Krishnamurti Study Group Saturday, June 6, 2015   Five of us gathered on a beautiful Saturday afternoon to continue with the study of Chapter 5 in the Krishnamurti book The First and Last Freedom.  The chapter explores the subject of Action and Idea and proposes the question of acting without any concepts or thinking, all of which comes from the past and is inadequate as a response to the present moment.  K states in the text that the only true action is that of love, which is not of the past or of thought.   Love cannot be thought about or brought about by the mind.  K’s statements were a catalyst for some meaningful inquiry and direct experience on the part of the participants.  What he was pointing to became more or less self evident as we explored it in our own experience and even looked into that which is beyond experience. Inquiry Sunday Sunday, June 7, 2015 For the morning session on Sunday, a video was shown about Nisargadatta Maharaj and his teachings.  It was produced by Stephen Wolinsky, one of Nisargadatta’s better known Western devotees.  The five participants who met for the session all considered to film to be excellent and very useful.  Many people who had known Nisargadatta and been influenced by him were interviewed and archival clips of N speaking with seekers were interspersed.  His teaching is very uncompromising and demanding, and very similar to Krishnamurti’s in that way.   There was some discussion afterwards about the ideas presented in the video and the implications for our spiritual unfoldment.  Five people were in attendance for this event. In the afternoon we watched part of an Ojai talk by Krishnamurti on fear and read a handout on the same topic from Freedom From the Known.  In these talks K was focusing in particular on how we look at fear.  Do we look as an observer separate from the fear or do we see that we are the fear and not in fact separate from it?  The group inquired into this issue in some depth and shared our understandings and questions regarding the seeing of the fact and the implications of such seeing.  We were able to sit out on the lawn in lovely weather, which always seems to support an expansiveness of perceiving and being.

  For three afternoons, May 25-27 th Harshad Parekh, a humble Indian man, quietly sat with a small group of 6-8 people, all of whom had attended the weekend retreat/ seminar, at the Swanwick center, with Dr Krishna.    Whilst the weekend had been a series of expositions on the nature and implications of Krishnamurti’s teachings these seminars with Harshad were characterized by little, if any, teaching of ‘something.’ Rather Harshad repeats a simple message, largely through consistent personal example, of ” being nothing and going nowhere.” ( This phrase is borrowed from my memory and attributed to the title of a book by Joko Beck, a now deceased Zen Roshi.) Thus, as group members asked questions or inevitably proffered their own opinions, Harshad just listened. Actually, he listened intently such that folk found it remarkabe that they felt ‘heard,’ and ‘seen.’    This man looks at people in the same way that he looks at a flower, a tree, a bird, that is with choiceless awareness. He himself calls this ‘looking,’ or the pure act of observation, without a watcher or a commentator. It seemed to me that it was equally a listening, simultaneously inwardly and outwardly. Whatever the contributory sensory actions taking place, this is an act of relatively pure perception without the intrusion of a thinker. In this way Harshad indicated that truth becomes apparent, obvious, without question. Whatever is false similarly reveals itself.   As well as simply being with us and our questions Harshad also selected various readings from K. These  reiterated in different terms the idea of freedom being found only in the act of direct perception.(Personally I prefer Toni Packer’s term ‘ beholding,’ as there are times when perception is influenced by thought.)   In K circles we hear a great deal of reference to self inquiry and self knowledge. I have always seen this as problematic in practise, as there is inevitably a thinker implied, or automatically invoked, who is watching and inquiring, out of thought. Not unlike the joint  activity of the process of psychotherapy, ie looking together at a personal problem with the aim, subtle or not so subtle, of solving it. Harshad’s life has been devoted to looking at this issue and learning to get ‘I’ out of it.    For him, observation goes on as a participatory flow with life events without a personal observer, let alone commentator. Over and over he repeated, “Out of silence just look at what is.”   From this looking the outcome emerges by itself. It is an outcome with complete integrity and in fact has the power to possibly change brain functioning. It was this radical message that K spent his life time offering. Not partial and psychological solutions to suffering, arrived at through thinking,  but complete transformation which arises out of participatory intelligence. This is wholistic  or “holy.”   The group were reminded of what K had said, through the showing of some selected videos, to make clear the foundation from which Harshad’s way of being and living have arisen.  He himself has made a careful life long study of what K said, as well as maintaining ongoing correspondence with him until his death. He indicated that the best way for us to study the K teachings is to contemplate small sections of writing and live with these until they penetrate without effort. He also suggested that these teachings are best absorbed in silence, likely the necessary accompaniment for real contemplation.   I felt extraordinarily privileged to have sat in a beautiful garden, bathed in sunshine, bird song and the perfume of roses, with this authentic man. As well, for being with a  small, yet committed group of people who are seriously listening and grateful for some insight, which is readily available through this direct and experiential approach.   Clarity, peace and ease are the normal states that Harshad claims as his fundamental way of living and being in the world . To be of it, participatory but not demanding or possessing, seems extraordinary in this day and age. My observation was that at the end of these few days those who attended felt those qualities more deeply.   As such, learning had taken place and it was learning without effort.    

