I have been using releasing for three years now and inquiry for two and a half years. During this time I have come to see releasing as an effective, instantaneous, on-the-spot stress reliever; it is more than that actually in that it also provides a means of straightening-out my beliefs and attitudes, by showing me the degree to which the core wants play a part in my thinking. But I would say that it was the use of inquiry through The Work of Byron Katie, which provided me with the most effective way of questioning my beliefs that I had ever experienced. That is not to say that The Work is necessarily better than The Sedona Method – I am simply stating my own preferences and experiences, whilst keeping an open mind.
The Familiar Human Condition
I have found that when I use inquiry the same issues arise a lot of the time. Not every session of inquiry is the same and I often encounter something new that I didn’t know before; which is one of the reasons why inquiry is so amazing. Nevertheless, it seems that no matter what belief I seem to question, whether it is being stuck in a traffic jam or I am reading about the economic situation in the newspaper – inquiry seems to get me into that place deep within me that seems to be the source of all the dysfunction in my life. Despite our cultural and religious differences, it seems that human beings are very much the same in the way they think and react to certain situations. Psychology has sought to make an exact science out of this the way in which the mind behaves in lawful and predictable ways.
Byron Katie has remarked in the past on the way in which she has found that no matter where she takes The Work in the world – the same beliefs arise time and again. A couple could be in a war torn country with bombs and bullets flying everywhere, but the same beliefs express themselves: my husband should love me more; my wife shouldn’t nag so much and so on. So it seems that there is some benefit in hearing other people doing The Work – even people with from different countries with different socio-economic backgrounds.
So it seems that there is something of a common theme behind all the underlying dysfunction in the mind of man which seems to create so much stress and turmoil in life. It is this predictability that has caused self-help and spiritual gurus to establish so-called cure-all formulas for this common human dilemma. But of course, we all know that despite the incredible popularity, fame and fortune these gurus attain – a lot of people find that their methods simply do not work.
The Need to Inquire Within
I think one of the reasons why these self-help and spiritual principles and formulas do not work, is because there is a need to take responsibility for your own life, be allowed to make mistakes (and learn from them), develop and mature in your own time and to see what works (and doesn’t work) for yourself. What I like about The Work is that it is not a set of principles and formulas that you must follow in order to be happy and successful: The Work is more like a framework within which you ask yourself questions and tune-in to that part of you that has the answers and knows what’s best for you – rather than looking to some guru to tell you what you should or should not do.
Inquiry is gentle, patient and kind – inquiry does not make demands and push unreasonable expectations on yourself. Inquiry accepts where you are in life right now, it doesn’t make excuses, but rather, accepts responsibility for who you are and where you are and seeks freedom from stressful thoughts. It is in this freedom that you are able to make the decisions that are the best for you in this moment.
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