Self-Inquiry

Behind every thought is a thinker, or so it seems. Self-inquiry turns the attention around and looks straight at the one who is looking. The question is simple: who am I? The answer is not a sentence. It is the silence that opens when the question is asked with all your heart.

OriginsThe Root of the Practice

Sri Ramana Maharshi, the sage of Arunachala, made this practice the center of his teaching in the twentieth century, drawing on the ancient wisdom of Advaita Vedanta. The Upanishads speak of the same Self, tat tvam asi, that thou art. In the Christian East the same turning appears in the word of Christ: the kingdom of God is within you. The mountain is one, and many paths climb it.

The WayWhat the Practice Teaches

When a thought arises, ask: to whom does this thought come? The answer is: to me. Then ask: who is this I? You do not reach for an answer. You follow the feeling of “I” back to its source, again and again, until the thought of self falls quiet and only a bright, impersonal awareness remains. The question is not a puzzle to solve but a lamp that shows where you stand.

BeginHow to Practice

1. Sit quietly and let the mind show its usual activity.
2. When any thought, feeling, or sensation arises, ask: to whom does this come?
3. Answer simply: to me. Then ask: who am I?
4. Do not look for a concept. Trace the sense of “I” back to its root.
5. When the thought of self dissolves, rest in the quiet that remains.
6. If thoughts rush back, ask again, patiently and without strain.

HarvestThe Fruit

The sense of being a small, separate self begins to loosen. A deep, unforced peace appears, the peace of being rather than becoming. Life is lived from the heart rather than from the story.