To Be Human: Examining the Core of the Teachings, Session 4
To Be Human: Examining the Core of the Teachings
With Javier Gomez Rodriguez
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Zoom Online
This was the fourth in a series of six sessions hosted by Javier from the Netherlands via Zoom. The series is an examination of the short summary written by J. Krishnamurti outlining what he felt was the core of his teachings. In this presentation Javier discussed the section of the summary he entitled “Freedom”. There was a total of twelve participants in attendance.
Javier began with a brilliant analysis of the history of freedom on the outer level (which is limited and temporary), then moved to the inner dimension of freedom which was Krishnamurti’s main interest. For K, freedom was a factor of perception and is to be found in the “mirror of relationship”. The key is observation, which must be engaged by each individual. The images and ideas used by thought in seeking security are the problem from which there must be freedom – freedom from the content of consciousness or “the known”. When there is no limitation in consciousness engendered by the known then there is “love” and “freedom”. Where conditioning is operative there is no freedom. As Krishnamurti said, “freedom is pure observation without direction”. This means observation without motivation and is described by K as “choiceless awareness” (of the movements of thought or of the reactions of the human psyche).
Javier asked a number of deep questions about the issue of freedom. Can we choose to be free, to be kind, or to behave in a certain way? Is choice an expression of confusion, as K maintained? Is it freedom when we identify with people or ideas, when we have preferences, likes, and dislikes? Is perception shaped by our conditioning and are our images and concepts always partial and fragmentary? Javier’s exposition lasted about forty-five minutes, after which he opened the session to group discussion, which produced further interesting questions and insights. Aspects of freedom explored were as follows:
– Freedom is at the beginning, in the moment, in perception now, before thought interferes or takes control.
– Choiceless awareness is the space of freedom.
– “Freedom from” is different than “freedom” itself.
– Freedom is in emptiness, silence, nothingness, and in the place where we are not, which is also “love”.
– Freedom involves seeing things “properly”.
It was a harmonious session imbued with an atmosphere of cooperation and friendliness. There will be more to investigate at our next meeting in two weeks “time”.
