Spiritual awakening is a phrase that is tossed around all over the internet, but it is actually most often misunderstood. Life is an illusion of sorts, and people are looking to escape their unhappiness and become something greater, perhaps even supernatural. However, it is the sense of self, driven by thoughts, fears, and hopes, that is always seeking something better, superior, and a promise to solve all of one’s suffering and problems.
Self-enquiry is an ancient way of deeply observing your own sense of self to see what lies beneath the illusion of what we believe we are. Since the earliest age we have been conditioned with thought by our parents, relatives, teachers, religion, and all sorts of other sources of authority. As a result we have formed a sense of self, often called an ego, or “me.”
The self believes it is separated from the rest of reality, including its own proclivities and negative aspects. And this causes all kinds of problems due to the ensuing internal conflict.
Self-enquiry isn’t a belief system. It is a practice of observation without judgment, presumptions, or criticisms. It’s just looking at what you are, how you tend to think, what you tend to think about, and so on.
In the form of a novel, I present many of my own realizations — issues of the self and how to step out of its habituation and conditioning — in my book 13 Pillars of Enlightenment: how to realize your true nature and end suffering. If you are one of the few people who have always wondered about the fundamental questions about who you really are beyond the persona and the world of problems and suffering, this book may help you.
Plus, you can read my articles on self-enquiry on substack.com.