Meditation vs Self-Inquiry

[diamondpenguin]

What's up guys and girls. I have been doing a lot of spiritual practices as of late. And meditation and self inquiry seem almost the same to me. Close your eyes and focus your mind. So I was wonder what is the difference between them? Thank You so much.

[electroBeam]

The difference lies in the attitude with which they are practices.

Curiosity is 1 particular attitude. You're super curious, interested in something, like a kid looking a tree for the first time, or a deeply excited scientist looking at quantum phenomena for the first time. Self inquiry is a meditative practice with that orientation in mind. 

The other attitude is letting go. Think of the time you last vomited. How it felt to have something in your body you wish to be expelled. Its like this aching ball of stuff you don't want, and want to release. Think of the time that you had to forgive and forget something you or someone else did. The feeling of wanting to release a painful emotion.

A spiritual practice is a sacred practice you do if you have a sincere desire to see the Truth. Whether its self inquiry or meditation depends on your attitude. If its the first attitude its self inquiry, if its the 2nd attitude its meditation. What happens during the practice, whether thoughts are let go of, or you're questioning doesn't matter, you'll naturally do whatever makes sense, but one will dominate the other, or the style at which the practice is done is reflected in the attitude you have at the time. 

[Nak Khid]

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

VIDEO: Self-Enquiry & Mindfulness Meditation 

[diamondpenguin]

@electroBeam but what's the difference in the two techniques?

[Nak Khid]

7 hours ago, diamondpenguin said:

@electroBeam but what's the difference in the two techniques?

He explains it well but I don't agree with his preference.

 

Mindful meditation  being aware when a thought or feeling arises, acknowledging it is there and letting it disappear.
In Burmese Therveda (Vipassana) this is done by "noting"  
A thought comes you label it "thought "  this makes it pass easily. You are not listening to the thought's issue. You are watching what your mind does naturally. It has thoughts and feelings. You act like an outside observer so these thoughts and feelings may pass quickly and there there is a short nothingness in between which you experience. Another thought arises, then it falls. You don't cling to them.
You are not trying to solve problems. You are letting go of thought.  They come and then they go.
This trains you not to be reactive to the automatic way that thoughts and feelings come in to you head and at the same time experience the stillness between the thoughts. You don't try to stop the thoughts. You become aware of them in order not to cling to them, you notice "there's that one again" . You are not trying to solve a problem, you can do that when you are not meditating. You are learning not to fear these things, to have a set period of time where they do not bother you.  You may still feel bother by one. Note feeling  bothered and move on. 

Do Nothing meditation Zen mediation is often the above type, Mindful meditation, being aware of one's breath, and thoughts how they rise and fall and paying attentions to one's breath which also rises and falls and has it's natural irregularities.  However certain practitioners have also mentioned "do nothing" meditation.  This is similar to mindful meditation, for given amount of time you sit with back straight and do nothing bu there is no there requirement other than you don't try to do anything. 

Self Inquiry  you ask yourself "who am I" ?   You turn inward to ask "who is doing the questioning" .  There is no one at the bottom of that.   Again you feel there is, again "who am I"?     This is internal you are not focusing on random thoughts you are focusing on this question.  Where are the thoughts and feelings coming from? Who is really having them?  Is there anything really there? 

Concentration meditation  (Samatha tranquility meditation) you decide on something to focus on, a random word or set of words repeated over and over again with eyes closed (vocalizing optional)  or with eyes open on a candle or a visual point.   Your mind drifts and then you remind your self of the focal point.
You are not trying to be aware of things , thoughts and feelings to train your self no to be reactive to them like in mindfulness.
And you are not asking yourself who you are.    You have selected a random focal point and are using concentration to keep your attention there repetitiously.  This leads to tranquility and focusing ability , like a baby been rocked to awakeness.  Transcendental mediation is one of the forms of this type. Also similar to prayer and devotion

Trance,  repetitious sensory stimulus is used, sometimes sound and music, sometimes body movement,  , could include intense breathing techniques or hallucinogens, sometimes done with other people or shamanic guides.  Varying combinations of these things 
 This is to inspire visionary experience and changes in physical perception and mystical experiences 

Edited June 9, 2020 by Nak Khid

[knakoo]

To me self inquiry is simply focusing my consciousness on itself. I know when I am "spot on" because it feels ecstatic and my ego gets out of the way. So to me this practice is more a question of focus than anything else. I just focus very hard until I find the "right spot" so to speak. I don't have a particularly curious mindset when I do it. But now I am curious to try this curiosity mindset

Also I noticed that doing this self inquiry stimulates the pineal gland for me. It is very noticeable when I do it on LSD, because my "third eye" gets very stimulated and it gets incredibly ecstatic. 

Did anyone else find a connection between this type of practice and pineal gland stimulation ?

[whatthefucksgoinon]

Self-Inquiry is way better if done correctly, this video should show you how to do it properly 

 

[kireet]

in mediation , you are noticing your mind (third person), while in self inquiry you are concentrating on the emptiness  within you