By Sundari
Though it is not essential to self-inquiry, it really helps to understand some of the history of Vedanta and its scriptural texts in order to fully grasp what it is and how it works. There is nothing else available to us that compares if you understand what Vedanta says about the true nature of your existence and of all Existence.
Vedanta – The Science of Consciousness
Veda Anta, Vedanta, is a doctrinal teaching at the end of the Vedas, which are the sacred, impersonal, and eternal scriptures of Hindu tradition. There are four Vedas; the first three pertain to the person living in the world, covering different aspects of physical life, and are for obtaining desired results. They are the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and lastly, the Atharva Veda. The last section of the fourth and last Veda deals exclusively with the true nature of reality as a nonduality and is called Vedanta, which literally means ‘the Knowledge that ends the quest for Knowledge’. Its main teachings are unfolded in the Upanishads, the Brahma Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita.
The Vedas form the ancient tradition called the Sanantana Dharma (the Eternal Way), which originated in what is now called India, but was once called Bharat, meaning the Land of Light—or “The People Who Uphold Righteousness”—between 6 000 – 7 000 years ago. This point has been argued by many scholars, but most agree that the Vedas are at least 3 500 old, making Vedanta the oldest scriptural teaching on the planet. But in truth, Vedanta has no age because it is not in time; it is the eternal truth of existence so has no beginning or end.
Although Vedanta originates from Vedic culture, the basic teaching is universal in that its fundamental principle is that reality is non-dual as opposed to a duality. It reveals that there is only one principle operating, in which everything has its origin and is made up of, and that is Consciousness. Therefore, Vedanta in essence is not specific to any culture, race, or religion as Consciousness does not “belong” to anyone. It is who we are. The methodology or means of knowledge Vedanta uses to unfold the eternal unchanging nondual teachings was developed and perfected by the Indian culture, most recently updated by Sri Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th Century AD.
Though the methodology of Vedanta is accredited to the Hindu religion, it is nonetheless, not part of any religion or philosophy. Many Indian people of today or long ago are and were as ignorant of the nondual teachings of the Vedas as any Westerner. Their focus, like most people on the planet, is making life work with as much ease as possible, which is why the first three Vedas teach exclusively how to do that. Only at the very end of the last Veda does Vedanta emerge for those who have realized that life is a zero-sum game and are ready for the ultimate teaching.
But in general, the big difference between the Indian and Western cultures is that the former is culturally steeped in and guided by a devotional attitude to the idea of God as universal and omnipresent, symbolized in any form or no form. Hence their pantheon of many God symbols and ubiquitous devotional rituals. Nonetheless, Vedanta spread throughout the East and West influencing the spiritual traditions of the whole world. It is the truth that underpins all truth, whether you are aware of it or not. The Sanatanana Dharma is alive and well, and always will be.
Vedanta is Independent of Any Person
Vedanta is taken to be a philosophy by many, but it predates all known religious or philosophical paths because it is independent of any person or path. It is a sruti, which means that which is heard, and it was originally transmitted orally. Another term used to describe Vedanta is apauruseya jnanam, meaning not the philosophy, belief, or experience of one person like a prophet or a mystic, as in the Buddha, Jesus, or Abraham. Religions and philosophical teachings are the personal fabrications, beliefs, and contentions of people, be they great thinkers or not. They are thus subject to the contamination of personal views, and of change. Vedanta is neither subject to change nor contaminated by personal views, though it can be taught or understood incorrectly. If the ego co-opts the teachings, what we call enlightenment sickness, they will definitely become corrupted. But that does not change the teachings. It only means that they will not work for their intended purpose, which is to end suffering by removing ignorance of your true nature.
The Science of Consciousness
Vedanta is a “brahma vidya” which means the Science of Consciousness. It is an objective and scientific analysis of the true nature of reality (and your experience), based on the facts. These facts are delivered in proofs called prakriyas. They are arrived at not with empirical proof but by negating all non-essential variables, leaving the one essential non-negatable fact: that you are conscious. You can never deny this as to do so, you must be conscious. The point is, how does being conscious relate to your identity, and how does knowledge of this set you free of suffering? Therein lies all the teaching of Vedanta.
Like any other science, Vedanta is not personal, and it has a methodology, which, if followed with great dedication and commitment, will provide irrefutable knowledge that is freedom from limitation and suffering, moksha, or Self-knowledge, if the student is qualified. Vedanta is simply the truth about you. Not your truth or my truth or anyone’s truth: The Truth.
The Truth, Self-knowledge, unlike object knowledge, stands on its own and is always true because it is true to the Self; meaning it cannot be dismissed or negated by any other knowledge. Self-knowledge is different from knowledge of objects, which is object-based, not subject based. Knowledge of objects is not knowledge unless it is true to the object. If I am looking at a dog and my eyes and mind are functional, I will not see a cat. If it is “my” knowledge, then it is my subjective interpretation of an object (pratibasika), which is not necessarily knowledge. Ignorance (or my point of view) causes me to see or experience objects in a certain way because of “my” conditioning, or premature cognitive commitments. People believe that ignorance is knowledge because they believe that what they experience is knowledge. It may be knowledge, but it may not be. Self-knowledge is neither confirmed nor negated by anyone’s opinions or experience because it is free of experience.
