Meditative Self-inquiry

With Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, June 30, 2024

At KECC Metchosin

Seven participants in total were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada in Metchosin, BC, at the 538 Swanwick Road location. The weather was warm and dry, with no rain, so we were able to sit on the front lawn in the sunshine. The gathering was facilitated by Mukesh Gupta who began with a short period of silence which, he said, allowed the flowering of a quality beyond thought and memory and created a space within which group members could bring forward any question that was wanting to be asked and explored within the group context. If there was no pressing question then Mukesh would read a selection from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with J Krishnamurti. The book had been chosen as particularly relevant to the engagement with the process of self-inquiry which was the focus of the Meditative Self-inquiry sessions.

Mukesh asked if one of the group would like to read a passage, which she then shared with the others in the group. We then entered into a dialogue which investigated the meaning of the Krishnamurti quote and sought to illuminate more deeply the truth of what was said. The questions and topics for exploration that arose amongst the participants were, at first, the nature of relationship and love both within relationship and outside the field of personal interaction. It was suggested that love may be much deeper than thought but, also, what is love in fact? There was some discussion of the role of the “self” and the self-image in the inhibition of the energy of love and the need to be aware of the presence of a tendency in each of us to give or to take in our relationships with others and within ourselves. We asked what quality is dominating our consciousness at any given time and how we are affected by the habit of separating ourselves from each other psychologically. Does a sense of separateness mean love is missing? Are the two mutually exclusive? Must the “I” disappear before love can appear? Is love an ultimate goal or can there be an immediate seeing of whatever our state is? Can we ever say “I know love”?

It was an interesting afternoon of inquiry and “meditation” on some challenging issues.

Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

June 23, 2024

At KECC Metchosin Gatehouse

Nine participants were in attendance in total for this Sunday afternoon meeting with Mukesh Gupta. He went over briefly some of the principles of dialogue or “Meditative Self-inquiry”, as he calls it. One of the most important principles is that we accept ourselves as we are and not as we would like to be. The psychic structures making up ourselves can be seen with affection and non-judgement. Knowledge about ourselves is not the point, but, rather, a sharing of our compassionate presence and a looking together at our lives in a quiet manner. Moving together slowly, we can ask any questions while leaving space between questions and answers. The whole experience is relevant, important, and significant.

At that point one group member asked a question about authentic relationships with others where there is a desire to keep the energy of the exchange smooth and not to risk creating conflict. Learning about ourselves may involve taking risks in relationship and we may have to go through difficult challenges. We must see for ourselves how we are reacting. In fact, noticing what is going on is central to the process of self-transformation and “being in our heart” is a powerful reality that must be explored. It involves the exploring of our self-awareness and learning to trust the deeper aspects of our being.

The meeting ended with a lovely period of silent “meditation”.

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, June 16, 2024

At KECC, Metchosin, BC

Six people in total were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and held at the Swanwick Road location with Mukesh Gupta facilitating the dialogue. The weather as we began was very suitable for sitting outside on the lawn but towards the end of the session some rain began to fall and we decided to move inside, with the Gate House offering the best locale for the last twenty minutes of the meeting.

Right from the beginning Mukesh invited us all to bring Presence to the gathering, both outwardly and inwardly. This would function as an action of the Heart and would connect us with our inner silence. Meditative self-inquiry, Mukesh stated, involved a slowing down, a listening to each other and ourselves, a watching of reactions, and a natural quietness that comes as we observe with compassion, do not rush, and respond with questions rather than expressing our knowledge. What question is most alive for us, he asked.

Several participants were interested in exploring the challenge of facing our own death and the idea that we must “die before we die”. What place does facing our own death and that of close loved ones in the here and now have for us? It seemed that everyone was keen to investigate the question and we were drawn to look into a number of issues surrounding the possibility of “surrendering” psychologically to the fact of our own ending. We looked at some of the ways we have separated life and death and distanced ourselves from the fear of the latter. It was a lively and revealing inquiry into a challenging topic.

DB

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Metchosin, BC

There was a small turnout of six people on a sunny but windy day at the Krishnamurti Centre on Swanwick Road in Metchosin. It was difficult to find a suitable place to sit in a tight circle where we could hear each other talk. Mukesh chose a place sheltered from the worst of the gusts and we settled in as best we could, given the situation, to share our questions, understandings, and insights. It seemed appropriate to address the subject of listening and Mukesh did so right away. “Listening is a complete act,” he offered, “which brings its own freedom. It requires no effort, no seeking; these just get in the way. And listening is connected with “seeing”.

Mukesh read a couple of passages from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti. The reading was followed by a quiet sit which was described as the experience of a “space of affection” within which words were not the primary reality. Several participants acknowledged that there is awareness prior to thinking, and this could be called a power of “negation” and a “clarity” which arises when something is seen as false. This brought us to question what it is that we are most interested in as human beings living together and exploring our daily lives. As we often do, we admitted that perhaps our greatest challenge is that of facing fear as we move through our world, both physically and psychologically. We looked at a variety of ways that thought and fear could affect our lives and inquired what could be effective responses to such disturbances when they arose. We discussed our challenges with fear to a significant depth, it seemed, then were treated to another quote from The Book of Life and a few moments of silence which were felt to be a kind of “awakeness” relevant to our dialogue. It was an interesting and meaningful afternoon under the oak trees.

DB