Q) What is self-inquiry?
A) Inquiring about Silence through silence (no-thought or no-mind state).
Q) Can you explain further?
A) No, it is not possible, but will try to make a futile attempt.
Let us say you are looking for an answer to a question. What will you do? (I will ask someone.) Let us say in this case, you ask someone and that person does not know, or even if that person knows the answer he/she will not be able to express it as it would be inexpressible, then what will you do? (No idea.) Under such circumstances where there is no external source available for finding the answer then we try to look within for an answer. This does not mean that you are looking with your eyes into your physical body. Looking within means you are introspecting and interacting with your mind and questioning its existence. As you keep doing this, there will be a stage beyond which mind cannot give you an answer. Then you automatically enter into silence. Through this silence (the no-thought state) you enter into the Silence/ Stillness. In this Stillness you will see the Truth and understand that what you see as reality is only an illusion which the so called mind has created it.
Q) I understand it a bit, but how to reach that state?
A) Generally there are various kinds of techniques that are prescribed. Most of these techniques are based upon some or the other breathing patterns.
Q) Do you mean to say....if I follow these techniques can I get to self-realization?
A) No.
Q) Then why should I follow these techniques?
A) These techniques allow us to quieten our minds, our thought processes.
The path in which such techniques are involved is called as progressive path. And in all progressive paths there is a seeker and something to be sought which the seeker is seeking for. Over a period of time the seeker gets into a state where he/she will start questioning the existence of a path. Then the seeker reaches a void and changes from the progressive path to direct path. In the direct path the seeker can quieten the mind faster and straight tries to reach to the source. This source is Nothingness or Emptiness.
Q) So do you mean to say that progressive path is not to be taken?
A) No. The progressive path is very important and it is the one path (among many) that one follows so that one can quieten the mind and take it away from its natural wandering. But once the natural wandering of the mind is stopped then mind can be taken inside and starts questioning about its existence. Since the mind has no real existence it cannot answer and gets disappeared. Then the natural substratum of Silence which was ever present appears clearly as if we are able to see the sun after the clouds have vanished.
Q) What are the main differences between these two paths?
A) Actually there are no paths in spirituality. It is only our illusion and the state in which our minds are. In the progressive path there is a seeker and there is something to be sought by the seeker. In direct path, the seeker questions - "what is being sought?"; "who the seeker is?"; and "where is this seeker existing?" There are no answers for these questions. But, when these questions are framed, then the seeker, the thing being sought and the questions all become one by dissolving their existence in the Stillness and by dissolving into Stillness they lose their existence. This is where the state of noumenon happens and it is a Natural state. The seeker comes to a realization that he/she is already that which is being sought.
Q) So you mean to say that Self-inquiry means I am inquiring about my self?
A) No. You are inquiring about your Self (the True Self) with your self (an illusory existence). As the True Self surfaces out (in reality we get more aware of it) then the little self slowly (sometimes all of a sudden) disappears. This surfacing of True Self or getting aware of the True Self they call it as awakening.