Vedanta is Revealed Knowledge
Vedanta is revealed tothe mind of man, not thought up by man, nor is it the result of any action on anyone’s part. Therefore, you can trust it. So, what do we mean by revealed? Don’t all religions claim this? What Vedanta means by revealed is simple. A good example of revealed knowledge is Einstein’s ‘discovery’ of the law of relativity and gravity or Thomas Edison’s discovery of electricity. To discover the means to uncover something that was there but previously unknown. Relativity, gravity, and electricity describe how the world works according to the laws of physics, not according to Einstein or Edison. Gravity, relativity, and electricity do not care if you believe in them. They operate the same way whether you understand what they are or not.
It is the same with Awareness. Awareness does not care if you have realized your true nature or not because it is unaffected by knowledge or ignorance. You are the Self whether you know it or not. Liberation from ignorance is for the apparent person who lives in the apparent reality. As Awareness, you have always been free, which is why moksa or freedom is discriminating you, Awareness, from the objects that appear in you, including ‘your’ body/mind. In other words, dis-identifying with the person as your primary identity, AND knowing what that means so that Self-knowledge translates into all areas of life. Vedanta is freedom from the person and for the person.
The Main Texts of Vedanta
The Upanishads, the Brahman Sutras, and the Bhagavad Gita (Puranas)
1. The Puranas.
The Puranas form the basis of the Hindu religion and are mythological ideas or stories taught in the way of forms such as symbols and rituals. They were originally intended for people who were not sophisticated enough to understand or worship the formless. The reason for this was that unqualified people could gain Self-knowledge by implication from the form to the formless. All Puranas are really the Vedas in code. There are many important Puranas, and the most important of all is the Bhagavad Gita, which is told in the form of an allegory. (Some schools of Vedic thought do not consider it a Purana). If properly understood and taught (which is often not the case), the Gita unfolds the whole methodology of Vedanta.
The Bhagavad Gita—The Song of God—is one of the world’s most important spiritual documents in so far as it is the essence of the Upanishads, humanity’s most ancient extant texts on the science of life. It provides a timeless solution to the existential crises that we all face at some point in our lives. The Gita is part of the Mahabharata (ostensibly written by Vedavyasa) and was written about 300 years before the birth of Christ. It is believed by some to be historical and to have actually happened but there is no actual proof for this.
2. The Upanishads
The Upanishads are revealed texts. The meaning of the word Upanishad is Self-knowledge, and they are generally for advanced inquirers because none of them contains the whole methodology of Vedanta. While the stories contained in the Upanishads seem simple, if the background and meaning of the symbols is not properly unfolded, it is easy to get confused. There are more than 200 Upanishads, the first 10 being the most important. Some of the Upanishads are referenced by an author, but authorship has no bearing on what they are imparting because it is the timeless and impersonal knowledge of the Self, Consciousness. The authorship is in the form of commentaries (karikas) which unfold the meaning of the texts. The essence of all the Upanishad is the core teaching of Vedanta, which is:
Knowing that because of which everything is as good as known. It addresses the value of inference in accepting your identity as Awareness.
3. The Brahma Sutras
The last scriptural text included in the Vedanta Pramana (means of knowledge) is the Brahma Sutras, which are a collection of intellectual discourses regarding very subtle issues collected and published by Badarayana. They are complicated discussions that are not necessary for self-inquiry but are useful for teachers of Vedanta to understand the finer details of the Vedanta doctrine.
(See Texts Suggested for The Three Stages of Self-Inquiry in the Steps for Self-inquiry, below).
A Word of Caution: You Cannot Study Vedanta
Vedanta or Non-duality is not a theory in practice. Though it is imperative that you apply your mind to the teachings and commit them to memory, ultimately, you cannot study Vedanta like you would a degree in university. Many inquirers get stuck believing that if they can parrot the teachings or learn Sanskrit, they are Self-realized. But even though all teachings require an intellectual understanding, the difference with Vedanta is that it is not a philosophical thought system. It is who you are. There is no distance between the subject matter of Vedanta and you. Vedanta requires a certain kind of intellect – one that is refined, purified, and surrendered so that it is capable of assimilating the meaning of the teachings, which are extremely subtle and therefore, very counter-intuitive. Some inquirers are in love with their ability to think and have a lot of ego around their own ideas and intelligence, so it is harder for them to put their thinking aside.
Self-inquiry requires training the intellect to think differently and to want different things. While we need an intellect, it is not the intellect that removes ignorance. It is just an object known to you, the Self. You cannot ‘think your way to ‘enlightenment’ because it is the ego, the doer, doing the thinking. The ego must surrender to a qualified teacher and the teachings and trust Self-knowledge to scour the mind of ignorance. And lastly, it is not necessary to have more than a very rudimentary knowledge of some basic Sanskrit terms (most mentioned in this article) to undertake self-inquiry. Only a very few Sanskrit terms have no good English equivalents, most do.
