Meditation and the Art of Self Enquiry
Self-inquiry is commonly understood as the process by which one may discover the answer to the question of who or what am I? Yes it’s OK to stop reading at this point if this is a topic which has not yet captured your imagination…
Self-inquiry is an art; the mastery of which lies in the ability to receive answers to profound questions from a source beyond the psychological self. The key to effective self-inquiry is in how one asks the question.
The question must be asked from a state of simple openness; a meditative state. A state of meditation requires allowing oneself to slip into a space of deep relaxation and peace. The key to deep relaxation is nothing more than the willingness to allow everything to be as it is.
You do not need to quieten the mind via forced concentration, you need simply allow any “noise” to be as it is. It is in the acceptance of tension that relaxation can be found; it is in the acceptance of conflict that peace can be found; and it is in the acceptance of noise that silence can be found.
The purpose of self-inquiry is to provide an opening in the mind, through which the true answer to a question may be directly experienced.
For further direction on effective self-inquiry, the following resources are recommended:
Self Inquiry and its practice, David Frawley
Adyashanti, True Meditation
Sri Rajiv Kapur, Journey back to the self
Self-inquiry community group
New Earth Nation