Enlightenment Guided Inquiry - The Neti Neti Method

The introduction sets the stage for an Enlightenment guided inquiry using the ancient Neti Neti method, urging viewers not to rely on preconceived notions. It's a method for those seeking Enlightenment, not beginners, and involves stripping away false beliefs about one's identity to discover the true self.

Leo emphasizes setting aside preconceived notions of identity, suggesting that non-conceptual, direct experiences of Enlightenment may result from this exercise. He warns that our strong assumptions about identity can block us from true understanding, and encourages open-mindedness to challenge perceived truths about self.

The core of the exercise asks participants to consider that they are not their body, mind, DNA, neurons, or any tangible experience. It's an exploration into the possibility that one's true essence is not tied to any physical or experiential aspect, challenging deeply-rooted self-beliefs.

The process of inquiry begins as Leo guides a meditation that seeks to determine the true essence of self—separate from any experience. He advises questioning of assumptions about existence and focusing on the direct experience of being, without any preconceived beliefs or biases.

Leo introduces a structured meditation that involves relaxing the body and mind and questioning the fundamental nature of self—specifically steering participants away from identifying as any form of sensory or experiential content, urging them to stay open-minded and grounded in the reality of their direct experience.

Leo makes participants question the nature of experiences and their relationship to them. He points out the changing nature of experiences (sight, sound, thought, etc.) to highlight that none of these can be the true, unchanging self, which supposedly remains constant from birth till now.

Participants are led through a visualization exercise that asks them to explore whether they could be any of the six channels of experience—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, and thought—ultimately concluding that none of these changeable experiences can truly define what they fundamentally are.

Leo guides the inquiry into inner sensations, pondering whether one can truly identify with them, especially as they are always in flux and absent at times, further suggesting that the true self cannot be any feeling or internal dialogue experienced over a lifetime.

Further examination reveals that even internal dialogues and images—often closely associated with one’s sense of self—are not truly 'self', as they are also transient. Leo prompts reevaluation of what could be left if we eliminate all forms of experiences.

As participants struggle to identify with the 'I' thought or any form of intuition, they are led to confront the notion of being an unidentifiable perceiver or self, challenging deep-seated assumptions of being a tangible entity.

A crucial realization in the exercise emerges that the self is not locatable as a physical or mental object or experience. All assumptions about physical reality, object status, or spatial location are questioned, suggesting self is an unassuming constant that doesn't fit these standard assumptions.

Leo confronts the conceptual leap where belief of being a constant is challenged; the recognition that direct discovery through deep inquiry might reveal self as an un-graspable, intangible 'nothingness', contrary to all previous identifications and definitions.

Participants are led to the conclusion that the true essence of self is an unobservable, unchangeable, self-aware 'nothingness'. Emphasis is placed on the experiential understanding (or realization) of this abstract, difficult-to-capture truth as enlightenment.