The Three Non-negotiable Factors to Begin Self-Inquiry
1. Motivation: You need to be so tired of suffering that you are ready to commit to understanding what causes it.
2. Qualifications: All the qualifications noted below are essential to succeed at self-inquiry. But if they are not, you can develop them. To begin self-inquiry though, you need at very least the entry-level qualification, which is the realization that it is pointless trying to find happiness in objects. I.e., you have seen the futility of chasing your desires or trying to avoid your aversions. You know there must be something more to this life.
3. Faith: You need enough faith in the teachings to sign on to self-inquiry and stick with it. If you do not trust the teachings, they will not work for you.
No Fast Track
We live in a world where we are accustomed to and expect fast results, and the spiritual world is no different. In fact, in many ways, a lot of spiritually driven people are even more materialistic and egotistical than purely materialistic worldly people. But with Vedanta, you must accept that you are not the boss. If you cannot surrender to the teachings and follow the methodology because you are goal-oriented, lacking in motivation or qualifications, Self-knowledge will just not obtain. There is no fine print to this.
Even if the mind is highly qualified and dedicated to self-inquiry, it does not work to rush inquiry because you will invariably skip or miss building a good foundation, which will hold you up at some point. So be warned, Vedanta is not for the egotistical, those in a hurry, the faint of heart, or the unqualified. It is the most rigorous and challenging teaching available for the mind and will challenge everything you thought you knew. It will force you to face the less-than-fabulous aspects of your personality. But not to fix them; only to understand and negate them as not-me, so as to be free of them. Freedom is not something you ‘get’ overnight, which is why Vedanta appeals to so few people. Only a mature and pure mind is capable of assimilating Self-knowledge, hence the necessity for qualifications. (See below).
Some Advice to The Aspiring Inquirer
Most inquirers who come to Vedanta have a ton of indoctrination from other teachings to work through. It’s not that there is anything wrong with other teachings, but most other teachings are unclear about what the Self is, nor are they able to explain the apparent reality with reference to the Self, other than through their own experiences or beliefs. There is no other teaching available that has a completely independent (meaning not dependent on any person) and valid means of knowledge capable of revealing the Self. Vedanta does not give us something we do not already have. You are not going to gain anything through Vedanta because it tells you right up front that you are already free because you are and always have been, the Self.
But if you don’t know that or understand what it means then ignorance (Maya or that which makes the unchanging Self appear to be changing) deludes the mind into the belief that reality is a duality. Vedanta sets the mind free of the hypnosis of duality, revealing your true, ever-present, unchanging ever-full nature to be the nondual Self.
The teachings of Vedanta are not exclusive to Vedanta. They are to be found wherever there is a non-dual teaching that is independent (stands alone) and is capable of revealing what it means to be the Self. But the problem with other teachings such as Buddhism or Neo-Advaita and some religions is that they do not teach the whole methodology of non-duality, nor do they offer the tools to help you translate the non-dual teachings in a practical way into your life, such as karma yoga, to name just one. Worse, while they may have aspects of non-duality, ignorance is woven fine with knowledge. Unless you understand the difference between duality (mithya) and non-duality (Satya), you will not be able to discriminate between knowledge and ignorance, so freedom will not obtain.
Most other paths do not teach what God is nor the shared identity between you, God, and Awareness. All religions teach that God is a bigger better albeit ‘divine’ person, separate from you, whom you must obey, or else. Vedanta teaches that God is the creator and sustainer of the creation, and the creation runs on certain laws the jiva must obey to live happily and well. It explains the common identity between God, man/the world, and the Self thus negating the need to believe in anything. Only Self-knowledge sets you free, and that is independent of belief because it is your true nature. Buddhism and much of the spiritual teachings outside of Vedanta are based on yoga whose primary aim is to improve the person and get rid of the mind. They teach that it is in ending desire through meditation and good deeds that we ‘attain enlightenment’. It’s all about doing something to gain something.
But Vedanta explains that we cannot improve the person nor get rid of the mind because they are not real, they are duality (mithya), and—not the problem. Identification with the person, the doer, i.e., ignorance of your true nature as Satya, is the real problem, not the mind. It is neither possible nor necessary to get rid of the mind (ego); it can only be understood to be not-Self through the removal of ignorance by Self-knowledge. Freedom from ignorance cannot be obtained by doing because you cannot gain something you already have; the Self is not an object of experience. It is impossible to objectify the Self because it is not an object of experience. As the Self, you are the subject and that which you seek.
Once the true nature of the mind is known to be the Self, binding vasanas are rendered non-binding by Self-knowledge, and the sense of doership is negated. But the mind remains—and no longer troubles the individual person (jiva) anymore. You can live free of the person as the Self, while also living free as a person, and never confusing the two again. However, purely cognitive understanding does not remove suffering. To understand what Vedanta teaches, qualifications are necessary for discrimination between the Self or Satya (that which is always present and unchanging), and the objects that appear in it, that which is apparently real, meaning the jiva, and the world—mithya (that which is always changing and not always present). Therein lies the rub. It is one thing to understand what freedom is but that does not set you free, necessarily. To live free as the Self requires the hard and fast full assimilation of what it means to be the Self and not the jiva plus all three steps of self-inquiry to be completed. (These are outlined below).
