vichara

inquiry

In our world, inquiry may be the most important aspect to human life. Without inquiry, we’d go about our days without much depth, without much true connection or meaning. We would be sleep walking. Inquiry holds the potential to make the most trivial pieces of the human experience into conscious pieces of the puzzle and of the inner journey. Inquiry lends a curiosity to go beyond the mundane and dive into the deeper mysteries of this life, to learn from lessons of life, to notice synchronicities as guidance on the journey, etc. There are many different approaches to inquiry and we are not for or against any modalities. We honor any spark of curiosity that makes one look within.

In the lineage of Advaita Vedanta, we look closely at Who Am I? This is a question that takes us deep and directly to the heart of the human condition, including all the qualities of identity, suffering, pleasure and pain. In short, it takes us beyond the perceived duality. Asking this question - Who Am I? - unveils our conditioning, roles, beliefs, and accumulated stuff. We get to see what is truly ours, what is our true nature.

No matter the method we use to journey within, we believe that the subjects and topics addressed on this site are of value, to a certain extent. At the end of the day, we are forced to move beyond any concepts, ideas and practices to truly be with what is. However, these topics and deep dives serve any path and any practitioner, as we end up facing ourselves and our conditioning as we dive within. These topics has the potential to make our path and life conscious, in every way.

As all parts of this site, the content will evolve as we go, whereas each topic will get fleshed out and contextualized more over time. Please also note that what is listed here, will often intimately correlate to what is shared in the Sadhana section. The overlap is inevitable. If you have questions or topics that you would like to see addressed on this site, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

MOVING BEYOND THE METHOD
An important point to make, however, is that one does not need a practice or philosophical concepts to see the Truth, or to move beyond the dualistic experience of life. If we look closely enough, the reality that we seek is already here as the substratum of our experience (though we get side tracked by distractions and miss the obvious). The shifts of perspective and expanded awareness is something that can happen spontaneously, even to people that have never looked within, or gradually over time - with or without a practice. The dogmas about practice, and the beliefs that certain types of practices are above others are merely blinding. However, what we discuss on this site are useful tools to start and/or refine the internal investigation. These concept and ideas can be applied anywhere along the journey - or every step of the way.

At the end of the day, we have to come to grips with the fact that a practice and philosophical ideas are merely that - part of the divine play and illusion. Some may argue that practices and philosophies serve to prepare the mind to befriend the uncertain - the new terrain of expanded awareness, which is the flip side of the same coin of illusion. No matter what stance we take about these matters, intellectually, we have to drop ALL concepts and ideas - including practices - to really see That which is beyond. So, as you move through the content on this site, don’t miss the forest for the trees or confuse the ocean with the waves. But, to make it even more complex, know that it is all the same.