Self-Inquiry

Self-inquiry is about inquiring or investigating towards what is the 'I' that 'the thinking' in the mind that thinks and believes as the 'existence' of a permanent independent non-decaying unchanging immortal infinite 'I' or self/individual/being/entity/identity that 'exists' in this physical body and mind, that has been under going ceaseless rounds and rounds of 'reincarnation', or 'rebirth', or 'transitioning' in countless different mortal impermanent names and forms that are subject to decay, changes, and disintegration, or 'death', that inevitably leads to another 'birth', endlessly and restlessly.

It's about inquiring or investigating towards what the thinking mind is about, or what is the selfless impermanent function or the restless modification of the perceptive, cognitive, assertive, intellectual, emotional, reasoning, understanding, remembering, learning, experimenting, knowing, thinking, desiring, projecting, anticipating, acting/reacting, enjoying and suffering mind, basically.

There is a thinking or an idea in the mind that is acknowledging and identifying itself as 'I', that thinks and believes that it is, or has, a permanent independent non-decaying unchanging immortal infinite ancient and all time individual identity (which doesn't exist at all).

Simultaneously, the direct self-realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence deriving from the self-inquiry inquiring towards the restless selfless impermanent modification of the thinking mind will also be leading towards realizing or knowing the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of diverse names and forms that come under many different qualities, that leads to the realization of non-separateness or oneness, that gives rise to effortless or intentionless non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-possessiveness and non-discrimination (Param Vairagya, or the end of practice), that enabling the mind to be resting in unconditional peace, effortlessly, under any condition or situation, void of violence, disturbance, hurt, painful sorrow, or suffering.

Self-inquiry towards the truth of 'I', as well as the truth of all kinds of names and forms, is being implemented by inquiring the truth of the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism about impermanence and selflessness, as well as the mind perception of suffering. Such as, "What is selflessness?" and "What is impermanence?", or "Why is it selfless?" and "Why is it impermanent?", or "What is there that is not selfless?" and "What is there that is permanent?", or "Is this something selfless or not selfless?" and "Is this something impermanent or permanent?", or "What is the perceptive cognitive assertive emotional thinking mind?" and "What is the physical body with the senses and sense organs and the different bodily systems?", or "What is (the mind is everything, everything is the mind, and without the mind, there is no world)?" and "What is Silence/Samadhi/the annihilation of the mind?", or "What is suffering?" and "Why is there suffering?", or "What is the root cause of suffering?" and "How to be free from suffering?", or "Who is suffering?" and "What is liberation?", or "What is unconditional peace?" and "How to attain/realize unconditional peace?", or "What is yoga?" and "What is the yoga practice and the aim/goal of the yoga practice?", and not least, "What is self-realization?" or "What is 'I'?"

Without a calm, quiet, pure and open mind that is not being conditioned or influenced by any particular worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief/disbelief, ideas, values and practice to reason everything, and if without the initiative and openness to be reasoning anything, self-inquiry is not possible.

All kinds of yoga and meditation practice, particularly dispassion and renunciation (seclusion, solitude, and silence), if being performed under correct understanding, right effort and right attitude, served the purpose of calming, quieting, purifying and opening the mind, preparing the mind for self-inquiry.

Self-inquiry can be happening either intentionally (profound reasoning under a purified intellect towards a chosen subject or particular name and form to be reflecting upon) or intentionlessly (effortless direct intuitive insight without intention), upon the absence of egoism, impurities and restlessness in the mind.

Above all, it begins with non-blind believing/disbelieving, non-blind following, non-blind denying, non-blind agreeing/disagreeing, non-(blind) worshiping, non-blind practicing, and non-blind propagating.