Many people who are close in their understanding of the common identity between the creator (God or Isvara) and the person or Jiva is Consciousness/Awareness, do not realize that they still objectify the Self. There is an unconscious belief that the Self is something other than them, something to gain. There is still a subtle identification with the person, so they personalize the Self, thinking that by ‘the Self’ we mean the reflection of the Self, the jiva, or the person. The Self is the source of the reflection, which is caused by Maya.
To break the spell of Maya, which is the hypnosis of duality, and take your primary identity as Consciousness, we need a means of knowledge capable of deconstructing who or what the jiva is, what Isvara (God, or the creative principle) refers to and why, and what is the same and what is different about both. For Self-knowledge to translate into the life of the jiva, mithya must be understood in the light of Self-knowledge, not in light of our own subjective or limited understanding. Mithya may not be real, but it is not going to disappear just because you have realized your true nature to be the Self, Consciousness, the source of all.
Self-realization is where the ‘work’ of Self-inquiry begins. Self-Actualization is quite another other matter. To succeed at self-inquiry means thinking in a whole new context: that of nonduality and this is far from easy. Your jiva conditioning is hard-wired in duality. So, go slowly. You need to assimilate and understand the logic every step of the way to get the ‘big picture” and for Self-knowledge to stick.
What Does Self-Inquiry Entail?
As stated above, self-inquiry involves an analysis of what makes up and governs the Field of Existence, which includes the individual, with the aim of negating our dependence on objects for happiness. It is to discriminate between non-duality and duality, i.e., between experience (the object/effect) and Consciousness, the subject/cause. There is a world of a difference between these two perspectives because it reveals that an object is anything other than me, the knower of objects, i.e., Consciousness, the Self. The objects I know include my little self, whom I have thus far taken to be ‘me’. But it is not the ‘real’ me.
Self-inquiry conducted correctly produces non-dual vision. Non-dual vision is permanent freedom from limitation because it is not only about understanding our conditioning and story; it is freeing ourselves of both. If we have non-conforming lifestyles, we will not succeed at self-inquiry. Self-inquiry is not seeking, it is about becoming a finder. Vedanta is a common sense and logical set of proven principles that work to simplify the complexities of the mind and prepare it to assimilate the knowledge that sets us free of suffering. For a simple and peaceful life healthy lifestyle habits in eating, sleeping, working, relationships, sex, money, recreating habits, etc., must be cultivated in accordance with the scripture, not the other way around. Everything that is not in line with the teachings must be renounced.
Where to Begin?
Before beginning self-inquiry, ask yourself: “What are my true values and motivations? Am I genuinely interested in improving the quality of my life? If you are, then it is reasonable to assume that if you could improve it on your own, you would already have done so by now. In this case, put aside what you think you know, refrain from reading through the filters of your existing beliefs and opinions, and keep a willingness to be ignorant, wrong, or misinformed. You can always take your opinions back if you like them so much better. But if in cherry-picking ideas you discard what you don’t like or agree with, confirmation bias will be operating (among other biases) and you will be wasting your time.
To succeed at self-inquiry, you must commit yourself to following the logic and methodology of the steps as they are presented in the scripture. If you try to fit the teachings into your own ideas or try to tailor them to fit in with your beliefs, self-inquiry will not work to remove ignorance. The teachings are extremely methodical. Vedanta is a progressive teaching which is designed to answer every doubt. Sign on to the logic and don’t skip ahead until you know you have understood and assimilated each step. If you rush through the steps because you think you know better, you are defeating the purpose and you are clearly more invested in your own ideas.
Apply the steps to your thinking and see how this affects your life. Self-inquiry is about applied knowledge, so if it does not translate into your life and you see no benefit, it is never the teaching at fault. There are two main reasons the teachings do not assimilate, and self-inquiry may thus fail for you. The first is that your lifestyle is not in accordance with dharma and must be cleaned up. The second reason is a lack of qualifications and unaltered thinking or lack of motivation in putting the teachings into practice.
Furthermore, you must be properly taught because the mind is conditioned to think a certain way. Non-duality is counter-intuitive – it is a provocative teaching designed to give rise to doubts, which it also answers. Unguided the mind will interpret what it hears or reads according to its conditioning, and Self-knowledge will not obtain. You may ‘get it’ for a while and then ‘unget it’ for the reasons mentioned above, basically because the mind has not been sufficiently purified. Also, there are apparent contradictions within the teachings that are not real contradictions and need to be resolved by a qualified teacher. And there is one more factor to consider, grace. It is only by the grace of God that anything happens—and grace is earned.
Qualifications Required
We need qualifications to succeed at anything in the world. So, it stands to reason that there should be qualifications for self-inquiry as well. Although not all the qualifications need to be present, to begin with, they must be understood and developed.
The Most Important Qualifications Are:
1. The burning desire for liberation from bondage to objects: meaning one has understood that there is nothing to gain through objects, that there is no joy inherent in them. I desire above all to understand my true nature and have stopped chasing objects.
