Had a conversation with an American friend, he was asking me about which practice to do for enlightenment... I told him there is the gradual approach that emphasizes experience, and a direct approach that emphasizes investigation and direct realization, for example the practice of self-inquiry.
So he asked me how to practice self-inquiry. I said, it is to question yourself, Who am I?
Of course like most people, they aren't satisfied with simple answers, and want more details and explanation.. I said to him, there is no how. It is a matter of investigation. I said, don't think, don't conceptualize, don't intellectualize what you are. Just keep questioning yourself, Who am I? What am I, really? Nevertheless, the mind is bound to intellectualize things. Can't help it, the mind simply has a tendency to chatter, a tendency and desire to 'figure things out'.
But if and when they do arise with answers like 'I am so and so', just see it for what it is - a thought story you spun about yourself, but it is not the actuality of what you are. So look directly at what you Actually are. Even without thoughts... what are you? Simply investigate, and look.
There is really nothing much to it... your mind wants a systematic method as it wants to make sure it's 'on the right track', yet self-inquiry just isn't a systematic method that tells you 'here's what you have to do: 1), 2), 3), and in doing so you get 1), 2), 3) etc'... this is not a systematic method of practice. This is just an investigation, and you need to be curious, that's all.
Then, he told me that it's tough with all the concepts and thinking and philosophizing going on in his mind and the tendency to jump to a conclusion.
I said, just see that all concepts are simply labels and words... but the word is not the thing, like the word 'moon' is not the real moon. Same goes for 'presence, awareness, being' etc. So once it is seen, drop the pointer (the word) and look at actuality.
I also told him that along the way, there will be many times he may wonder "is this it"... it has happened to me hundreds of times. This is because through self inquiry you will often experience the sense of presence, spaciousness, awareness, mirror like quality etc. But just know that these are experiences. (See this article: Realization and Experience and Non-Dual Experience from Different Perspectives)
He asked, "how do you know when 'that's it'?"
I answered,
Realization comes when you realize the fact of being... and have utter certainty and conviction. Then you will no longer doubt and ask whether "this is it"... you will see that you can't deny it even if you want to.
He said, "oh ok, a non-conceptual knowing rather than an intellectual/logical conclusion".
I agreed and clarified, this is about a non-conceptual realization. It is like those 'try to find the figure in this picture' sort of thing, you simply realize it is so. It's like trying to find the cow in this picture: http://www.thelogician.net/2b_phenome_nology/2b_appendix_3.htm. It's there all along but needs to be realized. It's a non-conceptual realization of an undeniable fact of existence. Like the 'find the figure in this picture' thing, you don't need to figure it out logically - you need to see it. And no amount of intellectualizing helps just as no intellectualizing will help you see the figure in the picture... you just need to keep looking, keep investigating. There is no steps and systematic method to figure it out, no 'how' - just keep looking and investigating and you will get it. And once you see it, you can no longer unsee it.
Well said.
I think this is a very interesting dialogue, one befitting of textbook status.
Thanks for sharing.
Haha, thanks... it's being published into my ebook and ejournal -
Here's a link to my
e-book/e-journal, which is not just a 'journal' but also contains
pointers/instructions (including the practice of self-inquiry and the
method of contemplation that leads to insights of non-duality and
anatta). These pointers and instructions are designed to quickly lead
readers to the realisation of their true nature without delays or
side-tracks – in fact I’d put it this way: you can never find a more
direct path to realization than the approach I have presented, this is
The Direct Path so to speak. If you find it helpful, pass the link along
to a friend :)
http://www.box.net/shared/3verpiao63
Thank you for the post and the website..
_/|\_