Over the last six months I’ve been deeply intrigued by the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti. He was not at all the type of spiritual guru many people might assume. He firmly rejected any efforts to paint him as such (he rejected the notion of being a guru, and also of having followers). In actuality, his teachings were rooted in an almost supernatural understanding of human psychology, and he explored the nature of self and thought in a way that is stunningly intelligent and lucid. On the surface, his observations can come across as very intellectual, and yet what he was doing is pointing us beyond the realm of words and thought to a place of true freedom. Many of his concepts are actually quite simple, such as his explanations of the relationship between self and society. Those concepts that are more complicated are revealed as being quite sublime once they have begun to find their way into the deeper layers of the psyche. One of Krishnamurti’s key observations is that “the observer is the observed”. This can also be interpreted as “the thinker is the thought”. He asserted that thinking and the entity perceived as thethinker are in actuality a unitary process. And this makes perfect sense to me, although my understanding is still limited to the realm of intellectual thought. Really, there is only thought occurring in the field of awareness, and the entity we understand as being the thinker- the self- is no more than a defined sense we develop as a result of conscious and subconscious processes that draw on the accumulated knowledge of our past experiences. Even as we project this self onto our experience as it is unfolding in the present, we are simply making sense of the present by juxtaposing it with knowledge from the past. That knowledge that we are using to interpret the present is always extremely limited, even being rooted in a deep form of existential ignorance, and so we are perceiving our experience in a very limited and disconnected way. In other words, we are living in our limited understanding of the past as it relates to the present, and that includes the way we perceive ourselves. This would be fine if it did not also lead to so much conflict in our personal lives, and also on a global societal level. It can be argued that all conflict, as it manifests both personally and socially, is the result of this fragmented way of existing. We may sometimes break through this barrier to the present moment, in moments when our egos aren’t being triggered by external objects or events. Perhaps in those moments when we truly feel we are one with nature then we may be achieving a less distorted way of being. Personally, I have a great deal of affinity for the ocean and the forest, and when I’m in nature I notice that I’m not necessarily relating to my surroundings through the lens of the “I”. I have often felt that the sights and sounds of the ocean inhabit my being in a way that frees me from the burdens of my self, of my ego. I think that might be a glimpse of a different way of being. It’s much harder to achieve and maintain this state in a world of other “I’s”, subconsciously working at substantiating and perpetuating themselves as individuals in ways that are often competitive, superficial and passively aggressive. With the right understanding, with the right insight, I wonder if it might be possible to live without always relating to our experiences with the “I” at the centre, possibly freeing ourselves from the tension and anxiety of the constant state of inner reaction that now dominates most of our lives. If only we could truly see that this transient “I” that we are always defending and striving to nurture and reinforce is not at all what we think it is- that we are infinitely more sublime and essential than that- I wonder if we might wake up and sigh a sigh of relief that could be felt by all humankind.
Krishnamurti Study Group
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauKrishnamurti Study Session Saturday, August 23, 2014 This week we studied the second half of chapter 14 in Freedom From the Known by J. Krishnamurti. The subject matter included Achievement, Discipline, Silence, Truth, and Reality. There were seven participants and they all were eager to explore. A lively discussion began immediately even before we had read any of the text and the investigation covered a broad range of issues which were presented by the participants. There was an in-depth exploration of fear and insecurity and the question of where true security lies. What is real silence and what is the silence that K is pointing to were questions that challenged the group to look into the text material and their own understanding. It was a lovely summer day and the enjoyment of contemplating ourselves and Truth was enhanced by being able to sit outdoors in the beautiful surroundings.
What does it take to change?
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauWhat we learn by reading or listening to the teachings of spiritual teachers, depends very much on how we read or listen. Some people feel that they did not change much by reading Krishnamurti’s books for many years. That may be because they tried to understand Krishnamurti’s teachings instead of looking within to see how their own mind worked in the daily activities and in their relationship with human beings, nature and things around. It seems to me that if Krishnamurti’s books or talks did not make an immediate impact on your life, then it is most likely that you were not interested in learning about yourself. You were interested in collecting knowledge or ideas about Krishnamurti and his teachings just like scholars and professors. One professor told Krishnamurti-“Sir, I have studied your teachings for 30 years but I have not moved at all (I have not changed).” Krishnamurti said-“You have not moved because you have not stopped!” To stop means to stop reading and looking within in daily activities of relationship. By looking within in awareness, we learn directly. This direct learning by looking within begins to change the quality of our life and relationship. Then we do not repeat Krishnamurti’s ideas. We become more authentic in our observation and expression.