2. Faith in the teachings – not blind faith, faith pending the outcome of your investigation. If you cannot check your beliefs ‘at the door’, self-inquiry will not work for you. You must be prepared to forego your attachment to other teachings, at least temporarily.
3. Dispassion: in brief non-attachment to outcome, i.e., karma yoga, surrendering the results of actions to Isvara or the Field of Existence with an attitude of gratitude.
4. Discrimination: the ability to discriminate what is changeless or real (Consciousness) from that which is changing or only seemingly real (all objects – which include the mind and body, thoughts, and emotions, in other words, anything other than Consciousness, the real you).
5. Control of the senses and of the organs of action. This includes thought/emotion management, speaking, and all activities especially sensory ones like eating and sex.
Requirements And Pointers for Self-Inquiry
Many inquirers do not understand what self-inquiry entails and that if you commit to it, you need to relinquish control because you are locked into a predetermined sadhana. You are no longer the boss. The whole point of self-inquiry is to bring that wilful self-centered ego into line with scripture, which is Isvara’s words. If the vasana tail is still wagging the dog, it is important to accept that fact and follow the program of self-inquiry to the letter.
First and most important, self-inquiry should be the most important part of your day, not incidental to it if you truly want freedom from existential suffering. If self-inquiry does not translate into your life, it will have minimal benefit to you. For the mind to assimilate Self-knowledge, all three stages of inquiry outlined below must be completed, methodically and thoroughly, not necessarily in a linear fashion. Most inquirers will weave in and out of the stages as their doubts arise and get dispelled by the teachings. Vedanta is taught in a very specific way for a very good reason – the mind is very conservative, and ignorance is hard-wired and tenacious.
As stated, but bears repeating because it is so important and so many forget, self-inquiry is not like taking a degree at a university with a standard curriculum and goals to achieve. You are not going to ‘achieve’ enlightenment. Every inquirer is different and thus has different needs, but the only thing that is a standard requirement for each inquirer is that they are sufficiently qualified, surrendered to Isvara with karma yoga, dedicated to moksa, and properly taught. If you have the required faith in the teachings and are truly dedicated, Isvara is the deciding factor on whether moksa obtains. No teacher of Vedanta however good can enlighten you or remove your ignorance, only facilitate the teachings. Nothing the jiva ‘does’ is going to achieve freedom either. There are no guarantees and no goals to achieve because you are already the Self. All Vedanta can do for you is give you the tools to apply to your mind so that Self-knowledge can do the work of removing ignorance preventing you from appreciating this fact, setting you permanently free of suffering.
The doer does not get enlightened, nor can it ‘do’ its way to enlightenment. Yes, you must be very dedicated to your sadhana, no doubt about that. And that is a kind of doing, but a very different doing because it involves karma yoga. Which means it is a doing surrendered to Isvara. Self-inquiry is not easy, there are no shortcuts. But karma yoga and trust in Isvara will get you ‘there’, where you are already if it is Isvara’s will. Only Self-knowledge can remove ignorance, not the ego.
The Texts Suggested for Each Stage of Self-Inquiry
Beginners
1. Tattva Bodh (Shankara): Explains the basic terminology and language used in Vedanta. Vedanta is a means of Self-knowledge through words called a sabda pramana. It gives you direct knowledge of your eternal nature through the implied meaning of words when they are unfolded through a specific methodology called the sampradaya. But because all language is inherently dualistic, the use of words and terms is influenced by many factors, both in the speaker and the one listening. Most people speak the language of experience (duality), but Vedanta speaks the language of identity—that of the Self (non-duality). However, it is still confined to using words to teach and all words are open to interpretation. So, for self-inquiry to work, where the ostensible meaning does not work (the ostensible meaning is the meaning stated but not necessarily true), Vedanta teaches with the implied meaning, based on logic. It is extremely careful with the use of words and terminology, and Tattva Bodh explains this well.
2. The Essence of Enlightenment and/or How to Attain Enlightenment by James Swartz are essential for self-inquiry as they unfold the whole methodology of the teachings from beginner to advanced inquirer. All you need to succeed at self-inquiry is found in these two books. For beginners, the first five chapters of either book explain the foundations of Vedanta: Motivations, Values, Dharma, Qualifications, and very importantly karma yoga.
3. Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 1 – 5: Explains the foundations for moksa and self-inquiry.
3. The Yoga of Love (Swartz): Explains the importance of devotional practice, bhakti yoga. All are required to succeed at self-inquiry.
4. Vedanta, the Big Picture (Swami Paramarthananda): Offers another concise overview of the whole teaching methodology of Vedanta.
Intermediate Inquirer:
1. Chapters 5 – 10 of Bhagavad Gita, the Essence of Enlightenment and/or How to Attain Enlightenment. Unfolds jnana yoga, the teachings on the identity between Isvara and jiva, and the gunas, which are the three psychological forces behind everything in creation. (Explained below).
