Self-Enquiry: A Primer

Self-enquiry is the basis of our practice at the Advaita Vedanta Center of Las Vegas. This practice was advanced by Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950), a Hindu saint whose teachings inform the practice of many modern day Advaita Vedantists all around the world.

The goal of self-enquiry is to realize what many Hindus call the “Self,” (or God, or the Absolute, or pure being). One might also describe the Self as the fundamental essence of creation. Self-enquiry is a process by which a devotee can direct his attention inward and discover this pure beingness, or Self. A full exegesis of this process can be found in Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Edited by David Godman), but I will present an abridged version here.