is that it uses a lot of monkey mind and hence meditation is the best route to get to the first step of enlightenment. Non-dual awakening

maharashi's technique is so powerful that i could be transported to another planet, hypothetically and start self-inquiring there to find out the nature of that planet. That is how ridiculous this man's technique is. it would probably be 10x -100x the effort to do it with meditation. [just some funny extra information] 

Edited July 14, 2019 by Aakash

[inFlow]

Self inquiry is just being aware of the awareness itself, and its just pure infinite-nothingness. Then you question what is it. If you ask deep enough you will eventualy get the answer.

Its hard to stay in the nothingness for a long time, but you learn it with time. You will obtain everything, its just a mattet of time.

[Aaron p]

Stop using those words if they're confusing you. Self enquiry is simply looking for yourself and vepaasana (breath watching) is simply breath watching. No need to overcomplicate. But, the important thing is actually DOING it...a lot

[Inliytened1]

@nowimhere yes it does.

Edited July 14, 2019 by Inliytened1

[Jkris]

@Inliytened1

It appears like Sense of seperatedness,

 body mind are with in the awareness.

Self enquiry appears to happen with in awareness.

But i am yet to experience nothingness or vanishing of the sense of seperatedness.

So bit confused.

[Inliytened1]

@Jkris it happens when it wants to happen.   Perhaps you still identify with "some" thing.  Such as the body...or the "soul" but realize this is illusory. 

[Jkris]

@Inliytened1 No i am not identifying with body or mind or sense of seperatedness.

I experience the body so i cannot be the body likewise mind and sense of seperatedness.

Any effort intention to meditate self enquire is an experience movement in awareness so i am not that.

It appears the whole body mind experience is an illusion - super imposition on the self - as I am aware of that and I am not that.

But yet the experience of body mind self of seperatedness hasnt vanished or not sure how to do that as any effort is happening with in awareness ???

 

 

 

 

[Truth Addict]

@nowimhere

Meditate until your mind is calm and focused enough to investigate, then do self-inquiry.

You can skip meditation, but the results will not be as good as with meditation.

10 mins of meditation will save you one hour of self-inquiry (not exactly, but you get the idea).

Edited July 15, 2019 by Truth Addict

[zeroISinfinity]

On 13.7.2019. at 8:40 PM, Nahm said:

Conscious stomach breathing meditation allows thoughts to pass, emptying the mind. Then self inquire, and in a similar fashion, let all thoughts pass, until there is the unmistakable arising feeling & knowing. 

Thoughts are like clouds blocking the clear sky, yet within the clear sky. Don’t make a goal of stopping or being without thoughts. Just consciously breathe from your stomach, and the sky will clear all on it’s own. 

This Will get you only to observer stage. You need to go step bellow awareness. Source of Awareness itself. Absolute. 

Source is in your heart it is not Awareness. 

Death of Awareness is Self Realization. That's why it is so difficult because Awareness =Reality and last thing you want is losing that. 

People are not afraid of losing body they are afraid to not be aware. Scary stuff. 

Indentification to body/mind is way easy to lose, lose indentification with Awareness. Be brave. ?️