Inquiry into thought

This inquiry, emphasized by Krishnamurti, Buddhist traditions, and Eckhart Tolle, involves directly observing the nature and activity of thought. Rather than fighting thoughts or trying to stop them, you simply watch how thinking operates.

Through careful observation, you see that thought creates division—between self and other, past and future, good and bad. Thought generates problems and then tries to solve them, creating an endless loop. This seeing itself is transformative; you don't need to do anything about thought, just see it clearly.

The inquiry reveals that awareness is prior to thought. There is a knowing of thoughts, but this knowing is not itself a thought. Resting in this knowing, you are free from the domination of thinking without being opposed to thought.

Sit quietly and watch thoughts arise. Don't try to stop them; simply observe. Notice how thought creates the thinker, how it divides experience into categories. See that you are not your thoughts—you are the awareness in which thoughts appear. This seeing is freedom.

The main obstacle is thinking about thought rather than observing it directly. Another is getting pulled into thought content instead of seeing thought as thought. The practice requires alert, choiceless awareness—watching without agenda.