The Urgency of Change Dialogue Group Meeting, May 16, 2021

The Urgency of Change Dialogue Group Meeting

Sunday, May 16, 2021

Zoom online

Twelve participants attended this Sunday morning meeting. Three of the group were unable to join us for various reasons, but two of them sent their greetings and best wishes. We began the meeting with a guided meditation exploring the possibility of “whole attention”, mentioned by Krishnamurti in the readings. This attention is not something that can be practiced or made deliberate. The question was posed, “Can this quality of attention be present right from the beginning, without psychological effort?” After the “meditation” there was some discussion of our experience, which revealed that participants had been aware of certain shifts in their consciousness which seemed meaningful. The inquiry moved to a consideration of Krishnamurti’s teachings as often having the nature of Zen koans, or questions that cannot be answered by rational thought and therefore require an accessing of a state beyond, or prior to, the thinking mind. This may be what David Bohm described as “shared meaning” in his writings on group dialogue.

The chapters recommended for reading in preparation for the meeting were the ones entitled “Perception” and “Suffering” in The Urgency of Change. Some of the ideas shared by K in those chapters were integrated into our discussion and overall the conversation flowed in a creative and interesting way, interspersed with periods of spontaneous silence. The silence was appreciated by some of the participants who commented on the phenomenon. K often speaks of the significance of that quality of silence which is a natural outcome of self study and a doorway to a “deeper” knowing of who or what we are – and what life is. The companionship was hopefully enjoyable for everyone, significant in the experience of non-separateness, and of value as an opportunity for self-observation and learning.