The practice of Self-Inquiry or Atma Vichara as it is known in the ancient Sanskrit texts of Advaita Vedanta stems from the time of the Rishis in India.
It was brought into the modern era principally by one of its greatest exponents; Sri Ramana Maharshi; the peerless Sage of Arunachala.
In answer to various people’s questions on Self-Inquiry, the Maharshi often would say; 'go back the way you came.' Some would take his words as being something of a brush off, but in actuality, he was giving a profound teaching and heart advice by way of these few simple words.
To go back the way we came means to turn the mind towards its 'source;' towards our true nature from which this world and everything in it has arisen.
1. What is Self-Inquiry?
Self-Inquiry takes the energy of the mind, which is normally dispersed and attentive mostly to external happenings and drives it back towards the source from which it arises.
Continue reading in Return to Forever
"I AM THAT I AM (Exodus) implies that the
proof of Existence is Existence itself."
Adapted from Ramana Maharshi's Truth Revealed
Self-Inquiry takes the energy of the mind, which is normally dispersed and attentive mostly to external happenings and drives it back towards the source from which it arises.
Continue reading in Return to Forever
