Victoria Krishnamurti Event Church of Truth, October 9, 2016   On Thanksgiving Sunday only one person joined me for the afternoon event. We read a handout from Freedom from the Known, then watched a video on Awareness from the Evelyn Blau series Beyond Myth and Tradition. Krishnamurti spoke about awareness, concentration, and attention, emphasizing the kind of attention that arises with a deep interest in looking at oneself without evaluation or judgment. That attention has no subject who is attending and no boundary or limitation. Looking with this kind of attention is to enter a state of non-division and moment to moment transformation. After discussing the handout and video material and taking a short tea break, we watched a clip of Rupert Spira answering a question about depression. He suggested the questioner become interested in the awareness which is perceiving the depression. Inquiring into the nature of awareness increases the sense of our unlimited nature and gradually starves the energy of depression – or any other emotional conflict. There was some valuable discussion of the Spira clip. Even though the turnout was minimal, the session was appreciated and felt to be very helpful.

  Inquiry Sunday October 2, 2016   The Inquiry Sunday is comprised of a morning and an afternoon session. Seven people attended the morning showing of the film The Holographic Universe, which describes the latest findings of quantum physics in relation to the question of how reality is perceived and understood by the human brain. Many of the ideas are difficult to fully grasp as they are so contrary to all we have been taught, but examining the concepts presented certainly seemed to open our minds to new possibilities in the way we look at our experience. There can be a kind of deconstruction of our conditioned beliefs about the self and the world. It was definitely an interesting and even challenging exposure to ideas which question and transcend our conventional thinking. For the afternoon session we had the pleasure of listening to a short reading of a paper by a professor from the University of the Philippines in Manilla. Arturo was a visitor at the Centre for several weeks and had been joining in with the Center programs while he was here. On this occasion, he opened the meeting with a paper on the essence of Krishnamurti’s teachings, including the “deconstruction” of the self and of our use of words and language. It was a helpful entry point into our group discussion and the dialogue was found very useful and enjoyable by the six people attending. We were able to sit outdoors and be inspired by the lovely property in our experience of inquiry.

  Krishnamurti Study Group Saturday, September 17, 2016   Seven people met on a lovely day which enabled us to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful natural setting of the Centre. We read and discussed the first part of Chapter 19 in The First and Last Freedom by J. Krishnamurti. The subject of the chapter is “Self-Centred Activity. Being aware that self-centred activity is detrimental to our well-being and the health of society, K challenges is to respond adequately to its presence. “All such activity must voluntarily come to an end,” he says.The group dialogue inquired into the possibility of this cessation coming about and the impediments to such a happening. Can thought do anything about it, or is awareness of the mechanisms of self-centred functioning the only thing that can bring about a real change? Who will create a change? The discussion took place within an atmosphere of non-judgmental questioning and sharing, and it was felt that we came upon a real harmony within the group. It was a valuable experience of shared meaning and exploration.

“Fragmentation and Wholeness” Weekend Workshop with Prof. Hilary Rodrigues August 26 -29, 2016   Hilary Rodrigues from the University of Lethbridge joined us to lead a weekend of exploration into the subject of fragmentation and wholeness, a topic often spoken of by J. Krishnamurti. The retreat was attended by sixteen people in all and the group created an atmosphere of serious and deep inquiry into the material presented by Hilary. On Friday night he gave a talk open to the public introducing the subject matter and inviting us to look beyond words and concepts for our own direct understanding of fragmentation and wholeness in ourselves. He invited us to look without prejudgment or evaluations. We were lead into a space of quiet observation and encouraged to apply that awareness during our engagement with ordinary life, for example, during the tea break. Hilary made liberal use of quotes from Krishnamurti in the form of handouts for group discussion and inquiry. The group dialogue was lively and sometimes profound, supported by Hilary’s skillful guidance and knowledge of scriptures and spiritual teachings relevant to the subject. The open and non-judgmental attitude of the group created a creative space for looking, listening, and sharing. On Sunday afternoon we watched a video of Krishnamurti speaking at Saanen in 1979 on the topic of “Intelligence, Love, and Compassion.” He asked if there is one act or state of mind that will solve all our problems. He suggested that seeing is action. If we clearly see the danger of our way of living and thinking then there will be a shift. Living with this quality of intelligence means not conforming to any pattern. Seeing Is intelligence; intelligence is love and compassion, which will solve all our problems. There was time for nature walks on the property and friendly sharing and conversation. Delicious food was provided by Lester B. Pearson College. We all enjoyed Hilary’s presence and that of the participants very much and look forward to his return next year.

The August 13th Gathering of Stillness Within enjoyed a viewing of a talk given by Eckhart Tolle in Norway last year.  The talk was centred around relationships, with people we meet for a fleeting moment but also those whom we love deeply.  It was a lovely talk and the audience in Norway also asked some great questions. Some of the key messages which the group discussed after the videos follow…  The ego has a tendency is to see people around us in terms of what they can or can’t do for us or to compare them in some way to a standard we hold (judging).  Eckhart suggested that it’s possible to shift even the briefest exchanges with shop keepers, parking attendants or others we encounter by shifting this transactional view of others into a more presence based exchange.  He talked about being the space for your daily encounters (letting judgements or labels fall away), and allowing yourself to see more purely the essence of each new person. Eckhart also talked about the habits we may have accumulated over our lifetime.  He was asked what needs to be given up in order to find true freedom.  His answer was very similar to some of the things that Krishnamurti has shared about noticing yourself ‘acting out’ – looking at the actions and sentiments with curious observation.  Eckhart indicated that when there is a strong compulsion to over-consume something like food or alcohol, or indulge in any kind of habitual activity, it’s often about fostering unconsciousness. His suggestion is that rather than simply trying to refrain, we instead make that pattern or activity more conscious.  Noticing the feeling before opening the fridge habitually in the evening… and becoming attuned with what discomfort or contraction might be bubbling below the surface.  Making what is unconscious conscious.  Over time, we may see a shift in what we feel drawn to or some of the underlying sources of discomfort. The group used these topics to look at real life examples that we face and how some of these approaches could be put to use.  It was a wonderful get-together.  Thanks to KECC for hosting us this month.