Krishnamurti and the Transformation of Consciousness Weekend Retreat with Prof. P Krishna May 24 – 26, 2015 Professor Krishna is a long-time associate of J. Krishnamurti and former Principal of the Rajghat Krishnamurti School in Varanasi, India.  He is considered to be deeply versed in K’s teachings and an extremely eloquent speaker on the subjects K felt to be crucial for a transformation of human consciousness.  On Friday evening he gave a public talk on Science and Spirituality which was attended by 26 people all included.  He spoke of the differences and similarities between the two fields and why, despite huge leaps in knowledge in the scientific realm, there has been so little progress in understanding of ourselves and how to live harmoniously.  He introduced some ideas which became the main themes of the weekend, emphasizing the importance of inquiring into human behaviour and the need to employ a different mode of exploration than our conventional ways of thinking, which can never bring transformation.  What is required is not knowledge in the usual sense but direct looking into ourselves, self awareness, and insight, none of which are based in thinking.  The talk was followed by a question and answer session.  Participants commented on the clarity and helpfulness of the presentation and a number of them who had not already done so signed up for the full weekend retreat.  19 people in all were present for the weekend sessions. On Saturday morning Krishna gave a talk on the central tenets of Krishnamurti’s teachings such as the statement “you are the world’,  the need for individual transformation if there is to be any social change, and the power of “passive awareness”.  The talk was followed by a lively group discussion.  The rest of the day and Sunday included two videos of K talks, more talks by Krishna, and further group inquiries.  The main focus continued to be the art of learning about ourselves and the right place of everything in life, always emphasizing the need to look for ourselves rather than thinking and analyzing, which do have a place but do not bring real transformation. The clarity and logical precision with which Krishna spoke had a strong impact and I noticed that as I listened my own understanding seemed to deepen in a way that was more profound than the mere accumulation of knowledge.  Participants gave feedback that they were very happy with their experience of the retreat.  A book has recently been published about Krishna’s experiences with Krishnamurti entitled A Jewel On a Silver Platter:  Remembering Jiddhu Krishnamurti.  More information and articles can be found on Krishna’s website:  www.pkrishna.org

The theme of the event was “The Art of Seeing.” I used a quote from one of K’s early talks in England… “The eagle in its flight does not leave a mark; the scientist does. Inquiring into this question of freedom there must be not only the scientific observation, but also the flight of the eagle that does not leave a mark at all; both are required; there must be both the verbal explanation and the nonverbal perception.” In this “Headless Way” workshop we explored the Freedom that ‘K’ talks about, using both the “Science of the 1st-person,” and nonverbal perception (seeing) through hands-on (head-off) self-enquiry. In the morning, twelve of us where were treated to a live, interactive, Skype session with Richard Lang in the main house where J Krishnamurti held talks when he visited. In the afternoon we investigated whether or not K’s teaching of self-inquiry had similarities with Douglas Harding’s method of “non-verbal” direct enquiry. We watched a short video interview of Alan Rowlands; one of the K’s long time students and founding staff at the Brockwood Park School in England. Alan described how he used Harding’s experiments to “See” clearly who he really, really was and that after this, K’s teachings and those of the great Zen masters began to make complete sense. A video clip of a one-to-one discussion between noted Physicist, David Bohm and K was also shown. After which a group discussion ensued. We then broke into groups of two and explored the face-to no-face experiment using what Douglas refers to as the Science of the First-Person Singular present tense and the tube. A non-verbal, non-wow experiment directing one’s attention 180 degrees back to the Source of Attention. In closing, Shannon guided the group through the “Heaven and Earth” experiment… All of the friends get in a circle facing inwards. A friend gives instructions, along these lines: Put your arms around one another and close in, making the circle as small as you can. Keep looking down at that patch of carpet … surrounded by that ring of headless bodies … Look down into that realm of birth and ageing and death, from this realm of no birth or ageing or death … Look down from this Heaven which, though infinitely high and clear and self-luminous and unchanging, not only embraces but is that earthly scene which is so shallow and limited and ever-changing … Look down from where you are Alone, yet All … From where you are beyond Life and Death, yet are the Source of both …  

