Self-Inquiry Discussion Group

Discussion Topics

APRIL 7, 2007: NO INNER UNITY, NO TRUE WILL? DISCUSSION OF ROBERT DeROPP'S THEATER OF THE SELVES FROM HIS BOOK THE MASTER GAME.

MARCH 31, 2007: WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S GREATEST CONSOLATION? DISCUSSION BASED ON MIGUEL de UNAMUNO'S THE TRAGIC SENSE OF LIFE IN MEN AND NATIONS. SHOULD WARFARE BETWEEN "TURNING CONSOLATION INTO RATIONAL TRUTH" AND "TURNING RATIONAL TRUTH INTO CONSOLATION" BE THE CONDITION OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE? CAN SKEPTICISM AND UNCERTAINTY, COMBINED WITH DESPAIR, PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION OF HOPE FOR IMMORTALITY?

MARCH 17, 2007: MEDITATION - EXPLORING OUR PATH TO SELF-REALIZATION. WHAT FORM OF MEDITATION DO YOU PRACTICE? HAS IT BENEFITED YOU? DOES IT INVOLVE SELF-INQUIRY? IS IT ONE OF EFFORTLESS ABSORPTION INTO TRANSCENDENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS? SURRENDER? MINDFULNESS? RECOLLECTION? LISTENING TO THE SILENCE? LET'S SHARE OUR DISCOVERIES AND INSIGHTS.

MARCH 10, 2007: CAN WE BECOME INNOCENTS AGAIN? QUOTATION FROM MATTHEW 18: 1-5 (BECOME LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN). DOES YOUR PERSONAL "PSYCHODRAMA" PREVENT YOU FROM SEEING THINGS WITH THE DIRECT OPENNESS OF A CHILD OR AUTISTIC PERSON?

MARCH 3, 2007: YOUR MOODS - HOW DO THEY AFFECT YOUR STATE OF MIND? QUOTE FROM RICHARD ROSE'S THE DIRECT MIND EXPERIENCE. ARE YOUR CONVICTIONS INSPIRED BY NON-LOGICAL MOODS? IS THE NOSTALGIC MOOD THE LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL?

FEBRUARY 24, 2007: DELUDING YOURSELF? HOW PROCRASTINATION AND RATIONALIZATION BECOME SERIOUS OBSTACLES IN THE SEEKER'S QUEST FOR TRUTH. DISCUSSION OF QUOTE FROM RICHARD ROSE'S PSYCHOLOGY OF THE OBSERVER.

FEBRUARY 17, 2007: ACCEPTANCE... STUDY OF QUOTATIONS FROM HUBERT BENOIT AND REINHOLD NEIBUHR. QUESTION - IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN SELF-KNOWING AND ACCEPTANCE?

FEBRUARY 10, 2007: ENDLESS STRUGGLE? QUOTES FROM ALBERT CAMUS AND G.I. GURDJIEFF. IS A LIFE OF STRUGGLE THE MOST WE CAN HOPE FOR? OR IS THERE A PATH TO MEANING AND FULL SATISFACTION IN LIFE?

FEBRUARY 3, 2007: WHAT IS THOUGHT? DISCUSSION OF EXCERPTS FROM KRISHNAMURTI'S FREEDOM FROM THE KNOWN.

JANUARY 27, 2007: WHO IS THE TRUE MAN? DISCUSSION OF QUOTATIONS FROM SHANKARA AND CHUANG TZU. HOW CAN WE BECOME THE "TRUE MAN"? DESIRELESS AMIDST OBJECTS OF DESIRE? AN "ILLUMINED SOUL"? NOT USING THE MIND TO REPEL THE WAY, OR HELP OUT HEAVEN?

JANUARY 13, 2007: HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR PURPOSE? QUOTATION FROM RUMI'S TABLE TALK. WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS "ONE THING" IS THAT RUMI WAS TALKING ABOUT?

