Self Inquiry and Its Practice
By Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastry)
Many different types of meditation are practiced throughout the world. The
Vedantic tradition of India has counterparts for most of these, from meditation
on deities to that on the various aspects of consciousness. Of these different
meditation techniques Self-inquiry (Atma-vichara), a self-introspection
approach, is generally considered to be the most significant.
Self-inquiry is a process of meditation that involves tracing the root of
thought to its origin in the heart. It shows us how to take our
ego-consciousness back to the Divine I am at the core of our being in which all
sense of separate self disappears. Self-inquiry is the most important approach
of the Yoga of Knowledge (Jnana Yoga), which is traditionally regarded as the
highest of the Yogas.
Self-inquiry is the culminating practice through which Self-realization –
the realization of our true nature beyond mind and body – can be achieved. It
is emphasized in the entire Vedantic tradition since the Upanishads and
the Bhagavad Gita. Many texts of Advaita or non-dualistic Vedanta
describe it in detail, particularly the works of Shankaracharya, but also Ashtavakra
Samhita, Avadhuta Gita, Yoga Vasishta and Adhyatma
Ramayana.
In modern times Self-inquiry is known primarily through Ramana Maharshi
(1978-1950), the great sage of South India, who emphasized it as his main
teaching. Ramana was a towering figure, a “spiritual Hercules” as Sri Aurobindo
described him, a sage who achieved Self-realization after a mere twenty minute
spontaneous meditation when he was but a lad of sixteen. Historically
Self-inquiry has been a common practice among Swamis of the Vedantic orders.
There remains a strong Self-inquiry tradition in India today, particularly
among the Swamis of the south. Through the world-wide popularity of Ramana
Maharshi’s teachings people of all backgrounds have begun to attempt this
practice.
Method of Self-Inquiry
The process of Self-inquiry is so simple that it can be explained in a few
words. One traces the root of one’s thoughts back to the I-thought, from which
all other thoughts arise and diverge. This is initiated by the question “Who am
I?” or similar questions about one’s true identity.
All our thoughts are based directly or indirectly on the thought the self.
Our thoughts consist of two components: a subjective factor – I, me or mine –
and an objective factor – a state, condition or object with which we are
involved – our own body and mind or external circumstances like our
relationships, possessions or activities. We get caught in the object portion
and fail to look within to see our true nature apart from these external
conditioning influences.
The result is that the pure I or I-in-itself remains unknown to us. All
that we call ourselves is but a conglomerate “I am this” or “this is mine,”
with the subject confused with an object. Our self becomes a self-image, a
subject in the guise of an object, in which our intrinsic nature is lost, along
with our dignity as a conscious being. We become a mere name and form, a
commodity in the outer world to be used and exploited. Self-inquiry consists of
detaching from the object portion to discover the pure Subject, so that we can
become liberated from all external limitations.
The truth is that we don’t know who we really are. What we call our Self is
only some thought, emotion or sensation that we are temporarily identified
with. We are trapped in ideas that we are happy or sad, good or bad, foolish or
wise, but do not know the Self who experiences these changing qualities. Our
lives are shrouded in ignorance about our true nature, starting with our bodily
identity, the idea that we are no more than this changing physical vesture. As
long as we don’t question this process we must come to sorrow.
However, Self-inquiry does not mean merely to repeat the question Who am I?
over and over again in our minds. This becomes an exercise in mental activity
that breeds fatigue. It means searching
for our true Self in all that we do, which is more a matter of observation than
analysis, looking to the Self that is behind our various activities of
breathing, eating, feeling, thinking and acting. Other questions can be
helpful like “What am I?” or “Who is the experiencer?,” or “Who is the seer?.”
Any type of self-introspection, in which we try to look dispassionately at who
we are and the results of our actions, moves us in this direction.
Self-inquiry requires that we have a fundamental doubt about who we are
that rejects all outer identifications. It is as if one had amnesia and didn’t
know who one was and had to give full attention to the matter before anything
else could be done. Self-inquiry is not
an intellectual or a psychological inquiry but an inquiry with one’s entire
energy and attention. It requires a full and one-pointed concentration, not
interrupted by the intrusion of other thoughts.
True Self-inquiry is not just questioning the limitation of our outer
identity, like our family, political or religious affiliations – whether one is
a wife, a father, a Christian, Hindu or communist. It questions our internal
identity as an embodied being and as a mind. It does not stop short with some
general identity as a human, cosmic or spiritual being but rejects any
formation of thought. It directs us back to the pure “I” that has no identity
with any form of objectivity, physical or mentalm, that is in the world but not
of it. The true Self is not only beyond
human distinctions, it is beyond all conceivable divisions of time and space,
name and form, birth and death. It is beyond all experience as the experiencer
or observer of all.
