Diving in the Inner Ocean: An Introduction to Personal Transformation through Diamond Inquiry

by Dominic C. Liber, A. H. Almaas (Contribution by)

Overview

Unlock your hidden potential with this practical and approachable introduction to self-directed inquiry—the main meditative practice of the Diamond Approach.

Much like the ocean, each of us has inner depths: an entire world beneath the surface of everyday living pulsing with beauty, life, and mystery. The secret depths of our inner worlds are the very things that we spend our lives searching for: love, support, belonging, meaning, joy, and freedom. Through a contemplative practice known as diamond inquiry, you can begin to directly explore your conscious experience just like a diver exploring a reef. You'll discover wondrous treasures and terrifying sights alike, as well as infinite expanses, and limitless potential and freedom.

Diamond inquiry combines the depth of meditation with the power of understanding and psychological insight. Guided by your own curiosity, you use a variety of questions to explore your present-moment experience as it unfolds, deepens, and transforms. This method was developed by A. H. Almaas, founder of the Diamond Approach, though the practice is ideal for anyone who wants to explore their inner world. Dominic C. Liber introduces this powerful tool along with step-by-step exercises to develop your understanding. Through this simple yet profound practice, in time every situation will become a doorway to realizing and actualizing deep insight and transformation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611809084
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	08/10/2021
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.52(w) x 8.43(h) x 0.61(d)

About the Author

DOMINIC C. LIBER is an explorer, teacher, and writer, following a lifelong passion for both the magical and mystical, and the scientific and rational. He leads groups and courses on the Diamond Approach, does research, and works one-on-one with students in the UK and in South Africa. He personally has found the Diamond Approach to be the most resonant and powerful way to discover, understand, and liberate the mysterious and limitless potentials of a human being.

Table of Contents

Foreword A. H. Almaas ix

Introduction xiii

Part 1 At the Pool-Preparations for Diamond Inquiry

1 What Is the Inner Ocean? 3

2 The Practical Diving Gear of Inquiry 15

3 Seeing Underwater with the Mask of Friendly Interest 25

4 Steadying Yourself in the Water with Kath Meditation 39

5 Entering the Ocean with Sensing, Looking, and Listening 47

Part 2 Into the Ocean

6 Checking In to Find Where You Are 61

7 Exploring by Questioning 83

8 Diving Deeper 95

9 The Freedom of Inquiry 111

10 The Magic of Inquiry 125

Part 3 The Three Centers

11 The Head Center 143

12 The Heart Center 155

13 The Belly Center 171

Conclusion: Bringing It All Together 183

Acknowledgments 193

Resources: Exploring the Universe 195

Index 199

Editorial Reviews

I am delighted that Dominic Liber has written this book. As a teacher of the Enneagram, students often ask me what to do with the knowledge they acquire. And my response is that without practice, such learning cannot take us very far. But here, in Diving in the Inner Ocean, Dominic has provided a beautifully written, lucid, and friendly introduction to what I see as the central practice for working with our personality and for exploring the deeper mysteries of our essential nature—the practice of inquiry. This book guides us step by step into developing the tools and capacities for inquiry, and whether you are an experienced meditator or are new to inner work, the teachings here are a treasure trove of helpful experience and insight. I enthusiastically recommend this book.”—Russ Hudson, author of The Enneagram: Nine Gateways to Presence, and co-author of The Wisdom of the Enneagram

“The cosmic ocean of consciousness is such a magnificent vastness—but where to begin? Are you sitting at the shore longing for a way in? Or adrift with only a memory of a rogue wave that grabbed you only to deposit you back on the sand, helpless to find your way back? Do you think the ocean of consciousness is just one thing and miss the riches it holds? With his friendly, encouraging guidance, Dominic illuminates the way to inner exploration with a heart of adventure and the wisdom of a seasoned diver. The pages drip with the presence of the sea as he sharpens our diamond inquiry skill with the innate inner resources that have all but been forgotten. He deftly points us toward the numinous presences of strength, kindness, and steadfastness and sets our curiosity free to explore uncharted waters—all of it—the sparkling, the turbulent, the surface, and the depth. He leaves no shell unturned. Better yet, you will discover all of the magical treasures hidden within each one. Dominic offers an invitation to return to our natural condition as part of that vast sea. You are fluid as an octopus and bright as the bioluminescence that lives at the mysterious depths. Come on in! The conditions are perfect for a dive!”—Karen Johnson, cofounder of the Diamond Approach and author of The Jeweled Path and co-author of The Power of Divine Eros

“A brilliant, welcoming gift to the whole world. Dominic Liber lays out a lucid, warm path for becoming competent in an essential skill, diamond inquiry: a contemporary method for uncovering and manifesting our true nature. His work is kind and accompanied in every step with practices, warnings of pitfalls, and pre-forgiveness for any mistakes. Anyone seeking a direct experience of their authentic self will be well served by this compassionate, deeply human, and generous teaching.”—James Flaherty, MCC, author of Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others and founder of New Ventures West and Integral Coaching®

“Dominic’s book elucidating the revolutionary practice of inquiry as practiced in the Diamond Approach path is excellent. The process of inquiry allows us to penetrate through our egoic experience and discover the treasures that lie beyond, and is a game-changing innovation in spiritual technology. With clarity and simplicity, he shows us how to navigate our inner life, likening it to learning how to skillfully scuba dive. The analogy of learning to dive into the ocean that he follows throughout is an apt one. He teaches us how to move beneath the surface of our experience and explore what underlies it. As our acclimation to our inner ocean deepens and we become more comfortable, he takes us into the depths of what’s possible for us as human beings to experience. Not only descriptive but filled with exercises for the reader to practice, it is essential for those new to inquiry and a great enhancement for those already familiar with it.”—Sandra Maitri, author of The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram and The Enneagram of Passions and Virtues

From the Publisher