Weekend Retreat at KECC

“Fragmentation and Wholeness” Weekend Workshop with Prof. Hilary Rodrigues August 26 -29, 2016   Hilary Rodrigues from the University of Lethbridge joined us to lead a weekend of exploration into the subject of fragmentation and wholeness, a topic often spoken of by J. Krishnamurti. The retreat was attended by sixteen people in all and the group created an atmosphere of serious and deep inquiry into the material presented by Hilary. On Friday night he gave a talk open to the public introducing the subject matter and inviting us to look beyond words and concepts for our own direct understanding of fragmentation and wholeness in ourselves. He invited us to look without prejudgment or evaluations. We were lead into a space of quiet observation and encouraged to apply that awareness during our engagement with ordinary life, for example, during the tea break. Hilary made liberal use of quotes from Krishnamurti in the form of handouts for group discussion and inquiry. The group dialogue was lively and sometimes profound, supported by Hilary’s skillful guidance and knowledge of scriptures and spiritual teachings relevant to the subject. The open and non-judgmental attitude of the group created a creative space for looking, listening, and sharing. On Sunday afternoon we watched a video of Krishnamurti speaking at Saanen in 1979 on the topic of “Intelligence, Love, and Compassion.” He asked if there is one act or state of mind that will solve all our problems. He suggested that seeing is action. If we clearly see the danger of our way of living and thinking then there will be a shift. Living with this quality of intelligence means not conforming to any pattern. Seeing Is intelligence; intelligence is love and compassion, which will solve all our problems. There was time for nature walks on the property and friendly sharing and conversation. Delicious food was provided by Lester B. Pearson College. We all enjoyed Hilary’s presence and that of the participants very much and look forward to his return next year.