Center for Spiritual Self-Inquiry


 ~  this page is under development   ~
The purpose of the Center for Spiritual Self-Inquiry is to accelerate each individual's  journey to self-realization.  I guide the center in the spirit of a fellow inquirer as well as a teacher.                                                                                                                                                                     ~ Leslie Ihde

Speaking on Spiritual Self-Inquiry

In the interest of sharing my work, I am available to speak on spiritual self-inquiry to your group.  I don't charge for these talks, (although I'll be grateful if you offer me a place to stay!)  I will drive most places within a 200 mile radius of Vestal or Ithaca, NY. Please don't hesitate to contact me about this.

Joining the Center

This website shares resources with you to support your journey.  As a teacher, I offer group work and individual sessions.  Attending a  group is a good way for you to become familiar with me as a teacher.  If you would like to make a deeper commitment, you may ask to join the center. Becoming a member opens the door to you for a fuller participation in what we do.  

With your membership, you will be offered two initial meetings with me.  These meetings will be your starting point. The first session is an opportunity for you to share your background and to articulate, with my help, the suffering in your life.  The second session will focus on developing a practice particular to you.  I will help you identify the practice that may best help you on your journey at this time.  Joining also gives you the option to apply to attend retreats.  Finally, you will be supporting our work concretely with your membership fee, and spiritually by your effort.  

You may initiate this process by emailing me (Leslie Ihde).   Alternatively, you can go directly to the contribution page (a drop down under 'contact') and click on membership.   If you would simply like to support this work and help fund our physical space, you can make a deeply appreciated contribution online.

How to Begin

In one way, we must all ask ourselves how to begin each time we solve (or dissolve) a dilemma.  The step immediately following dissolution is always to ask our question anew. To support your effort, I publish one or two essays a month on my blog.  These essays are designed to encourage you to develop, or continue,  your own self-inquiry practice.  Several of these are collected in my ebook, An Ocean Cannot Drown. It contains both writing published on my blog as well as previously unpublished work written for my students.

You will find more on my Amazon page.  If you read, read with sincerity as if you were having a deep and private conversation with someone you respect.  Don't merely gather information or adopt an intellectual stance. My writings are offered as a support to my students.

Reading can never replace an in person dialogue, but depending on your relation to reading, it can be a help.

Guided Spiritual Self-Inquiry

I hope these pages give you an idea of the work I do.  Spiritual Self-Inquiry work is offered as a gesture to the spirit. Although contributions are necessary to support this effort, there is no connection between this work and any financial interest.  In the future, I hope to add the names of some of my students who offer self-inquiry work in locations other than my own.

Teachers I Admire

ViMy own teacher has taught me for more than thirty years and been my primary guide on this awe-filled, terrifying and wonderful journey.  I don't want to publish his name here, but suffice to say, I am most grateful to his profound insight and patient effort. This dunce of student now devotes her life to helping others on their journeys, hopefully with some small semblance of her teacher's spirit.

Other teachers who have inspired and taught me have spanned many disciplines and eras in time.  Through their writings, many brilliant teachers offer their help to you even though they no longer walk this earth.  These teachers may be philosophers or poets.  Some who have inspired me include Toni Packer, Viktor Frankl, Carlos Casteneda's Don Juan, C.G. Jung, Tolstoy, and Socrates. Added to this list are Meister Eckhart, a Christian mystic from the 14th century and Satomi Myodo, a Japanese woman from the 20th.

Albert Low is the teacher/director of the Montreal Zen Center. His blog is called Thoughts Along the Way.  Albert Low is not just another teacher of Zen.  He is also an extremely articulate writer.  He has background in psychology and philosophy.  I find his thought penetrating and rare.  He generously posts to allow the public access to his unusual clarity.

Insight Based Practice