Ontological inquiry, as understood in the context of meditative and contemplative traditions, involves a deep investigation into the nature of being and existence. It is a rigorous and nuanced exploration that goes beyond mere metaphysical speculation, inviting practitioners to directly examine the experiential contours and structures that constitute their sense of reality. Through practices such as meditation, reflection, and inquiry, one scrutinizes the fabric of perception, self-identity, and the apparent solidity of phenomena. The aim of ontological inquiry is not to arrive at fixed conceptual answers but to cultivate a transformative insight that dissolves habitual reifications and opens the mind to profound flexibility and freedom. It is a practice of dismantling the foundational assumptions that underpin our conventional experience, revealing the fluid, interdependent nature of all phenomena and enabling a more liberated mode of being.

See also: dependent arising, mutual dependency, provisional truth, universal truth