The thought current naturally moves back to the Self to the extent that we
do not preoccupy our minds with outside stimulation. The problem is that the
senses present so many distractions that it is difficult to look within. Self-inquiry means to constantly question
and try to reverse this process of extroversion, holding our awareness in the
heart.
Self-inquiry leads us ultimately to the experience of the Absolute in which
the phenomenal world becomes little more than a mirage of the mind and senses.
It goes far beyond the discovery of some greater self, human or creative
potential. It is called the direct way to the Absolute.
Self-Inquiry and Other Meditational Practices
Self-inquiry, it should be noted, is a kind of mental activity, though of a
special nature. It is not an attempt to suppress thought or to hold the mind in
a blank or empty state, which can be another trap that prevents real
transformation. Self-inquiry does not teach that all thought is bad but, in
fact, that one form of thinking is necessary for liberation. It teaches us to
use the mind in the right way, which is to turn it into a tool of inquiry.
Self-inquiry requires much thoughtfulness, particularly in its preliminary
phases, and the development of a strong mental discipline. Unless we have resolved our problems through deep examination it is
useless, not to mention impossible, to stop the mind from thinking.
One may ask how Self-inquiry, a mental activity, can empty or silence the mind?
Does not mental activity increase mental activity? It is not possible for the
mind to be empty if its contents have not been released. Mental activity
springs from a source, the “I-thought.” We must go to the root of something to
change it. This is to return to the I-thought in order to go beyond all other
thoughts. Holding to the I-thought destroys all other thoughts.
Hence Self-inquiry is not a kind of passive mindfulness in which we focus
on being aware of something, like our breath, hands or an activity that we may
be doing. Self-inquiry does not say “Be aware of your breath” but, rather, “Who
is breathing?” or “Who is really alive?” It does not say “Be mindful of your
body,” but rather asks “Are you the body?”
Similarly, Self-inquiry is not a form of concentration, in which we try to
concentrate on one object, like a mantra, to the exclusion of all others. It is
concentration on the Self where our attention automatically returns whatever
else we may try to do. We cannot completely concentrate on anything else unless
we first know ourselves. Otherwise the I-thought must arise and break the
continuity of our concentration. Rather
than fighting the I-thought and trying to return to an object of concentration,
Self-inquiry concentrates on the I-thought to put an end to other thoughts.
Self-inquiry is
also not an attempt to be good or to make ourselves better. It is questioning
the reality of the entity who we think is either good or bad, can either
improve or degenerate. It questions our efforts to be this or that and says
that without knowing ourselves, without eliminating the root of the ego, it is
of no lasting benefit to try to become anything, however great or noble.
Above all
Self-inquiry is not an ordinary mental activity, a form of philosophical
speculation or psychological analysis. It is not seeking any mental answer and
has no conceptual result. While Self-inquiry leads to the absolute truth, which
can be called the pure I or Self, the name is only a pointer. One can call it
God, knowledge, enlightenment, Buddha or whatever one likes but it is not a
state defined according to an idea, or in which mental recognition can occur.
Self-inquiry is questioning of the validity of all entities and conclusions
created by the mind.
This does not mean
that practices like mindfulness, ethical disciplines, mantra, pranayama or the
study of scriptures do not have their place, but that these are supportive to
Self-inquiry or an alternative line of approach. To follow ethical
disciplines, to place the body in a comfortable position, to deepen the breath,
to withdraw the mind from sensory stimulation, to develop concentration and
other yogic practices, should be done, but we should not stop there but proceed
to Self-inquiry. Only a rare individual
can proceed directly to Self-inquiry and even he or she can benefit by such
preliminary practices.
The Practice of Self-Inquiry
Self-inquiry can be done at all times, places and circumstances. It does
not require knowledge of special yoga techniques. It does not require that we
otherwise try to overtly change ourselves or what we are doing. It only requires that we place our
attention on the source from which thought naturally springs. This,
however, is one of the most difficult of all things because it requires control
of the wavering and fickle mind. Yet there are several things that can help
promote it.
Self-inquiry is
done most easily when we are sitting alone, particularly in nature. The outer nature
is the door to the inner nature. It provides the space and peace that allows
the mind to return to its source. In nature, apart from our personal
involvements, we can more easily inquire into who we really are, into not only
the meaning of human life but that of cosmic existence.
We can practice
Self-inquiry when we are around other people, but this requires more effort
because social contact pulls the mind outward. It is important
therefore to reduce our outer activities and social contacts to aid in
Self-inquiry. Generally in India Self-inquiry is not done in a group setting,
in a standardized manner or according to a specific course of practice. It is
mainly done on an individual basis, though communion between practitioners is
encouraged as is specific instruction from the teacher.