JANUARY 6, 2007: WHAT IS LOVE? QUOTATION FROM FRANKLIN MERRILL-WOLFF'S PATHWAYS THROUGH TO SPACE. WHAT DO YOU THINK LOVE IS? HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU LOVE? IS THERE A LOVE HIGHER THAN OUR ORDINARY NOTIONS OF IT? DOES HIGHER LOVE INVOLVE DETACHMENT FROM FEELING AS WELL AS THOUGHT? IS ABANDONMENT OF ANY AND ALL SELF-INTEREST THE CONDITION FOR HIGHER LOVE?

DECEMBER 30, 2006: WHAT IS DEATH? DISCUSSION OF QUOTATIONS FROM LUDWIG WITTGENSTEIN'S TRACTATUS LOGICO-PHILOSOPHICUS, RABINDRANATH TAGORE'S SADHANA, AND MONTAIGNE'S THE ESSAYS.

DECEMBER 23, 2006: WILL THINKING GOOD THOUGHTS CHANGE REALITY FOR THE BETTER, OR COULD WANTING GOOD THOUGHTS BE THE PROBLEM? DISCUSSION OF QUOTE FROM KEN WILBER'S THE SIMPLE FEELING OF BEING. CAN YOUR POWER TO CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY ENABLE YOU TO MAKE ALL YOUR GOOD THOUGHTS COME TRUE? IS THAT POSSIBLE?

DECEMBER 16, 2006: IS HAVING WISDOM WORTH A FORTUNE AT ANY TIME? QUOTE FROM PAUL BRUNTON'S THE EGO - FROM BIRTH TO REBIRTH, VOLUME 6. IF WISDOM IS WORTH A FORTUNE AT ANY TIME, WHY DO WE PUT SEEKING A FORTUNE FIRST, BEFORE SEEKING WISDOM? IF GOODNESS IS A SOLID PROTECTION IN SEEKING WISDOM, HOW CAN WE BE GOOD?

NOVEMBER 18, 2006: LEARN TO DEVELOP BOTH YOUR INTUITION AND YOUR POWER TO REASON FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH. QUOTES FROM RICHARD ROSE'S PSYCHOLOGY OF THE OBSERVER AND THE ALBIGEN PAPERS. WILL A HIGHLY DEVELOPED INTUITION AND REASONING POWER BRING ABOUT HIGHER SPIRITUAL AWARENESS. LET'S EXAMINE THE METHODS AND LIFESTYLES PRACTICED BY PHILOSOPHERS, MYSTICS, AND SCIENTISTS THROUGHOUT THE AGES.

OCTOBER 21, 2006: ARE WE LIVING IN A PRISON OF THOUGHT AND TIME? QUOTE FROM BOB FERGESON'S MYSTIC MISSAL WEBSITE ARTICLE ON GNOSTICISM. ARE WE IDENTIFIED WITH THOUGHT? HOW CAN WE ESCAPE THIS PRISON OF THOUGHT AND TIME?

OCTOBER 14, 2006: IS REMEMBRANCE THE SOUL'S DUTY IN THIS LIFE? DISCUSSION OF QUOTATION FROM KEN WILBER'S THE SIMPLE FEELING OF BEING.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2006: SUCCESS THROUGH FAILURE - WILL FAILURE THROUGH EXHAUSTING ALL EFFORT BRING US ENLIGHTENMENT? QUOTATIONS FROM HUBERT BENOIT'S THE LIGHT OF ZEN IN THE WEST AND RICHARD ROSE'S THE MEDITATION PAPERS.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2006: I SAID TO MY SOUL, BE STILL... QUOTE FROM T.S. ELIOT POEM. WHO IS TALKING TO WHAT? COULD THIS BE AN EFFECTIVE MEDITATION TECHNIQUE?

SEPTEMBER 16, 2006: SHOULD YOU QUESTION YOUR BELIEFS? IS DOUBT SACRED? QUOTE FROM RICHARD ROSE'S THE DIRECT MIND EXPERIENCE. WHAT ARE THE SOURCES FOR YOUR CURRENT BELIEFS? COULD THEY BE AN EXCUSE FOR AVOIDING INTROSPECTION? COULD MAINTAINING A RESPECTFUL DOUBT ABOUT ALL BELIEFS BE A MEANS TO UNDERSTANDING THE MIND?

