Gentle Healing 2 ~ Day 312 – s/Self-Inquiry

Today, Inner Ramana introduces us to self-inquiry and Self-inquiry, which are two different forms of inquiry. You were introduced to both forms of inquiry in Gentle Healing Year 1, and you’ve been using both forms of inquiry ever since you were introduced to them. As you will see, these are not new practices for you.

We practice self-inquiry whenever we question thought in order to discover false beliefs or to notice that thought isn’t me. Some forms of self-inquiry are Root Cause Inquiry and Byron Katie’s, “The Work.” Another form of self-inquiry is the form that’s taught through Inner Ramana. That is asking, “Who thinks this thought?” (For example, “Who wishes she would stop talking?” or “What says, ‘I am too busy to meditate?’)

Through self-inquiry, you see the attachment to mind, and then you can choose to break the attachment to mind. When I say, “You  see the attachment to mind,” and “You  break the attachment to mind,” I am referring to awareness, because that is what you are.

When you become aware that you (awareness) are giving believing-attention to mind, you (awareness) can shift attention and break the attachment to mind.

Remember, you are not mind. You are the one that casts attention on mind as if it is you.

We practice Self-inquiry when we put attention on awareness instead of mind. Self-inquiry is looking deeply at awareness until awakening to infinite awareness occurs. Awareness-watching-awareness is a form of Self-inquiry.

When you read today’s reading, do not read the last paragraph too quickly. It’s very important to see when you think mental chatter is you  thinking. The last paragraph of today’s reading teaches us to use self-inquiry to discover that belief.