To practice
Self-inquiry while we are engaged in action we can call to mind the inquiry
“Who is the doer?” In this way we will not let our actions dominate our
awareness. This in fact gives us better skill in action because it removes any
ego distortions from what we are attempting to do.
Perhaps the
easiest way to approach to Self-inquiry is to learn to discriminate between the
seer and the seen.
First, one discriminates
the seer from objects in the external world, like looking at a the leaves of a
tree blowing in the wind. One holds to the eye as the seer and what the eye
sees as the seen, noting that fluctuations in external objects do not cause the
eye to change. One’s power of seeing remains constant through the various
objects seen.
Second, one discriminates
the seer from the sense organs. In this instance the mind is the seer and the
senses are the seen. There are several senses and each one varies in acuity but
the seer of the senses is constant and not altered by their fluctuations. For
example, the seer of the eye is not tarnished by any impairments in the eye,
like loss of visual acuity.
Third, one discriminates
between the seer and mental states. The self is the seer and the mind is the
seen. Thoughts and feelings continually change but their seer, if we look
deeply, remains the same. Our seeing as a child and as an adult is the same
seeing, not only of external objects but of our internal thoughts and feelings.
Fourth, one discriminates
between the seer and the ego, between the pure-I or higher Self and and the
lower self, the I identified with body, emotion or thought. We learn to observe
ourselves and our personal limitations, as external forms like our house or our
car. We see the ego as various mental conditions but not the true Self that is
beyond the mind. The pure Self devoid of
external associations can then shine forth. One then strives to abide in that
state of pure awareness.
An in this process is to negate external objects as not the Self or not I.
Then one can negate internal thoughts and feelings, including the ego itself.
Whatever one can perceive as an object externally or internally is not the Self
who is the witness of all.
Judging One’s Practice
Even a beginner can benefit from the practice of Self-inquiry. It is not
difficult to begin the process of Self-inquiry and experience a shift in our
sense of self. Our thoughts begin to subside as we realize that what we have
called our self is largely only an identification of the I with some thought or
feeling that is external and transient. We see that the more our thoughts
deviate from Self-awareness, the more confusion and suffering is created. Yet though this process is not difficult to
initiate, it is difficult to sustain.
Most of us will discover that we can practice Self-inquiry for a time,
perhaps extending through several months or years but that it is hard to
maintain it as a primary or ongoing practice. It is not a practice like
pranayama or mantra that can be done in a routine manner. There is no
particular structure or ceremony to it. It is not a step by step process with
different levels and angles that can be easily mapped out. It remains at the
center but to get to the center and stay there is not that easy. While we make
some headway with it, we often reach a barrier that is hard to cross. While it is easy to get rid of superficial
identifications like those of a political or social nature, it is much more
difficult to break our identification with our own body, emotions, and
memories.
Self-inquiry is also a difficult practice to judge. Because it has no real
stages one can wonder whether one is making any progress at all, or one can
imagine great progress when there is none. The
easiest way to determine one’s progress is detachment, peace and equanimity of
mind.
If one is going deeply into the practice one will experience a state of
Samadhi in which one goes beyond body- and ego-consciousness, the ordinary mind
gets dissolved and time and space disappear. Yet false Samadhis can occur,
which is why the guidance of a genuine teacher remains important. This,
however, is not easy to find.
True teachers of Self-inquiry are often reclusive and seldom take on many
students, usually only those who are ready for intense practice. Those who make a big outer display of being
teachers of this direct path and who gather large numbers of people around
themselves are often those who failed to finish their practice, which is
generally long and arduous.
People fail at
Self-inquiry for two reasons: either they haven’t prepared the ground for it
properly or they haven’t been consistent in their practice.
In fact very few people who begin the practice of Self-inquiry continue
with it as their primary practice and most eventually abandon it altogether.
While an instant enlightenment path, becoming immediately the Self of all,
is an appealing concept that can arouse a temporary enthusiasm, it usually
requires lifetimes, not merely years of deep practice.
Therefore it is best to approach Self-inquiry as a long term process, not
seeking immediate results. One should first aim at a regular practice, for
example, half an hour morning and evening, after other yogic or meditational
practices to prepare the mind, and continue this for some time before judging
the efficacy of what one is doing.
In the ultimate truth the Self is the reality and our inquiry into it and
all else that we do is merely a fiction of thought. Yet this fiction of thought
is not personal but includes the entire universe.
It is the great Maya of the
Lord (Bhagavan) that requires not only our own selfless effort but Divine grace
in order to cross over it.
Peace love harmony