Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau, November 24, 2024

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Self-inquiry 

With Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau 

Sunday, November 24, 2024 

At Metchosin, BC, location 

 

Only four participants were present in the Gatehouse for this meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada in Metchosin, BC.After a quiet sit we slowly began to discuss the way we sometimes found ourselves getting stuck or bogged down in patterns of behaviour. We then moved into the ways we can get free of these patterns. Krishnamurti suggests we examine our lives with choiceless awareness or unbiased observation of our consciousness. We just have to look at ourselves without judgement, self-attack, or self-criticism. 

A few of the group explained that it can sometimes be tricky to actually realise what K is talking about in terms of attention. What does it mean when he speaks of “sensitivity”? One person offered that it might mean noticing how your state of mind is affecting you. One approach is to allow “the flowering of the senses” of which a few said K had sometimes spoken. What happens when we are highly sensitive to all the experiences of our senses? It can prove to be an interesting experiment as images tend to fall away and the mind becomes empty. As K said, an empty mind is a religious mind. 

We spoke of how we enjoyed Javier’s style of presentation in the recent weekend workshop and its effectiveness for teaching. As far as our own communication styles had demonstrated, we acknowledged that we had in many cases been conditioned by our parents to be critical or to anticipate criticism and judgement. One group member reminded us how, in dialogue, David Bohm appreciated having a mixture of ideas which encouraged a variety of views and perspectives. With this appreciation of the benefit of self observation we brought the session to a close. 

 

DB 

Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau, November 17, 2024

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Self-inquiry 

With Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau 

Sunday, November 17, 2024 

At Metchosin location 

 

Eight people were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting at the Swanwick Road location in Metchosin, BC. We sat in a circle while David guided the group in a meditation focusing on awareness of thoughts and feelings or bodily sensations which could reveal aspects of one’s nature or conditioned “self” as we explored the make-up of our psychological structures by noticing what was arising in the space of our awareness. 

After the short silence David asked if participants had any issues they would like to explore within the context of the group. One person said that she was experiencing anxiety about sitting in a group of individuals feeling that her awareness was revealing a sense of social anxiety in her body but that only the sensations above her body were the ones that mattered. 

Other group members shared their habitual sense of social anxiety and, further, the presence of what Krishnamurti called fear in his talks and dialogues. David related that he’d been reading a K book called Krishnamurti for Beginners but had found it far more challenging to understand than a book for beginners. In fact, the book had brought up difficulties in understanding what K was communicating. 

Ralph and David spoke of K’s “teachings” regarding the process of freeing oneself of fear and the necessity for “insight” when seeking self-knowledge or self-awareness. After we discussed the need for “interest” in learning about oneself, some group members confided that they were feeling very interested in the possibilities of self-observation and self-discovery. Later in the day, David found that many quotes later in the Krishnamurti book were from a selection of K books that would be well worth exploring in the participants’ own time: 

 

     The Collected Works of J. Krishnamurti 

     Commentaries on Living 

     The Only Revolution 

     Krishnamurti to Himself 

     Krishnamurti’s Notebook 

     The Urgency of Change 

 

Two quotes of Krishnamurti that struck David were the following: 

    

     “God is when you are not. When you are, it is not. When you are not, love is. When you are, love is not.” 

 

     “The understanding of yourself is the ending of sorrow” 

 

     The meeting was a quiet and gentle sharing of mutual support and learning. 

 

DB 

Freedom from the Known, November 14 – 17, 2024

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Freedom from the Known 

A 4-day workshop with Javier Gomez Rodriguez 

November 14-17, 2024 (Thursday – Sunday:  10 am Pacific Time, 19:00 CET) 

  

The book Freedom from the Known was edited by Mary Lutyens from a selection of talks from the years 1963 to 1967 to produce what she called a ‘Krishnamurti primer’. The title, which was K’s idea, is a key aspect of his approach to human freedom and wholeness.  