Weekend Events at the Centre
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauKrishnamurti Study Group Saturday, August 2, 2014 Seven people gathered to study Chapter 14 in Freedom From the Known by J. Krishnamurti. The first part of the chapter focuses on the need for a quiet mind and the issue of resolving psychological problems. K challenges us to find the way to solve a problem immediately by seeing how the problem itself is created by thought. There was some reading of the text and then some focused discussion of the issues raised. Participants were very attentive and present to the exploration and it seemed like some valuable insights occurred. There was a period of silence during which we looked at what prevents a quiet mind and the immediate resolution of a problem. Further interesting discussion followed. Inquiry Sunday Sunday, August 3, 2014 In the afternoon a video of Krishnamurti was shown on the topic of Death: Leaving the Stream. The half hour compilation is one of the Evelyn Blau series “Beyond Myth and Tradition”. There were some comments from the six participants that this video was a particularly clear and direct presentation of a central aspect of K’s teachings. After the DVD the group broke up into pairs and explored what was significant about what had been heard and how it was relevant the our lives. A group dialogue followed during which the question “What does it mean to die psychologically every day, every moment?” was addressed by the group among other topics. The beautiful weather allowed us to sit outdoors frequently over the weekend, which seems to add a certain quality of expansiveness and broader attention.
JK on Violence
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauThis came in on my facebook page yesterday…thought I should pass it on.
A Sigh of Relief Felt by All Humankind
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauOver the last six months I’ve been deeply intrigued by the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti. He was not at all the type of spiritual guru many people might assume. He firmly rejected any efforts to paint him as such (he rejected the notion of being a guru, and also of having followers). In actuality, his teachings were rooted in an almost supernatural understanding of human psychology, and he explored the nature of self and thought in a way that is stunningly intelligent and lucid. On the surface, his observations can come across as very intellectual, and yet what he was doing is pointing us beyond the realm of words and thought to a place of true freedom. Many of his concepts are actually quite simple, such as his explanations of the relationship between self and society. Those concepts that are more complicated are revealed as being quite sublime once they have begun to find their way into the deeper layers of the psyche. One of Krishnamurti’s key observations is that “the observer is the observed”. This can also be interpreted as “the thinker is the thought”. He asserted that thinking and the entity perceived as thethinker are in actuality a unitary process. And this makes perfect sense to me, although my understanding is still limited to the realm of intellectual thought. Really, there is only thought occurring in the field of awareness, and the entity we understand as being the thinker- the self- is no more than a defined sense we develop as a result of conscious and subconscious processes that draw on the accumulated knowledge of our past experiences. Even as we project this self onto our experience as it is unfolding in the present, we are simply making sense of the present by juxtaposing it with knowledge from the past. That knowledge that we are using to interpret the present is always extremely limited, even being rooted in a deep form of existential ignorance, and so we are perceiving our experience in a very limited and disconnected way. In other words, we are living in our limited understanding of the past as it relates to the present, and that includes the way we perceive ourselves. This would be fine if it did not also lead to so much conflict in our personal lives, and also on a global societal level. It can be argued that all conflict, as it manifests both personally and socially, is the result of this fragmented way of existing. We may sometimes break through this barrier to the present moment, in moments when our egos aren’t being triggered by external objects or events. Perhaps in those moments when we truly feel we are one with nature then we may be achieving a less distorted way of being. Personally, I have a great deal of affinity for the ocean and the forest, and when I’m in nature I notice that I’m not necessarily relating to my surroundings through the lens of the “I”. I have often felt that the sights and sounds of the ocean inhabit my being in a way that frees me from the burdens of my self, of my ego. I think that might be a glimpse of a different way of being. It’s much harder to achieve and maintain this state in a world of other “I’s”, subconsciously working at substantiating and perpetuating themselves as individuals in ways that are often competitive, superficial and passively aggressive. With the right understanding, with the right insight, I wonder if it might be possible to live without always relating to our experiences with the “I” at the centre, possibly freeing ourselves from the tension and anxiety of the constant state of inner reaction that now dominates most of our lives. If only we could truly see that this transient “I” that we are always defending and striving to nurture and reinforce is not at all what we think it is- that we are infinitely more sublime and essential than that- I wonder if we might wake up and sigh a sigh of relief that could be felt by all humankind.
Another Beautiful Retreat at Swanwick
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauLast weekend, I had the pleasure and privilege of attending my third retreat at the Swanwick Centre. It was facilitated with skill and wisdom by KFA trustee Mark Lee, retired physician Asha Lee and psychiatrist and psychotherapist Josip Pasic. “Quieting the Monkey Mind” was an exploration into the nature of thought and mind, inspired by Krishnamurti’s teachings on the subject. The event was very well attended, and the participants all contributed their own wisdom and insight, making the retreat a very rich experience. It was also a joy to relax in the swimming pool, with the majestic view of the ocean and the stunning surroundings. Blessed with gorgeous weather, we spent much of the retreat sitting outside and engaging in a relaxed but challenging dialogue inspired by a number of recorded talks given by K, which we watched over the course of the weekend. Together we inquired into such matters as the function and limitations of thought, the relationship between thought and intelligence, the root of fear, and the nature of intelligence itself. We also discussed K’s statement that “the observer is the observed”, which we delved into from the analogous viewpoint that “the thinker is the thought”. K’s assertion that the thinker and thinking are a unitary process really blows my mind. As I understand it, thought occurs after perception, and then gives rise to the entity we then perceive as the thinker. There is only actually thought occurring within the field of awareness. This also makes sense to me, in the sense that we cannot be an object in the field of our own awareness (we cannot exist outside of ourselves). Rather, we are awareness itself. If we can begin to see “our selves” differently, there lies the potential to live from a more intelligent and flowing place, more in tune with this experience as it is unfolding in the present. Never before have I been so impressed with the caliber of discussions as I have at the retreats held at Swanwick. K spoke with such amazing intelligence and clarity. The people who are drawn to his teachings seem to be individuals of great intelligence and integrity, and it has been a true pleasure to sit and dialogue with all of them, facilitators and participants alike.
