Siritual life begins with asking the big questions: "Why am I here?" "Who am I?" "What is God's will for my life?" These and other such questions form the very basis of a self-reflective life.

The process of sincere inquiry and the reciprocal receiving of real and satisfying answers is a course of action that continues all through one's spiritual journey. This is one thing that, in fact, makes the path of Yoga and Sanatana Dharma very different from almost all other spiritual traditions: unlike the Western Abrahamic religions, sincere questioning is actually actively encouraged in our spiritual tradition.

Sanatana Dharma is a spiritual world-view that is predicated upon the idea that we are all free and unique beings. We are respected as persons who have the ability to make our own choices in life, and who deserve to have our choices honored.

As free beings, it is incumbent upon us to progress spiritually by the strength of our own sincerity, dedication, and free inquiry. The tradition of Dharma, from this perspective, can almost be called the religion of questioning and free inquiry.

Throughout the Dharmic scriptures (the Vedic literature), we see again and again thousands of examples of free and open dialogues that take place between students and teachers in an attempt to understand the truth of a particular question or philosophical problem.

Whether in the Upanishads, Puranas, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, or any of the other scriptures of Sanatana Dharma, we repeatedly read about various philosophical discussions that take place between either a guru and disciple, or a king and a guru, or a god and a human, etc. etc.

Indeed, only in Sanatana Dharma is there even a scripture known as the Prashna Upanishad, or the "Upanishad of Questioning". The most important of Dharmic scriptures, the Bhagavad Gita, is itself an open philosophical dialogue between a princely warrior and God Himself.

In the Bhagavad Gita, we have God Himself engaging in free and open dialogue with His student Arjuna, in the attempt to bring Arjuna to a deeper understanding of the truth of his own self-identity, and his relationship with God.

This vision of God as the Supreme Person who is compassionate, loving, and secure in His own being enough to have a down-to-earth conversation with His devotee is in stark contrast to how the Abrahamic (Judeo-Christian-Islamic) god is depicted in the Biblical and Koranic texts, as an unapproachable being who only engages in a one-way dialog with his followers.

The encouraging of sincere and open questioning is found throughout our spiritual tradition like with no other religious tradition on earth.

It is understood in Santana Dharma that the process of questioning is in itself an art. The important thing to understand about the process of philosophical questioning is that the questioning itself has to follow the proper methodology if one is to receive real and truly authentic answers.

Questioning is itself an art and a spiritual discipline. Above all, it is the motivational attitude, even more so than the cognitive abilities of the questioner, that is of operative importance.

In other words, the important factor in questioning is not how smart the questioner thinks he is, but why the person is asking the questions in the first place.

A philosophical question needs to be presented in a way that is sincere, humble, open, and direct. Anything less than this attitude will not lead to real answers. Even a question as seemingly benign as "What is God?", for example, can be asked in such a manner as to receive a real answer, or it can be asked in a manner that is arrogant and demanding.

Only the former, asking with humility and openness, will lead the questioner to Truth. Asking with arrogance will only lead to further ignorance. The Bhagavad Gita provides us with a very clear description of the science of asking:

"Attempt to learn that truth by approaching a spiritual teacher. Inquire submissively from him and render service to him. The self-realized sages will initiate you into true knowledge for they have themselves seen the truth." (Bhagavad Gita, 4:34)