Ramana Maharshi: Why Thinking Is Not Self-Inquiry

If your self-inquiry feels like thinking, you are not practicing it the way Ramana Maharshi taught.

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Many people turn self-inquiry into a mental exercise by repeating “Who am I?” in their head or analyzing answers. In this video, we clarify why Ramana was explicit that thinking is not self-inquiry, and why attention, not mental effort, is the key.

This video explains how self-inquiry actually works in daily life, why it often turns into mental loops, and how to recognize when you are truly practicing it versus just thinking about it.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 Why thinking is not self-inquiry
00:21 The core misunderstanding that causes frustration
00:35 Why repeating “Who am I?” becomes mental noise
01:08 Thoughts as objects and the Self as the subject
01:31 What Ramana really meant by self-inquiry
02:11 A practical example using overthinking and arguments
02:38 What real self-inquiry feels like
03:06 A simple test to know if you are thinking too much
03:31 Applying self-inquiry in everyday situations
03:59 Returning attention to what is already aware
04:20 About the Ramana Maharshi Practical Self-Inquiry playlist

This video is part of the Ramana Maharshi: Practical Self-Inquiry playlist.

If you want to go deeper, watch the next video on why self-inquiry turns into mental loops and how to stop that from happening.    • Ramana Maharshi: Why Self-Inquiry Turns In...  

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