2. Aparokshanubhuti (Shankara) Intermediate: Explains the difference between knowledge and experience.
3. Vivekachudamani (Shankara): Unfolds discrimination between the Self and the three bodies or five sheaths.
4. The Yoga of the Three Energies (James Swartz): Essential to unfold the teaching on the three gunas.
Advanced Inquirer
1. Bhagavad Gita, last five chapters: Explains what it means to be Self-realized and Self-Actualized.
2. The Essence and How to Attain, last five chapters: Same as above.
3. Inquiry into Existence (commentaries on Panchadasi) by James Swartz: Essential to unfold the identity between the person (jiva), the creation (Jagat), and the creator (Isvara).
4. The Mandukya Karika, commentaries by James Swartz: Explains the important difference between Cause and Effect and Non-Origination teaching.
PLEASE NOTE: In addition to all these texts mentioned, Shiningworld offers a wide range of other texts and articles, videos on all the teachings, and very importantly, thousands of pages of Q&A in our satsang section. The Q&A operates with a search function using keywords to facilitate your search. Make sure you avail yourself of this as it answers any questions or doubts you could have. If none of this helps, feel free to write to us as we are happy to assist you with your self-inquiry.
The First Two Steps in Self Inquiry Are the Preparation for It:
1. Karma yoga: Simply put, karma yoga meansdedicating every thought word, and deed to God/Isvara, the Field of Existence, in an attitude of gratitude and consecration, taking whatever results that come as a gift. There are two stages to karma yoga and the first applies as preparation for self-inquiry, called secular karma yoga.
Secular Karma Yoga
Secular karma yoga is karma yoga with desire which can also work for worldly people not qualified for self-inquiry and not going for moksha. A secular karma yogi applies karma yoga to accomplish things in the world and get what they want or avoid what they don’t want. But assuming you have realized the futility of chasing objects in the world and are serious about self-inquiry, secular karma yoga is the preparation for entry-level inquirers to minimize the pressure of likes and dislikes.
But the desire for objects/results (though they may be more elevated) is still present. The second stage of karma yoga, sacred Karma yoga without desire, is for more advanced inquirers—people who have realized that there is nothing to gain by action and are ready for or already engaged in self-inquiry. See more below.
2. Meditation or Upsana yoga: This entails reflecting on your values, conducting a fearless moral inventory, understanding the qualifications required for self-inquiry, and starting to develop the ones that are lacking. It requires sattvic practices such as meditation to purify and prepare the mind for self-inquiry and cleaning up any lifestyle issues that are not in keeping with a peaceful mind.
The Three Stages of Self-Inquiry
Stage 1. Sravanna – Listening and Hearing the Scriptures.
The first stage of self-inquiry is about hearing the teachings and requires that you start at the beginning, sign on to the logic and stick with it, along with diligently applying karma yoga. As stated above, Vedanta is taught in a progressive and methodical way to answer all doubts that arise at each level of understanding. It is very important not to rush seeking instant answers (which is often what spiritual types are after) because that will not work. Ignorance is highly tenacious and resistant to removal, so patience and dedication are vital requirements, along with a realistic view that rejects the need for instant solutions to problems.
If you are too attached to your desires, your ideas, beliefs, and opinions acquired and developed from your exposure to multiple teachings, self-inquiry will not work. It requires that you admit to yourself that you are the problem and that what you think you know has not worked thus far, so there must be something you don’t know the knowledge of which could make all the difference. If you are still chasing objects (such as a relationship/sex/money etc.), trying to get the world to give you what you think you lack, or even chasing a life-changing spiritual experience, Vedanta is not for you. In that case, it is best that you immerse yourself in worldly pursuits until you are thoroughly convinced the world cannot satisfy your desires and give you what you are seeking.
Very importantly, this stage requires that you have established the qualifications required for self-inquiry, so check if they are in place, strengthen the ones that are not, and track yourself on them on a moment-to-moment basis. Make and implement necessary lifestyle changes that you stick to. There is no way to skip this, self-inquiry is very simply not compatible with a mind that is not purified and prepared, in addition to practicing karma yoga.
Stage 2. Manana. Reasoning, Contemplation.
The second stage of self-inquiry requires thinking about what the scripture is saying, examining the unexamined logic of your own experience, and starting to apply the teachings to your life. At this point, you look at your beliefs and opinions in the light of what the scripture says, not the other way around. If you are not dedicated to self-inquiry, have not developed the qualifications for self-inquiry, are not practicing karma yoga, or find yourself making excuses for the way you live because you are in denial about binding vasanas, you will not make progress. Even if Self-realization does occur, it will not stick. You will not actualize Self-knowledge unless you surrender to the teachings and address every aspect of your life.
Even though this stage is about contemplating the scriptures, it overlaps with the last and final stage, nididhysana, so karma yoga and guna management are vital. Karma yoga will eventually destroy the notion of ‘doership’ if properly understood and faithfully adhered to in every thought word and deed. In the manana stage, it is meant to clear the mind of enough likes and dislikes until it becomes composed enough for sustained self-inquiry. The next stage of karma yoga only applies in the third stage of self-inquiry, nididhysana. But before we get to that, there is no chance of making progress with self-inquiry without at least a basic understanding of the forces that condition the mind, the gunas. This is called triguna vibhava yoga, or jnana yoga (knowledge yoga) and it is covered in far more depth in James Swartz’ book, the Yoga of the Three Energies, a must-read for serious inquirers.