SEPTEMBER 9, 2006: WHAT IS SPIRITUAL ACTION? WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF YEARNING AND INTENT?

AUGUST 26, 2006: DOES NATURE ENCOURAGE OUR SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION, OR DOES NATURE HAVE ITS OWN AGENDA WHERE WE ARE NOT IMPORTANT? CAN WE LEARN TO OUTWIT NATURE SO THAT WE MAY EVOLVE SPIRITUALLY?

AUGUST 19, 2006: WHAT DO YOU FEAR? ARE YOU AFRAID OF LOSING A COWARD?

AUGUST 12, 2006: ARE YOU THE VICTIM OF LIFE, OR THE WITNESS OF LIFE?

AUGUST 5, 2006: IS YOUR MIND THE PROBLEM? IF SO, CAN YOU FREE YOURSELF FROM YOUR MIND?

JULY 29, 2006: MUST WE LOSE ALL IN ORDER TO GAIN ALL? IS THE SECRET TO ENLIGHTENMENT THE DESIRE TO BE NOTHING? LET'S EXAMINE THE VERSES FROM "THE ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL" BY SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS.

JULY 15, 2006: WHAT ARE YOUR OBSTACLES TO SPIRITUAL GROWTH? IS THE MIND THE ONLY TOOL WE HAVE FOR DETERMINING OUR PROGRESS AND SUCCESS IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH?

JULY 8, 2006: IS DESIRE AN ILLUSION? WHY ARE WE DISTRACTED BY DESIRE IF OUR DESIRES ARE ILLUSORY PHANTOMS?

JULY 1, 2006: HOW CAN YOU DISCOVER YOUR INNER TRUTH? WHAT IS INNER TRUTH? MUST WE FIND IT FIRST BEFORE GAINING VIRTUE AND KNOWLEDGE?

JUNE 17, 2006: WHAT IS YOUR REAL SELF? IS THERE A SINGLE, REAL SELF AMIDST A THEATER OF SELVES?

MAY 27, 2006: ARE YOU SUFFICIENTLY DISSATISFIED WITH LIFE? IS SUFFERING A TIME FOR REJOICING? CAN DISSATISFACTION BE THE BIRTH WITH CREATIVE INSIGHT?

MAY 13, 2006: WHAT THE BLEEP DO YOU KNOW? LET EXAMINE THE ASSUMPTIONS BEHIND THE FILM "WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW." CAN YOU CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY?

MAY 6, 2006: SPIRITUAL GROWTH: THE LAWS AND TECHNIQUES WHAT ARE THE WAYS AND MEANS OF DISCERNMENT ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH?

APRIL 29TH, 2006: SHOULD WE HELP HUMANITY, OR CAN WE HELP ONLY OURSELVES?: ARE ALL OUR ALTRUISTIC IDEALS AND SENTIMENTS TOWARDS HELPING HUMANITY NOTHING MORE THAN VAIN DELUSION? IS IT PERHAPS TRUE THAT IN TRYING TO HELP HUMANITY, THE ROAD TO HELL IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS? IF WE CAN'T CHANGE THE BLUEPRINT FOR HUMANITY, CAN WE KNOW OUR INDIVIDUAL BLUEPRINT BY LOOKING WITHIN?

APRIL 22THE, 2006: WILL WE FIND TRUE LOVE THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIPS?: WILL TRUE LOVE BE FOUND WHEN THE SELF IS FORGOTTEN? IF SO, HOW CAN WE FORGET THE SELF? IS AVOIDING A DEEP RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS THE BEST HOPE FOR SELF-REVELATION?

APRIL 8TH, 2006: ARE WE DOERS, OR REACTORS?: IS OUR FATE TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A MACHINE, HARD-WIRED, OUT OF CONTROL, OR CAN WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT WHICH HAS PROGRAMMED US?

MARCH 25TH, 2006: HIGHER AWARENESS: WHAT IS IT? CAN THERE BE A STATE OF HIGHER AWARENESS WHICH IS ABSOLUTE AND ATTAINABLE IN OUR LIFETIME?