Sri Sadhu Om - Self Inquiry. Sri Sadhu Om spent five years in the company of Sri Ramana Maharshi and decades in the company of Sri Muruganar. Sri Sadhu Om wrote a book called The Path of Sri Ramana, Part One, which contains what has been called the most detailed teaching on the method of Self-inquiry ever written. Sri Sadhu Om points out that: Self-inquiry is only an aid to Self-Awareness; only Self-Awareness is the True Direct Path. Chapter 7 from The Path of Sri Ramana, Part One On hearing the expression ‘Self-inquiry’, people generally take it to mean either inquiring into the Self or inquiring about the Self. Such questions naturally arise, do they not? As soon as we hear the terms ‘Self-inquiry’, many of us naturally consider that there is some sort of effulgence or a formless power within our body and that we are going to find out what it is, where it is, and how it is.
This idea is not correct, because, Self does not exist as an object to be known by us who seek to know it! In this question, ‘Who am I?’ The Arunachala-live webcam based in Tiruvannamalai, India. Most Rapid and Direct - Ch 8. Self-enquiry. Ramana Maharshi Etymology[edit] Ātman (IAST: ātman, Sanskrit: आत्मन्) is a Sanskrit word that is usually translated as "self". [note 1] The root *ēt-men (breath) is cognate with Old English "æþm", Greek "asthma", German "Atem": "atmen" (to breathe). It is derived from Latin "anima" (breath,soul), which is cognate to Sanskrit "ánilaḥ" (wind). Although "ánilaḥ" and "ātman" have similar meaning, they are not etymologically related. In Hindu philosophy, especially in the Vedanta school of Hinduism, Ātman is the first principle, the true self of an individual beyond identification with phenomena, the essence of an individual.
Vichara (Sanskrit: विचार) has several meanings, such as reflection, pondering, investigation. Strictly speaking, "self-enquiry" is not the investigation of the "Self", "atman", but of the "I", "aham" (Sanskrit), "nan" (Tamil). Origins[edit] Ramana's teachings on Self-enquiry originated in his own awakening at age 16, when he became firmly aware of death. 19. Practice[edit] Most Rapid and Direct - Ch 13. Help.