Weekend Retreat at Swanwick
/in Event Summaries /by David Bruneau“Quieting the Monkey Mind” Retreat July 25 – 27 Three guests were invited by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre to facilitate a weekend retreat focused on the teachings of J. Krishnamurti. Mark Lee was for many years the Director of the Krishnamurti Foundation of America in Ojai, California. He was accompanied by his wife Asha and by Josip Pasic, a psychiatrist from Chicago deeply versed in K’s teachings. Nineteen people were in attendance when the retreat opened on Friday evening with a talk by each of the three facilitators. Mark Lee spoke of the mandate of the Krishnamurti Centres around the world to disseminate K’s teachings and then talked about the significance of retreat and quiet contemplation. In the face of the potential vastness of the subjects being addressed by Krishnamurti and the issues involved in quieting the monkey mind Mark stressed the importance of keeping the inquiry real and actual rather than speculative and intellectual. Asha emphasized the importance of real listening and a friendly, open attitude in sharing the investigation within a group setting, and Josip spoke in some depth about the difference between knowledge and direct experiencing, the conscious and subconscious mind, and how thought is causing trouble and suffering in our lives. Psychological thought (as opposed to practical and technological thought) is limiting and divisive, causing conflict and isolation. Thought creates the idea of a separate me and you, us and them. Thought cannot solve its own problems and what are expected to be solutions found by thought turn out to be just more problems in disguise. Psychological problems need to be dissolved, not solved. Josip then outlined the issue of the “virtual self”, a centre created by thought as the “me”. Living from this virtual self there can only be conflict in relationship and there will always be a deep loneliness. He emphasized the need for a shift from the “life of things” to “essential living”. The introductory ideas set the tone for the rest of the retreat. Krishnamurti audios and videos from the 1980s were played, these relating very much to the same subjects as well as to other aspects of understanding the mind, the brain, and their relationship. There was time for nature walks, quiet meditation on the lovely property, and rest time. There were a number of group dialogues and one text study session using Commentaries On Living, Third Series. Challenging topics and questions were addressed, such as “What is the root of fear?” and “Can the brain function as a whole, not dividing and creating separation?” The participants became very much involved in the discussions and took them to a fairly deep level. As Mark pointed out, there are often no black or white answers but rather an invitation to explore and inquire for ourselves – and perhaps come upon something beyond words and concepts.
Saturday Krishnamurti Event
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauKrishnamurti Study Group Saturday, July 19, 2014 Eight people gathered in the Gate House to study the second half of Chapter 13 in Krishnamurti’s book Freedom From the Known. The chapter explores thinking and the beginning of thought. The session was a mix of reading, silent sitting while looking into the origin of thought, and discussion of our findings and questions. The issue of inquiring from silence rather than from thinking was raised and that among other subjects created a lively discussion wherein participants were looking quite deeply into themselves and their experience.
You Are Life
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauThe self you believe yourself to be is a fiction. How can something you believe, something you perceive, be the true you? Are you merely an object in your own mind? Can that which perceives look outward and behold itself outside of itself? You cannot be something that exists in the field of your own perception, though- as impossible as that is- that is exactly what you have been conditioned to believe you are. No, you are not this internal image of yourself, that exists only in relation to other images from your experience- you are something infinitely more sacred than that. The way we “see ourselves” has disconnected us from our true selves, and causes us immense suffering. You are not a belief, not a thought, not an object, not an image. You are pure consciousness. You are not just alive… You are life itself.
Sunday Event
/in Event Summaries /by David BruneauKrishnamurti Video and Dialogue Sunday, July 13, 2014 Six people gathered at the Church of Truth in Victoria to watch the first in a series of talks given by Krishnamurti in Ojai, California in 1984. The series is entitle “Attention and Order”. K spoke on various topics, including how we create problems and then create even further problems by the way we attempt to solve the original problems. He emphasized the importance of the approach to any problem as the solution is in the approach. Psychological problems are dissolved rather than resolved. The issue of thought being responsible for human problems and thus the necessity of ending psychological thought was addressed in detail. The video was followed by a check in with participants to see what each was interested in exploring further in the dialogue. A number of interrelated issues were raised, all related to the material of the talk, and the group set about inquiring into them in a way which seemed useful and relevant. The conversation was still in full swing when suddenly the time was up and we had to end the session.