Birthing a New Mind, Weekend Retreat with Richard Waxberg and Deborah Kerner

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Birthing a New Mind
Retreat with Richard Waxberg and Deborah Kerner
April 26 – 28, 2019

We were delighted to be joined again this year by Richard and Deborah from the Krishnamurti Foundation of America in Ojai, California. Their brochure for the weekend event describes the intentions and approach of their work. “We are entering together into an exciting journey of discovery, inquiring into the potential for living in freedom to see if it is possible to meet the mystery and beauty of being alive with a fresh mind, as if for the first time…. The intensive retreat invites us to explore Krishnamurti’s insights that point to the possibility of a transformation of consciousness.”
Twenty-two people participated in the retreat, which was mostly conducted in a “dialogue” format. For periods of time each day we sat in a circle, sharing the inquiry and the insights arising as we emphasized “what K referred to as a deep ‘listening and seeing’, the open door through which unexamined beliefs, concepts. and ideas can be revealed beyond the limitation of thought and time, without judgment or resistance. This dimension of ‘seeing’ and ‘listening is like turning a powerful light on our conditioned responses, the normally hidden layers of conditioned thinking.”
Using quotes from K’s writings as entry points, our group dialogues unfolded spontaneously, along with occasional reminders to leave our tendencies to fall into limited thinking strategies and to be open to a more direct knowing (or “not-knowing”) that is vibrant and alive. Many aspects of the journey beyond becoming and into “being” were investigated in an atmosphere of affection and respect. A videotape of K speaking in Saanen in 1981 and titled “Learning that Transforms Consciousness” was played on Saturday night and provided more stimulation for our inquiry. There was time for walks in nature and rest periods. Delicious meals were provided by Glenrosa Restaurant. It was a wonderful weekend and we will be hoping that Richard and Deborah can return next year.