Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 7, 2026
We met at Swanwick Centre. Mukesh (M) gave an opening talk on the topic of Inner Freedom. He spoke first of the tool of deep listening for finding inner freedom, saying, “In order to listen, there has to be an inner freedom.” He went on to describe observation and attention as additional tools, explaining that ultimately they are all one tool.
A participant suggested that a question which might arise for people is, “I don’t feel the inner freedom so how do I find it?” in response to M pointing out K’s assertion that you have to start with the freedom — it’s not at the end of the journey but rather at the beginning.
M responded with a question he’d “like to drop into that mind,” which is to see if they could “just listen and see with the quality of silence prior to any activity of the mind.”
The mind only can exist within this space so can I listen to this space also —listening and seeing, whatever the mind is telling, is the beginning of freedom —in spite of any belief or story of the mind, there is freedom; these energies or qualities are not coming from the mind. Any sorrow [etc.] can be observed and that is freedom.
A participant pointed out that it seems the default mode is this thinking with only glimpses of freedom.
M: So how can there be a shift —the mind wants to experience freedom, that is part of the problem —mind doesn’t want to believe that there is existence beyond itself (mind = activity of thought) —there is an existence that doesn’t depend on mind. I want to experience freedom, joy, love on my own conditions but there are no conditions. There’s an energy of attention that is available at any moment.
The participant continued that there seems to always be a self that wants to be present, to experience presence. It’s always behind everything.
M poses the question to the group, “When do I experience a state of inattention? Am I aware of it? No, that is the problem.” A participant notices we never experience inattention, only in retrospect.
M gives the example of his own great passion to understand K when he first came open his books, or the example if one wants to learn an instrument then there is a great passion there; but, when it comes from the story of the mind, then that creates effort and a duality. It’s coming from a belief of the mind. “Effort to change oneself comes from the ego and it exhausts one whereas passion fills one with energy.”
A participant offers his observation that, “[F]reedom seems like something I want to have and I need to discharge something, there’s something stuck preventing me from living in that spaciousness and beauty.”
M responds,
You bring all of your attention to that which is sticking, not to escape from it, not to ignore it. Now, this is my teacher. I am not condemning it even though it is not comfortable, but the energy of attention is not judging it. My whole energy is present and then see what happens. Can I be fully present with it without trying to get rid of it? Getting rid of it is mediocre, whereas giving my full attention is the passion.
He cautions that, “it is not a strategy,” and not to be “lukewarm” (indifferent) and suggests the peace will reemerge by itself.
A participant comments that freedom as free of limiting beliefs is a narrow view but it seems like M is pointing to something bigger, like acceptance of life as it comes.
M: There can be a whole spectrum with many dimensions to it. There is a great power in life that doesn’t want to accept anything that is limiting …. Nobody can be happy with something limiting because somewhere there is a knowing … It shows that there is a great inner intelligence …. Listen to the heart where there is a deep knowing, what is not true, what is not freedom.
The good thing is that the deep intelligence of life is always waiting to be heard by us ….
We don’t have to make a big project of it: am I listening to my heart or am I just driven by the story in my head? Listen less and less to it.
- Kathryn Jefferies
