What we’re about
What we're about:
Thank you for your interest in the Pittsburgh Self-inquiry Group!
We meet in-person bi-weekly on Mondays near the Universities in Oakland.
Our Wednesday Online (Zoom) Self Inquiry Group offers a friendly environment where people seeking to discover a true and final understanding of themselves can work together. Our sole purpose of self-inquiry is to pursue the question "Who Am I?", individuals seeking their own subjective answers to the Big Questions of life.
Our meetings are typically of 5-9 participants, including new attendees. The format of our meetings is confrontation, to examine, question and confront our convictions, beliefs and identities in a group setting with other serious participants. We question our own and others' view of one's self, using others as mirrors, for a different perspective of ourselves in trying to understand how we think and more often fool ourselves as to who we are -as once stated by the physicist Richard Feynman: “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool.”
We believe it to be a rare opportunity to question and be questioned, to inspire and be inspired and to find friendship with others on similar enough paths to your own. There is nothing to join, nothing to buy, meetings are free and there is nothing to believe in. This is not a solicitation for any belief system, organization or philosophy -just take what you need, give something in return and leave the rest. Think for yourself and figure out what’s true. That’s all it's about -sifting and asking yourself what’s true until you know.
"Who Am I?" is a question about our most fundamental existence, the I-am-ness, a search for that which is compelled to live the role of you or I as if each life is the role of an actor performing on a stage. It is not about beliefs, but about one's sincere and individual searching for their own answers. We find inspiration in scrutinizing especially the teachings including Zen, Christian mysticism, Sufism and Advaita Vedanta. Teachers such as Nisargadatta, Ramana Maharshi, Richard Rose, Bernadette Roberts, Franklin Merrell-Wolff, John of the Cross, Rumi, Theresa of Avilla, Huang Po, Gurdjieff and many of their students and others more recent such as Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle, Wm Samuel, Art Ticknor, Bob Ferguson, Gary Weber, David Scoma, Paul Rezendes and others can be found.
You could contact selfinquirer@aol.com for more info and scheduling.
Thank you again for your inquiry and hope to see you soon!
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Our History: In Pittsburgh, there have been self-inquiry groups and meetings since 1972, the first in the country as mentored by Richard Rose and there are many groups with variations of self-inquiry and seeking throughout the world. During the covid crisis, many became accessible through internet Zoom meetings. A partial directory is listed monthly in the TAT Forum, a monthly free online periodical that promotes the writings and events of seekers from many traditions and backgrounds.
Prior to Covid, we met weekly between the Friend's Meeting House and the Blvd of the Allies Panera both in Oakland. We currently meet at the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland and Dobra Tearoom in Squirrel Hill to recreate a small group who values interacting in person.
Other Resources:
In addition to the local resources, you can connect with a wider group of people, some of whom have found their Final Answer and are motivated to help you do the same:
TATFoundation.org/forum/ - essays, opinions & humor on seeking answers
selfdiscoveryportal.com -one teacher's messages
TATFoundation.org -group of seekers with many backgrounds, seeking Truth
mysticmissal.org -photography & writings of another who found
searchwitnin.org -huge compilation of writings, many by those who have found
spiritualteachers.org -list of the most inspirational, honest and useful teachers
