Self Inquiry and Inner Transformation

Weekend Retreat with Ravi Ravindra

March 10 – 12, 2017

For the fifth consecutive year Ravi Ravindra offered a weekend retreat at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. A Ph. D and former professor of physics and philosophy, Ravi resides in Halifax. The retreat opened with a public talk on Friday evening at the Centre in which Ravi addressed the question “What is essential for self inquiry and transformation?” Eighteen people in total were present for the meeting. He spoke of the need to be receptive to the subtle energies and levels of reality that may ordinarily be overlooked. Where are we focusing most of our energies and how can the mind be quiet to receive subtle impressions and insights? Meditation was suggested to be very helpful in this regard. It involves a process of “coming to zero,” or a cleansing of our conditioning. In this we need to go beyond the words of any teaching and contact the reality being pointed to. Teachings are fingers pointing at the moon.

Twelve people attended the rest of the weekend. There were guided meditations on the breath, listening attentively to music, small group interactions around some quotations about self transformation, and a great deal of discussion with the whole group. Topics explored were the need for self study and some of its dangers: it can lead to despair on the one hand and fantasy on the other. Ravi pointed to “direct perception” as being essential. Whatever I become aware of in myself changes in its quality and relationship with me. It was postulated that in order to know the divine we must become the divine. Interesting issues related to culture and self inquiry were presented by Ravi, noting that the Eastern religions and the Abrahamic traditions emphasize very opposite characteristics of the human being, the universal and impersonal vs. the personal and unique. This has profound ramifications in how the societies function and humans interact.

Also included was a short video on the life and teachings of J. Krishnamurti, which was new to some of the participants. Delicious food was provided by Pearson College and we thank Ravi for making another visit to our Centre.

This month’s Spiritual Inquiry Meetup at Church of Truth focused on relationships and consideration as to how we relate to one another.  A number of talks were profiled featuring Krishnamurti, Scott Kiloby and Rupert Spira.  There were seven who joined in for this discussion and each brought a different perspective to bear on the topic.  A few of the key messages that surfaced follow.

We tend to relate to one another based on projections we have about each other – our ideas about who our partner is, or stories about their motivations or actions – this prevents a true seeing of one another.  We are only seeing what our mind is creating about the other, rather than the true person.  K. suggests that a deep questioning of those assumptions, and  a deeper seeing is possible when mental projections fall away.

Much of the discomfort and suffering associated with our relationships has to do with ‘under the radar’ needs that we are subtly trying to have met through our partners (e.g. for validation, worthiness, recognition or power).  Kiloby emphasised this and encouraged us to become deeply self-aware of these areas of tension and rather than covering them up or avoiding them, trying to allow ourselves to fully meet these internal areas of fear, stress or anxiety. 

The group had a lively discussion – including strategies for listening and truly being with each other, as well as committing to meeting conflict head on to enable mutual solutions (rather than leaving residual frustrations for a future time).  Of course there also was a question about whether we truly are independent individuals and what relating might be like if all exchanges were born from an experience and deep knowing of inherent one-ness.   

It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!  Thanks to Robert Keegan for facilitating the gathering.

There were five people who joined in for an exploration of Krishnamurti’s First and Last Freedom on February 4th. The chapter which was explored this week focused on discussion of discipline and the pursuit of truth.

This chapter proposed that the mere act of trying to improve oneself (e.g. through discipline) actually serves instead to reinforce some form of new attachment, such as being serene, chaste, generous, accomplished etc. Even the disciplined undertaking of meditation can be an impediment to the flowering of deep knowing, if the practice is a pursuit with expected outcomes or an end.

“Discipline, conformity, practice, only give emphasis to self-consciousness as being something.” P. 162

This concept posed a bit of a paradox for the group to consider in that there certainly are many self-realized sages who have meditated, reflected on virtues, or tried to be more mindful….

With closer reflection, K’s message seemed to point to a discipline of awareness. True intelligence arises through the noticing of our patterns of ‘self’, seeing the forms that envy or doubt take on. Through our observing, these qualities express in changing ways, which can often become lightened in our curious gaze and acceptance. In fact, Krishnamurti suggests a deeper truth may arise in which there is no separation between the controller (self) and that which is being controlled (expression/behaviours)… it’s one phenomenon.

Later in the book (forgive this leap) K. makes this point in a different way: “When you desire to be transformed, you are still thinking in terms of becoming; that which is becoming can never know that which is being“. Truth shines most clearly when we are being, from moment to moment…. “in the smile, in the tear, under the dead leaf, in the vagrant thoughts, in the fullness of love.” ❤️

Thanks to all who came out and to Bill for facilitating.

Krishnamurti Study Group

Saturday, January 21, 2017

The subject of study for this session was Q & A # 5 “On Discipline” in The First and Last Freedom by J. Krishnamurti. A questioner had asked K if self-discipline was necessary for moderating the “instincts of the brute in man” in order to realize God. K asked if these tendencies in the human being can be dealt with by suppression, sublimation, control, or by attempting to approximate one’s behavior to an ideal. Is there not a need for a more intelligent response to the issue, a creative response which does not involve the deadening of self-discipline as control. The five participants were asked at the beginning if we could look into the question without preconceived ideas and be open to fresh and new ways of seeing. This was done very effectively and one person commented that we were in fact doing what K suggested as we inquired into the question. There was a sense of discovery and a feeling of wholeness in the group members. A very enjoyable session.