​What is atma-nirikshana or soul-searching?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

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So what is the Atmaniraksha? Actually soul searching as we say it means three things. First is trying to understand, at a spiritual level it means understanding who I am. So understanding that my core existence goes beyond my body and I am a soul.
That is in a philosophical sense. In a practical sense soul searching can also mean understanding what is my driving motive. Sometimes I do something and I wonder why do I do that? In fact I get over it and I wonder why do I get over it? Because I get over sleep, I wonder why do I get over sleep? I didn’t want to.
So that when we do soul searching we start understanding that there are different voices inside me and we understand there is a voice of the mind which is short term impulsive, there is a voice of intelligence which is long term wise and when we understand these voices then we can catch the mind’s feelings and say stop. I don’t want to do this. Soul searching helps us to understand the different voices within us and then to act according to the right voice not the wrong voice.
At another level soul searching can also mean to understand what are the most important things for us in life. What is my nature? What is my talent? What is my driving inspiration? So basically understanding our self as soul, understanding the multiple voices within us and understanding our driving inspiration into us all of this can be encompassed in soul searching. So we turn inwards and we gradually develop inwards by observing ourselves we understand ourselves.