Meditative Self-inquiry

July 14, 2024

With Mukesh Gupta

At KECC Metchosin, BC

 

Twelve people in total were present for this Sunday meeting at the Swanwick Road location of the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. It was a lovely, sunny day which supported our sitting on the lawn in front of the Main House. The Meeting was started by Mukesh, our facilitator, asking for a period of silence during which participants could sink into a space of silent attention. He then gave a brief introduction to the principles of self-inquiry.

Self-inquiry, Mukesh explained, is not a debate where we exchange knowledge. We connect in a space of openness and compassionate communication which is beyond the words used and which may carry a sense of wonder. We are not looking for final answers to the problems of life and yet something deeper than conventional thinking may come into existence through our dialogue.

In recent sessions we had been making use of The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti as a resource to activate our explorations. The July 14 selection from the book was read aloud and opportunity was offered to share any questions or issues arising within our group with the reading and with our individual processes of self-inquiry. One person shared some questions about the difference between conscious and unconscious sorrow. There are innumerable forms of sorrow, she said, and without understanding sorrow there is suffering of various kinds, conscious and unconscious. When we speak of the ending of sorrow, we intend to end it at all levels of ourselves.

Mukesh pointed out that we must proceed very slowly and concisely. Firstly, he asked, how are we in contact with the unconscious sorrows? And how do we avoid them? There was some discussion of our desire to keep our self-images intact. It was deemed necessary to be “naked” to ourselves and to be willing to reveal ourselves to others and to ourselves. This brought in the issue of the separation we may usually feel between ourselves and others and questions were asked. Is the separation real? Can we do anything about it? How effective is it to observe how the mind constructs reality? Is the investigation into psychological sorrow optional or necessary? Is the core issue that we have lost the recognition of our divinity?

Mukesh introduced the role of attachment in our way of thinking and acting. We are attached in many ways to the forms of the body, the mind, and are also burdened by our own self-pity. Can there be a sorrow free from self-pity, one that can shift and change? What does it mean to really “be with” our feelings of sorrow? Can such awareness open a door to a deeper experience?

Our “time” ran out and the meeting was brought to an end. We engaged in friendly talk while enjoying some snacks before participants went their separate ways. It was a good gathering which was apparently enjoyed by most or all.

DB

Meditative Self-inquiry

With Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, July 7, 2024

At Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Metchosin, BC

 

Nine people were present for this dialogue held on the front lawn of the Main House at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre in Metchosin, BC. It was a lovely sunny day with none of the recent winds which had been quite disturbing during our recent meetings at the Swanwick Road location. We began the session with a silent sit, followed by a sharing by Mukesh of the main principles of meditative self-inquiry which he described as a meeting in friendliness and “Presence” where the primary intention is to find what is “true” and false without resorting to comparative judgements. The deeper ground from which we can communicate is a deep listening from the “Heart”. There is no goal to be reached or which is known to the participants: we are walking together without knowing where we are going. We allow a natural gap between our words and anyone can raise a question. What is interesting to us in this moment. Mukesh asked.

One possible question that was proposed was related to the issue of inner transformation. What do we understand self-transformation to be? Where does such an inquiry begin? Does it start with a sense of discontent? Awareness of suffering may arise and initiate some questioning and inquiry. Our thinking may bring with it a sense of psychological suffering. Self-observation is then necessary and brings some insight and understanding. As we spoke of these matters a feeling of “love” began to be shared by all or most of the participants. There was a sense of non-separation within the group and of a deeper connection. It was a lovely experience of Being together.

DB

Meditative Self-inquiry

With Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, June 30, 2024

At KECC Metchosin

 

Seven participants in total were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada in Metchosin, BC, at the 538 Swanwick Road location. The weather was warm and dry, with no rain, so we were able to sit on the front lawn in the sunshine. The gathering was facilitated by Mukesh Gupta who began with a short period of silence which, he said, allowed the flowering of a quality beyond thought and memory and created a space within which group members could bring forward any question that was wanting to be asked and explored within the group context. If there was no pressing question then Mukesh would read a selection from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with J Krishnamurti. The book had been chosen as particularly relevant to the engagement with the process of self-inquiry which was the focus of the Meditative Self-inquiry sessions.

Mukesh asked if one of the group would like to read a passage, which she then shared with the others in the group. We then entered into a dialogue which investigated the meaning of the Krishnamurti quote and sought to illuminate more deeply the truth of what was said. The questions and topics for exploration that arose amongst the participants were, at first, the nature of relationship and love both within relationship and outside the field of personal interaction. It was suggested that love may be much deeper than thought but, also, what is love in fact? There was some discussion of the role of the “self” and the self-image in the inhibition of the energy of love and the need to be aware of the presence of a tendency in each of us to give or to take in our relationships with others and within ourselves. We asked what quality is dominating our consciousness at any given time and how we are affected by the habit of separating ourselves from each other psychologically. Does a sense of separateness mean love is missing? Are the two mutually exclusive? Must the “I” disappear before love can appear? Is love an ultimate goal or can there be an immediate seeing of whatever our state is? Can we ever say “I know love”?

It was an interesting afternoon of inquiry and “meditation” on some challenging issues.

Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

June 23, 2024

At KECC Metchosin Gatehouse

 

Nine participants were in attendance in total for this Sunday afternoon meeting with Mukesh Gupta. He went over briefly some of the principles of dialogue or “Meditative Self-inquiry”, as he calls it. One of the most important principles is that we accept ourselves as we are and not as we would like to be. The psychic structures making up ourselves can be seen with affection and non-judgement. Knowledge about ourselves is not the point, but, rather, a sharing of our compassionate presence and a looking together at our lives in a quiet manner. Moving together slowly, we can ask any questions while leaving space between questions and answers. The whole experience is relevant, important, and significant.

At that point one group member asked a question about authentic relationships with others where there is a desire to keep the energy of the exchange smooth and not to risk creating conflict. Learning about ourselves may involve taking risks in relationship and we may have to go through difficult challenges. We must see for ourselves how we are reacting. In fact, noticing what is going on is central to the process of self-transformation and “being in our heart” is a powerful reality that must be explored. It involves the exploring of our self-awareness and learning to trust the deeper aspects of our being.

The meeting ended with a lovely period of silent “meditation”.

 

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, June 16, 2024

At KECC, Metchosin, BC

 

Six people in total were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and held at the Swanwick Road location with Mukesh Gupta facilitating the dialogue. The weather as we began was very suitable for sitting outside on the lawn but towards the end of the session some rain began to fall and we decided to move inside, with the Gate House offering the best locale for the last twenty minutes of the meeting.

Right from the beginning Mukesh invited us all to bring Presence to the gathering, both outwardly and inwardly. This would function as an action of the Heart and would connect us with our inner silence. Meditative self-inquiry, Mukesh stated, involved a slowing down, a listening to each other and ourselves, a watching of reactions, and a natural quietness that comes as we observe with compassion, do not rush, and respond with questions rather than expressing our knowledge. What question is most alive for us, he asked.

Several participants were interested in exploring the challenge of facing our own death and the idea that we must “die before we die”. What place does facing our own death and that of close loved ones in the here and now have for us? It seemed that everyone was keen to investigate the question and we were drawn to look into a number of issues surrounding the possibility of “surrendering” psychologically to the fact of our own ending. We looked at some of the ways we have separated life and death and distanced ourselves from the fear of the latter. It was a lively and revealing inquiry into a challenging topic.

DB