Victoria Video and Dialogue Sunday, March 8, 2015         On a beautiful Sunday afternoon eight participants showed up for a session held at the Church of Truth in Victoria. These meetings are structured around material from the Krishnamurti book Freedom From the Known and this month we were looking at the topic of “awareness”, a central one in chapter 3 of the text. We watched a short video clip of K speaking on “choiceless awareness” at Saanen in the 1980’s, then read a handout from the book. A very lively discussion followed before a tea break, much of it focused on the subject of attention and what it means to look at ourselves totally. After the break we watched a video clip of Rupert Spira in which he suggested that when we are in the grips of an unpleasant feeling or emotion – and presumably also a pleasant one – we could become more interested in the awareness which knows the experience than in the feeling itself. We can pay attention not just to the feeling but to that which knows it and the feeling will naturally die from lack of energetic input. In the dialogue that followed some participants thought that what Rupert was pointing to was complementary to what K says whereas others felt they were very different. There may have been an issue of only partial information as Rupert’s approach goes on in other presentations a step or two further than he did in this short video, but the discussion showed how we are very different in the way we see and understand things. The thinking mind seems to be inherently fragmentary when it attempts to conceive of reality. The session ended with another video clip wherein Eckhart Tolle answered a question about being aware of a feeling and of the sense of presence or awareness itself at the same time. His words may or may not have resolved the differences in people’s views but rather than talk further at that point the session closed with a short period of silence. Perhaps the main purpose of these meetings is to observe ourselves in interaction with others, so there was plenty of opportunity for such self observation throughout the afternoon.

  Eckhart Tolle Retreat: “A New Consciousness for a New Earth” February 27 – March 1, 2015.   This weekend retreat was focused around a retreat given by Eckhart in Assisi, Italy, in 2014. Five talks or guided meditation sessions with Eckhart were shown on DVD plus three guided meditations on CD with Kim Eng, Eckhart’s partner, on the inner body, the senses, and the pain body. During one of the talks Eckhart spoke in some depth of the teachings of St Francis of Assisi and drew parallels between his teachings and those of Eckhart. He also referred to the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and, again, mentioned the similarities with his own teachings. The five Assisi sessions covered a variety of topics, including the difference between thought and presence or being, putting attention on the inner body, form and the formless, essence identity vs. form identity, transcending egoic consciousness, stillness and transcendence, the path of effort vs. the path of relaxation and the integration of the two, the joy that is not dependent on circumstances or conditions, consciousness with and without content, spaciousness, and the essence of Zen (by which he claimed to have saved us twenty years in a Zen monastery). An additional DVD was shown entitled “Our Human Destiny” in which Eckhart spoke of the shift in human consciousness that we are a part of. The weekend also included some interesting group discussions facilitated by David, some chanting and movement guided by Ralph, two videos introducing Krishnamurti and his teachings, plenty of time for walks on the lovely property and for rest and quiet contemplation. Delicious meals were provided by Pearson College and Luis, the property manager, did everything possible to make the nine participants comfortable and to help the retreat flow smoothly. All attendees expressed great appreciation for the experience of the weekend and the value of the retreat.

J. Krishnamurti – First Public Question & Answer Meeting at Madras – January 1985 Krishnamurti: I wonder what we mean by a new year. New. Is it a fresh year, a year that is totally afresh, something that has never happened before? When we say something new, though we know there is nothing new under the sun, when we talk about a new and a happy year, is it really a new year for us? Or is it the same old pattern repeated over and over and over again? Same old rituals, same old traditions, same old habits, a continuity of what we have been doing, still are doing, and will do the same thing this year. (Read more) http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/krishnamurti-teachings/view-text.php?tid=16…

I’m pleased to report that the February UVic Spiritual Awakening Meetup went very well, with a growing number of returning members. 15 Awakeners attended, and the discussion was intelligent, lively and dynamic. The topic was “Exploring Empathy and Compassion”. We began with a video on self-compassion by Kristin Neff. Following that we looked at some definitions of empathy, compassion and a Buddhist term called “maitri”, which refers to “unconditional friendliness towards oneself”. Some thoughts about compassion, kindness and love were briefly explored. The notion of “self-compassion” then sparked a discussion about “self”, and the value of having compassion for something that might, ultimately, be a delusion. We explored whether self-compassion and mindfulness could be used to bring a spaciousness to the mechanism of thought that might help to disempower the ego and its self-perpetuating strategies (which exist in thought). While compassion and self-compassion are themes in many Buddhist teachings, many of the teachings also include notions such as “emptiness” and “no self”. It was interesting to explore how these different elements might be compatible. Some of the members (including myself) are passionate about K’s teachings, and the so conversation was very much grounded in his teachings, although it allowed for and acknowledged other perspectives as well. For instance, we discussed the limited value of adopting a practice and how simply relying on a new behaviour pattern may be limited and potentially counterproductive; others shared tools and practices that are helping them to relate to thought differently and better understand that they are not necessarily the “self” they had to come to believe themselves to be. We discussed awareness and inquired into the question of whether we can be something that appears in our awareness, which includes our identification as individuals. A Krishnamurti quote on compassion was shared towards the end, and as it turns out the essence of the content had already been significantly discussed. I’m certainly still learning as I go along, but the event seems to be going very smoothly at this point. Many people made a point of saying they would be returning, and I was surprised to receive hugs from a few folks who were very appreciative of the content and the good company.  Here is the quote that was shared: “Compassion is not hard to come by when the heart is not filled with the cunning things of the mind. It is the mind with its demands and fears, its attachments and denials, its determinations and urges, that destroys love. And how difficult it is to be simple about all this! You don’t need philosophies and doctrines to be gentle and kind. The efficient and the powerful of the land will organize to feed and clothe the people, to provide them with shelter and medical care. This is inevitable with the rapid increase of production; it is the function of well-organized government and a balanced society. But organization does not give the generosity of the heart and hand. Generosity comes from quite a different source, a source beyond all measure. Ambition and envy destroy it as surely as fire burns. This source must be touched, but one must come to it empty-handed, without prayer, without sacrifice. Books cannot teach, nor can any guru lead to, this source. It cannot be reached through the cultivation of virtue, though virtue is necessary, nor through capacity and obedience. When the mind is serene, without any movement, it is there. Serenity is without motive, without the urge for the more.” -J. Krishnamurti, The Book of Life  

  Krishnamurti Study Group Saturday, February 7, 2015          Five people gathered to study the text The First and Last Freedom by J. Krishnamurti.  There was some reading from the book interspersed with group discussion and exploration of the meaning of what was read.  The focus was largely on the process of self knowledge and some of the insights that seem to be central to understanding what it is to radically change in our consciousness.  The futility and limitation of seeking to find an alternative to our present state of mind was looked into.  Any effort by thought to go beyond itself is only more of the same confusion that thought brings into our lives.  Can there be a seeing of the problem or question so that it falls away by itself rather than any answer being found?  Some participants commented that the inquiry was powerful and beneficial and they look forward to the continued exploration of the book.