Self-Enquiry is just Debugging the Mind To Know The Self

Self-Enquiry is just Debugging the Mind To Know The Self

Many of you, especially Software Engineers, must be familiar with the term Debugging. Debugging is the process of identifying and removing errors from computer hardware or software.

When a computer program is developed, sometimes there can be errors in them. They are usually called Bugs. These Bugs will cause the program to run incorrectly. The expected results will not be achieved. And if the program is associated with GUI, Graphical User Interface, and if there are bugs, then the images that are displayed could all be distorted or messed up or simply wrong.

These software Bugs can be really very simple, such as a missed comma, a colon, a bracket, a paranthesis and so on. One has to search the program, sometimes step by step, and find out where the bug resides, remove it and fix the program.  

On the other hand, sometimes, a Bug can be deep-rooted. It can be hiding in the very depths of the program. It may take hours or days or weeks to look for it and find it, and then it is eliminated.

Thus, an in-depth search for a bug in software, locating it, finding it and removing is called Debugging.

The process of Self-Enquiry is also Debugging. Only it is not debugging a computer program or software. It is Debugging the Mind or Searching Within, which can be called Inner Quest.  

For a person, Life goes on. Everything is happening by itself. You go to sleep, and in deep sleep you are absolutely peaceful. After a good night’s sleep, you wake up feeling refreshed. Then something very subtle, a little whorl, a thought twirl, rises in your mind. It is also referred to as the Ego, or the “I Thought”, or the individual self. This is opposed to the Real Self. 

The ego or the whorl can be likened to the Bug of the computer program. The ego is very deep-rooted. And just like a computer software bug makes the program run incorrectly and produce incorrrect results and display distorted images, the ego shows the individual self all wrong images of the world and its activities. And this causes great agitation, agony, unhappiness and misery in the life of the individual.

When the individual sees that there is something wrong with the way the program of life is running, the person starts wondering and pondering as follows : “I want to be happy all the time. All I want is happiness. That means Happiness must be my real nature. But I don’t experience it? Why is that? What is wrong? What is the cause?”

Some spiritually highly evolved rare beings, when they have this predicament, they immediately enquire deeply within and quickly discover the problem, eliminate it and abide in perennial bliss. In other words, they figure out that they have been dancing to the tunes of the ego-thief, find out that this ego-ghost that creates all the disturbing thoughts is false, and re-discover their real, eternal Happy Self.

But others who are not that evolved spiritually as these Sages, seek the help and guidance of a Sage who has already solved the problem. The Sage out of extreme compassion and kindness, gives out instructions to the seeker about what to do to realize one’s true nature. And that is the process of self-enquiry, which is the same as debugging the mind.

The ego or the I-Thought is the bug. In Self-Enquiry, one has to delve deep within and keenly look from where the “I-thought” arises. And because the I-Thought is false, it will vanish and the Real Self will be found to be self-shining. 

Once this is accomplished, the program of life will run bug-free. All actions will go on without the interference of the ego-bug. Distorted images of life will not be shown any longer.  Life and its experiences will be seen in the right perspective. And Happiness and Peace will prevail.

Thus Self-Enquiry is Debugging the Mind and Realizing the Self, that is blissful and eternal.