The Gunas
The forces that govern everything in the Field of Existence and that make up our conditioning are called the three gunas in Sanskrit. They are the psychological principles that run our lives. The word ‘guna’ means ‘rope’ because these three energies bind us to experience. The word also means ‘attributes’ as the energies of which the Field of Existence is made up play out very predictably. You may never have heard the term ‘guna’ before, but you do know these energies intimately because all three are always present and everyone is dealing with them in some order of influence every moment of every day.
Each guna has calculable and predictable mental and emotional attributes which govern our conditioning – i.e., if we understand what they are, we can manage them. If we don’t, they manage us. Knowledge of these driving forces, and the ability to apply this knowledge, allows us to correct and improve our lives without manhandling the psyche. It is not about changing the world or changing the person. It is about understanding both and learning to love ourselves unconditionally, which involves considering the main psychological and physical factors preventing us from living healthy and happy lives.
The Three Energies in Brief:
1. Sattva, the energy of mind, intelligence, and revelation, qualities: peace, clarity, beauty, wisdom, spiritual arrogance.
2. Tamas, the energy of matter, also of ignorance, qualities: dullness, denial, sloth, gluttony, addiction, endurance, sleep.
3. Rajas the energy of action and projection, qualities: desire, passion, agitation, neurosis.
Guna management is essential for managing thoughts and feelings that dominate the mind. Guna yoga is also understanding the Creator and ordainer of the Field (Isvara or ‘God’), and the identity between you as an individual and the Field, why they are the same, and what is different. Without this understanding it is impossible to negate the egoic doer and all its fear/desire programs, so you will not progress to the last and final stage of inquiry. Many people do realize the Self at this stage, but that is really where the ‘work’ of self-inquiry begins. To progress to the final stage requires full and complete faith in and compliance with the scripture – it alone is the boss of your life, not the jiva, and it requires the final stage of karma yoga, Self-actualization. In the next stage, Sacred Karma Yoga applies.
Stage 3. Nididhysana, Self-Actualization
Self-realization is not Self-actualization, which is the final “stage”. Self-actualization is not actually a stage because all stages are objects known to the Self but ‘getting there’ comes only after all the previous stages mentioned so far are completed. And the process of Self-actualization, nididhysana, is also, the hardest. It usually takes the longest. The knowledge that you are the Self has obtained, but complete freedom from the personal program has not; there are still some binding mental/emotional patterns to purify. For most people who have realized the Self but not actualized it, this stage in a way is like ‘requalifying’ – re-examining qualifications and strengthening those that are still weak. It requires the final negation of the idea of yourself as an individual, a jiva. Up to now, karma yoga went from relinquishing results of actions to the Field and taking given results as a gift, to the next level, renunciation of the idea of doership, and desire.
Sacred Karma Yoga: Karma Yoga without Desire
In the last stage of self-inquiry, karma yoga becomes a different kind of mind management, karma yoga without desire, or Sacred karma yoga. It is for more advanced inquirers. It is the transformation of our remaining binding mental/emotional conditioning into devotion to the Self. At this stage, you have given up needing anything. You are not after God’s ‘stuff’. You are after God, period. It’s not that you no longer have desires, but all desire is not contrary to dharma and directed to the Self. Self-actualization is managing the mind’s involuntary, habitual thoughts and feeling patterns, which are bedrock duality and often survive Self-realization.
These patterns can still hijack the mind without a moment’s notice, denying it access to the Self in the form of Self-knowledge, so you are still bound to the egoic program. There is nothing inherently wrong with involuntary thoughts, but they tend to immediately morph into actions that are liable to create unwanted karma in the form of obscuring thoughts and emotions. Therefore, guna/mind management continues. Until this stage is complete, Self-actualization has not taken place and discrimination can be lost, if not permanently, at least temporarily. You are not free because limiting thoughts/feelings like fear, smallness, need, shame, confusion, low self-esteem, etc., can still strike, destroying peace of mind.
Though all three stages of self-inquiry must be completed if moksa is your main motivation, most inquirers will cycle through each stage as the knowledge assimilates. Very often, after years, sometimes even decades, an inquirer in the last stage of self-inquiry, the nididhysana stage, must go back to the beginning to requalify because something is holding them back. Usually, it is related to unconscious jiva patterns, some qualification that is still missing, or some part of the teaching was not fully assimilated. To this end, we have a goldmine of material freely available on the Shiningworld website, and we offer our guidance and help through email, zoom, or skype.
The Final Renunciation
For Self-actualization to take place, the final and most subtle renunciation must occur. It is renouncing the idea of seeking liberation because you ARE free and always have been. As the Self, you have never been bound. This is the toughest stage because if there are still some binding mental/emotional patterns, it can prevent the inquirer from attaining actualization. It is not a case of what is missing, but what is still there: the idea that the doer still needs to ‘do’ something to perfect the jiva. Or there remains a very subtle thought that there is still some amazing experience that must take place to prove you are the Self.