Am I free? Can I answer this question without simply agreeing with a preconceived notion of what freedom is? Outwardly, it seems I am free—I can go where I wish, interact freely with others, and express myself freely. So it seems I can act freely. But are my values and perceptions, which guide the choices behind my actions, actually a result of my own free will? Or are they perhaps the result of sociocultural conditioning? If I see that inwardly I am not free, could this lead to an understanding that gives rise to true freedom?  If I look at my internal world and question whether or not I am free inwardly, I can’t declare with certainty that my thoughts are rooted in values and perceptions that I personally formed of my own free will. Instead, I see that I have internalized the values of a society that values hierarchy, competition and material success above all else, and that even in subtle ways these values have shaped my perceptions—they heavily influence the way I relate to the world, to others and to myself. This isn’t a matter of accepting a truth that allows me to avail myself of personal responsibility, or to solidify an identity as some sort of enlightened outsider or proudly informed cynic. It’s certainly not a matter of finding a new reason to feel bad about myself. Rather, I’m really asking the questions: “Why am I unhappy?” and “Why do I feel so disconnected from other people most of the time?” Since I was young, I was fed this notion that in order to be happy in life, I need to achieve a certain degree of material success; I was taught that happiness is a matter of status, achievement and acquisition. Even while many parents and teachers try to teach cooperation and respect to children, the overall educational system and the greater culture ultimately emphasize competition, status, and deference to authority. Externally, these things ultimately serve to perpetuate a power structure that is a modification of older dynastic and imperialist systems. Internally though, how do these values affect us? How are they playing out in our lives as individuals on a daily basis? Is the basic truth of my experience the same for others? Here I am, 34 years old, and feeling quite lost in this world. The course of my life has thus far deviated from the prescribed path that apparently leads to success and happiness, and I find that I am dissatisfied with my life. But is the reason for my dissatisfaction really that I haven’t achieved certain things, that I haven’t become a certain person, or is it that I’ve internalized a false paradigm that dictates the conditions for my happiness? In other words, is my dissatisfaction actually rooted in the fact that I am conditioned, that I am not truly free inside? Furthermore, while I cherish moments of true connection with others, I often find myself measuring my own worth in comparison to those whom I perceive to have achieved and acquired more than I have. This perception is a very narrow one that excludes the complexity of both my life and theirs, and even though I can see how silly it is when I really look at it, the fact remains that this pattern is here, inside me. Could this perception be connected to the paradigm of competition that is so emphasized in this society? I have come to perceive myself in a number of ways that cause me to contract and shut down around others, and wear a mask to protect myself in social situations. I’ve taken on very narrow perceptions of others and myself, which prevent me from relating to them in a truly connected way. Are these really my perceptions, which I have chosen of my own free will, or do they reflect something that I’ve unconsciously adopted from my environment—from my upbringing, my education, and my culture? Those are just some observations of my current experience as an individual and a member of this society. When I look at my inner world in relation to the outer world, I can’t help but question the true nature of my perceptions and what I take for granted as simply being “my” thoughts (which include “my” fears, hopes and dreams). I am grateful to have many kind and loving people in my life, but this is an exploration into why, among other things, I feel so disconnected despite that fact; this is an exploration into why I find it so hard to be happy without buying into some superficial notion of happiness or success. So, am I free? And if I am not, can I look at myself in a way that brings about an understanding that is not rooted in the same conditioning that binds me? Can I then begin to have deeper compassion for both others and myself? Can I step back and ask myself, “What’s really happening here? What’s at the root of both my dissatisfaction and my search for happiness?” Could I perhaps find contentment in living my life as it is, without always measuring my own value against some pre-existing paradigm—without, perhaps, measuring or judging at all? Would this be freedom? JR “It seems to me that before we set out on a journey to find reality, to find God, before we can act, before we can have any relationship with another, which is society, it is essential that we begin to understand ourselves first… Now without knowing yourself, without knowing your own way of thinking and why you think certain things, without knowing the background of your conditioning and why you have certain beliefs about art and religion, about your country and your neighbour and about yourself, how can you think truly about anything? Without knowing your background, without knowing the substance of your thought, and whence it comes—surely your search is utterly futile, your action has no meaning, has it? Whether you are an American or a Hindu or whatever your religion is has no meaning either. Before we can find out what the end-purpose of life is, what it all means—wars, national antagonisms, conflicts, the whole mess—we must begin with ourselves, must we not?” J. Krishnamurti, The First and Last Freedom