Self-inquiry with Hillary Rodrigues, September 5, 2024
Self-inquiry with Hillary Rodrigues
September 5, 2024
At Esquimalt Park Pavilion
Victoria, BC
Hillary Rodrigues, previously a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Lethbridge, will be facilitating our dialogue sessions in Victoria and at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada in Metchosin for some time to come. The Victoria meetings will be held on Thursday afternoons and this was the first.
Eight people were very pleased to welcome Hillary to the Esquimalt Park Pavilion at 1070 Tillicum Road. Hillary gave a short introductory talk about the nature of dialogue and then led a period of silent meditation where group members could orient themselves to being aware of their own thoughts and feelings as they sat together in a circle. The meeting was then opened up to whatever questions participants might have and would like to explore within the context of the group structure. One group member said she was interested in sensitivity and Hillary then found a relevant reading from The Book of Life: Meditations with Krishnamurti, September 5 selection. The passage from Krishnamurti’s writings spoke of the limitation of the intellect and the potential richness of our perceptions of the world around us when we do not argue and fight about our place in it and thereby miss being aware of our surroundings.
Krishnamurti wrote that sensitivity has no conditioning to it. It takes us out of the field of fears and anxieties.
One participant shared her idea of sensitivity by saying that it was a quality of Presence and of Being. She tries to be as present as possible at all times. Another group member explained that, for him, sensitivity can be quite uncomfortable and can open him to fear and a sense of disturbance. Being aware can include awareness of the inner life. It may not be thought that is aware but, rather, the awareness of thinking and sensation is present. Eckhart Tolle suggests we be in a state of wondering what our next thought will be. This can bring about an alertness. Where is awareness located? Is it an attribute of consciousness?
Another interesting question is to ask ourselves “Why am I here?” Hillary suggested that holding the question can provide an answer or answers that are rich and full and can bring a kind of closure to our questioning. No answer may be ultimately possible. We looked into some basic existential questions which were subtle and with a kind of Zen Buddhist nature such as “neither this nor that”.
The importance of “openness” was emphasised by one participant and confirmed by Hillary and expanded upon. Intellect narrows awareness, it was agreed, while choiceless awareness broadens perception. Hillary asked if intelligence can arise out of such awareness. The topic was explored further and various observations were shared. The meeting time came to an end with a sense of having enjoyed the group meditation or dialogue process.
DB
