Read time 4 minutes. Self-Inquiry is a stand alone article in our Who Am I series.
In earlier lessons, I introduced the practice of self-inquiry and its central question: Who am I? Over the next few writings, we will explore the nuances of this approach, why it is so effective, and how it can be applied in practice. Today, let’s look at the unique advantages of self-inquiry and the subtle ways it can begin to shift our understanding.
The limitations of language
Recently, I’ve been texting with an old friend about many of the concepts we explore here. On the one hand, his fresh perspective has been invaluable. On the other, it has revealed just how much the limitations of language complicate these teachings.
Take the phrase radical acceptance. To those already familiar with the practice, it sounds straightforward, even liberating. But look at the dictionary and you find trouble. Acceptance can mean willingness to tolerate—but it can also imply consent or agreement. Life will not always be pleasant, and we are not required to be happy about that fact. Perhaps allowing is closer to the mark. But even this word carries its own baggage.
Language stumbles. Yet self-inquiry cuts through these complications.
The purity of self-inquiry
For many schools, self-inquiry is the sole component of the path toward realization. It is direct, simple, and striking in its effectiveness.
Pema Chödrön said it well: “The most profound teachings are often the simplest.”
- Clarity and simplicity: Self-inquiry bypasses much of the intellectual weight of ritual and study. It asks us only to bring a question into our day: Who am I?
- Freedom from ego-identification: Rather than attacking the ego, the practice shifts awareness itself. Experiences still happen to the ego, but they no longer define us. Nisargadatta Maharaj reminds us: “To be aware of the self is the only reality. All else is merely a distraction.”
- Authentic experience: Asking “Who am I?” is not abstract philosophy—it is an encounter. It confronts ego directly and evolves each time it is asked. Ramana Maharshi clarifies: “The inquiry ‘Who am I?’ is not a mental exercise. It is diving into oneself and realizing that the self is not the body or mind but the awareness behind them.”
Centrally focused self-inquiry
Nisargadatta Maharaj’s teachings, though broad, continually return to this practice. With sustained focus, he argued, self-inquiry reveals the true self and initiates lasting change.
He deliberately avoided step-by-step instructions. His method was personal investigation, not logical persuasion. Consider his guidance: “Just realize the one mover behind all that moves and leave it all to Him. If you do not hesitate or cheat, this is the shortest way to reality. Stand without desire and fear, relinquishing all control and responsibility.”
For Western students, such teaching may feel vague. Yet that is the point—truth is discovered through experience, not convincing arguments.
A path to surrender
Ramana Maharshi taught that self-inquiry and surrender are two sides of the same practice. To ask Who am I? is to momentarily dislodge the ego’s centrality. When other thoughts arise, we ask: To whom is this thought occurring? The answer is always the same: to me. Then we return, again and again, to the question: Who am I?
Ramana also pointed to radical surrender: resting in faith that Tao—or the Self—is the sole cause and mover of all that happens. Some may find this surrender natural, even relieving. For others, it may feel daunting. Either way, the power of the practice lies in repetition and sincerity.
The caution remains: do not allow this question to degrade into a hollow mantra. Its power is in depth, not habit. Each time the inquiry is asked with presence, awareness shifts. Slowly, the false self loosens, and what remains is the field of awareness itself.
Explore more:
Self-inquiry can be incorporated seamlessly into our lives throughout the course of a normal day. That said, this is not a hard and fast rule. This article on Emily Light Yoga offers a meditation directed at letting go of the ego. Becoming comfortable with a more formal practice such as this will help set the groundwork of the experiential understanding I discussed a moment ago. The comfort that we gain in formal practice translates easily into our oftentimes more hectic lives and activities.
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