In many spiritual traditions,
A fundamental question is,
Who am I?
The formal practice of self-inquiry is a powerful way of seeing beyond our stories of self and bringing attention to awareness,
To the formless essence of being.
It can be helpful before beginning this meditation to take some time to simply quiet the mind and awaken the senses.
Sit comfortably in a way that allows you to feel both alert and relaxed.
You might gently close your eyes or perhaps rest your gaze on a point slightly above your line of sight,
Softening your eyes so that your gaze is unfocused,
So that you're also receiving images on the periphery of your vision.
Relax the flesh around your eyes and let your brow be smooth.
Allow your mind to be wide open,
Relaxed and spacious.
You might imagine or sense a clear blue sky and let your awareness mingle with that boundless space.
Take some moments to listen to sounds,
Noticing how they're happening on their own.
Nothing to do,
Just an open,
Receptive presence.
Rest in the awareness that includes even the most distant sounds.
In the same way that sounds are appearing and disappearing,
Allow sensations and emotions to arise and dissolve.
Let your breath move easily like a gentle breeze.
Be aware of thoughts drifting through like passing clouds.
Rest in an open and undistracted awareness,
Noticing and allowing the changing display.
Of sounds,
Sensations,
Feelings.
When you realize your mind is fixated on a particular thought,
Might be a judgment or mental comment,
An image,
A story,
Gently look into awareness with interest to recognize the source of thinking.
You might inquire who is thinking or what is thinking.
Who or what is aware right now?
Glance back into awareness with a light touch.
Who or what is aware right now?
Let the inquiry,
The looking back into awareness,
Be experiential,
A bodily felt sense of what is here.
What is aware?
Is there anything or self you perceive that's static or solid?
What do you actually see or experience when you look into awareness?
Is there any boundary or center to what is here?
When you look back to see what is aware,
Just let go into whatever you notice.
Let go and relax fully into the sea of wakefulness.
Let go and let be,
Allowing life to unfold naturally in awareness.
When you notice again that the mind is fixated on a thought,
That can be an invitation to again look back into awareness.
Who or what is thinking?
Where do the thoughts come from?
Where do the thoughts go to?
And then let go.
Let go into whatever is experienced,
Into the mystery that's here.
The Tibetans say that the true seeing is the seeing of no thing.
Let go into the no thingness,
Into the openness and wakefulness that's here.
You might find that when you inquire as to who is aware,
What is aware,
That there's a mental habit to respond with an inner voice that says,
Well,
I'm here,
Of course.
Continue to inquire.
Who's aware of this?
Who's listening?
What is aware?
With interest,
Gently,
Turn and look and see what's here.
And then again,
Let go.
Let be.
If strong emotions arise,
Intense sensations,
You can inquire in the same way.
Who or what is aware of this?
Who is afraid?
And turn attention back to awareness.
And yet you might find if the emotions are very strong,
It's important to first bring an accepting and clear presence to the waves of experience,
To the fear or the grief or the anger.
Perhaps you feel a grip of fear.
Take some moments to breathe with the fear,
To say yes,
To reconnect with a sense of openness and balance,
And then to ask what is afraid?
Who's afraid?
Look and see.
Who's aware of the experience?
And then let go again into whatever you notice.
You might sense that whatever arises,
Thoughts,
Sensations,
Feelings,
Be considered as waves in the ocean of awareness.
You can be present with the difficult waves.
And when the waters are relatively calm,
Look into the ocean itself.
This wholeness,
This vast,
Silent awareness,
Is the mysterious essence of your being.
All of life arises from this essence.
Recognize this open sea of wakefulness and inhabit it.
Rest in the truth of what you are.
