Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 26, 2024

Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

June 26, 2024

Esquimalt Park Pavilion

Victoria, BC

 

There was a small turnout of just five people for this Wednesday afternoon meeting at the Esquimalt Park Pavilion with Mukesh Gupta. After the usual quiet period, Mukesh said that he would like to explore the question of happiness with the small group. What is the nature of happiness and how do we experience it? Can our biological and psychological conditioning be approached in a way that allows joy and love to flourish? Is there a state of peace that can be lived? Is there any permanent good feeling that can be attained, or does our experience keep changing so that we can hold on to nothing that lasts or endures? We explored these questions deeply and found that there are many ways and reasons why we cannot come to a stable happiness in the face of the fact of transience in our life experience.

We came to the insight that as soon as the “I” comes into our consciousness there can be no permanent happiness. Thought is constantly creating images which create a separation between the observer and the observed. Can there be a consistency, depth, and power in our observation that can dissolve the images as they arise? This seems to be what Krishnamurti is suggesting with his “impossible questions”. Can we stay with such profound questions so that the answer is found in the very awareness brought to bear on the questions? Can there be a willingness to “die before we die,” to allow the “I” to let go of its solidity? We ended with the challenge of the question before us.

DB