But there is no proof because you are the proof. No experience can prove that. There comes a time when practicing the knowledge no longer works its magic because it’s time to move beyond it. You are no longer a seeker but a finder, and you need to answer the question: are you doing the knowledge or are you the knowledge? Vedanta is not about accumulating or perfecting Self-knowledge, or any practice as such, because, for the Self, even Self-knowledge is an object known to you. And freedom is not about perfecting the jiva, it is freedom from and for it. The jiva is what it is, and it is as good as non-existent if Self-knowledge is firm.
Freedom From the Knower of Knowledge
Strangely, for many, the toughest part of self-inquiry is giving up being an inquirer (which is just another comforting identity) and throwing Vedanta away. It is a means to an end, and when it has served its intended purpose, you no longer need it. Vedanta as a means of knowledge is meant to remove ignorance, that is all. When you are the knowledge, the means must disappear. If the knowledge remains you have the knowledge, but you also still have ignorance. Freedom is the absence of ignorance not the gaining of knowledge. It is freedom from the knower of knowledge. It is BEING the knowing not knowing the knower. Existence shining as Awareness. No maintenance is required. Hanging on to the knowledge is hanging on to the jiva, keeping the doer, seeker, knower, and ignorance alive. So, at this stage, you must cut the lifeline and live as the Self, no buts. From here on there are no rules for you or things you should or should not be doing, applying, or inquiring into. There is no nididhysana for the Self. How can there be? You are the Self, period. You follow dharma without default, but the jiva is free to be what it is, without censure.
However, and this is important, there is fine print to this. If there are still binding vasanas for an inquirer who prematurely claims they are the Self, and thus believes that nididhysana does not apply to them, Self-actualization cannot take place. Unfortunately, this is quite common, and the result is either the Advaita Shuffle or, enlightenment sickness, which is when the ego co-opts the knowledge.
To be fully Self-actualized means:
(1) That you have fully discriminated the Self (Consciousness/Awareness) from the objects appearing in you (all objects, meaning all gross objects as well as one’s conditioning, thoughts, and feelings—all experience), and do so spontaneously, 24/7. You are not the Self and the jiva or person. You are the Self, period.
(2) Self-knowledge has (a) rendered the binding desiresnon-binding and (b) negated your sense of doership, completely. In other words, the ego program is understood and fully negated. The individual still exists with its inborn nature and operates in the world, but its program is like a burnt rope – it no longer has the power to bind. It is as good as non-existent and rests in the fullness of the Self. The world neither attracts nor repels it. There is nothing left to identify with other than the Self.
Therefore, once Self-knowledge is permanent, you never think of yourself as a person again, your primary identity is fully established as the Self. And you are totally fine with the apparent person as they are and their role in the world. All desires from here will be not opposed to dharma, they are preferences, nothing more. You are fine with and fine without. Karma yoga is no longer a practice as such, it is just common-sense knowledge. It can be said that this stage never really ends even when Self-actualization obtains because though desires are no longer binding, the person is still a constantly changing entity due to the gunas because it lives in the Field, which is also always constantly changing. Thus, though the mind may no longer condition to the gunas, mind management continues but here Self-knowledge works spontaneously and instantly to nullify any effects because there is no identification with the person and the field of experience.
Though there are no rules for a Self-actualized person because they are free of all limitations, nonetheless, one automatically follows dharma because you still honor the natural laws that run the Field of Existence. Non-injury in thought word and deed is the highest priority. You know there is nothing to gain or lose in the world and, it is all you. Your lifestyle will be fully in accordance with Self-knowledge in every respect.
An Enlightened Lifestyle
It is not necessary to complete all the stages of self-inquiry to create an enlightened lifestyle, but you will not progress with self-inquiry without one. Spiritual growth requires an Enlightened Lifestyle and since a value for this is not available in materialistic societies, you must create a simple peaceful lifestyle yourself. A clear understanding of the Field of Existence brings the individual into a relationship with the whole that creates a satisfied, contented mind. Without this connection, we cannot express our God-given positive qualities. A happy life is a life in harmony with the whole.
I define an unenlightened lifestyle as a neurotic, emotional, dissatisfied, self-indulgent, messy, desire-based, stress-filled life. I define an enlightened lifestyle as a simple, orderly, considerate, content, emotionally balanced, knowledge-based, intelligent, and relatively stress-free life. Everyone wants that, right? Well, very few people have that. Why?
A commitment to self-inquiry as explained above, with the help of a qualified teacher and the necessary qualifications present will answer all questions and remove ignorance, and therefore, end our existential suffering. But there is not a one–size-fits-all formula for a peaceful life. While we are all one in the Self, the way we appear as individuals expresses differently in everyone. Ignorance is universal, but our personal ignorance is unique to us; to remove this involves understanding both what drives us personally and the impersonal factors behind our life story (Isvara/the gunas/unconscious drives or Causal body), but it is not about our life story. The truth is always impersonal and cannot be adapted to suit us, assuming we want freedom from limitation more than anything else.
Therein lies the ‘work’ of self-inquiry. Om, Sundari
