When in doubt, inquire

All your life you’ve been told who you are.

You are your name, characteristics, culture, personality, traumas, the owner of a unique bodymind.

If you get into “nonduality” you’re given different answers.

You are the Absolute experiencing in human form, you are a cognitive loop, a higher self, no self, Awareness, Consciousness, no thing, everything.

So many voices still trying to tell you who you are.

Loving, mystical, poetic voices. Confident, eloquent voices. Stern, scary voices claiming we can’t ever know, or are fooling ourselves. Laid-back, friendly voices telling us to relax, or that it’s obvious.

So many contradictions among all that certainty.

Which voice to believe?
Which version to pursue?

No version.

See for yourself, then you will know, and it won’t matter at all who says what.

Seeing for yourself is called inquiry.

1. Inquiry into who I believe I am, and looking to see whether direct experience confirms or refutes what I believe I am.

2. Inquiry into my direct experience, and noticing what is doubtless, without resorting to any explanation of what that supposedly is.

You may need some guidance on what and how to inquire, since it’s not normally something we remember how to do.

But you can’t let anyone give you the answers, no matter how well-meant.

You have to find out.

photo by Giulia May