Javier introduced the study of the book in the following way. “Our inquiry will take us sequentially through the sixteen chapters (i.e., four chapters per session) in the book. In our four meetings we will be taking a journey through the fields of awareness and self-knowledge, the issue of conflict and violence in relationship, the conditioned structure of thought and consciousness, and the nature of meditation and the religious mind. None of these aspects are separate from each other but continuously and inherently interwoven. Naturally, each of them subsumes many other issues that we will do our best to include. 

Each session will include a talk and time for discussion. As the participatory exploration that it is, it is expected that those taking part will bring a quality of mutual consideration and sensitive probing to the dialogue.” 

  

 

 

 

Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau, November 10, 2024

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Self-inquiry 

With Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau 

November 10, 2024 

At Metchosin location 

 

Seven people were present for this meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and held at the Metchosin location on a cloudy, grey day which kept us inside at the 538 Swanwick Road building. Ralph gave a short introduction to the proceedings and asked if there were any pressing questions that participants wished to share with the group. If not, he explained, we could choose a passage from the Krishnamurti work The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti for reading and discussion. Another suggestion was to watch a video of K being interviewed on BBC Television. One participant spoke up to say that since recently beginning to study Krishnamurti’s teachings in greater depth she had found herself in conflict with the values and ideas of her parents and family. This had become especially obvious while watching the US elections featuring Donald Trump and she had felt an urge to isolate herself and cut off from the society around her. How, she inquired, would Krishnamurti recommend we proceed in such a case? In response several participants brought forward the necessity, pointed out by K, to be sensitive and compassionate with others of different views. Such compassion could develop when a person took up the challenge of observing their own thoughts and feelings in their many small reactions to the life and people around them.  Such attention might bring forward a sense of love which could change the individuals and change the world. This idea was agreed upon by many of the group and some expressed that the dialogue had been helpful and enlightening. 

 

DB 

Self-inquiry, November 3, 2024

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Self-inquiry 

Sunday, November 3, 2024 

With Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau 

At Metchosin, BC 

 

A small group of three was present for this meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and held in the Gatehouse at 538 Swanwick Road. Participants were asked if they had any pressing questions or issues they would like to explore in the group. One person (Jeff) expressed interest in the history of the Krishnamurti school that was the beginning of the activities at the Metchosin location of the Centre. Ralph and David were able to share a good deal of the background, including such historical details as Krishnamurti’s personal visit in 1978 to the grounds and including the development of the school which then became an adult Centre based on K’s teachings. We then looked at a movie about the Brockwood Park K school in England and the Ojai school in California and discussed some of the developments of the organizations around Krishnamurti. A newspaper clip was found from some time ago which quoted from the book Freedom from the Known; it provided material for some study of K’s thoughts on relationship and the desire for safety and security. The quote Included the necessity of seeing ourselves and others without an image.  

It was an interesting and valuable afternoon of discussion. 

 

DB 

Realizing Presence with JC Tefts, October 25 – 27, 2024

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Realizing Presence 

3 Day Workshop with JC Tefft 

October 25 – 27, 2024 

Sponsored by KECC 

Online Event 

 

Ten people showed up for this three-day workshop with JC Tefft sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. JC began with some introductory remarks about what he would be covering in the three one-and-a-half hour sessions held online.   

JC invited us to join in, as we inquired together into the essential, underlying nature of:    

  • The material universe and the intelligence of Light that governs material expression.   
  • The functionality and limitations of the human mind that not only cultivates what has become a deeply rooted problem in humankind, but also veils the living truth of the ‘I Am-ness’ of conscious Being.     
  • What Krishnamurti called the truth of ‘What Is’ when understood in the context of pure presence, pure awareness, and non-dual reality.   

  

Referencing Krishnamurti’s teachings throughout, JC shared testimony and insights into the nature of the illusion of separateness created by Mind, along with the nature of awakenings that serve to unveil the truth of What Is, as evermore clarity comes to light in the eternally present Now.   

  

JC/RT    

  

  

  

  

Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau, October 31, 2024

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Self-inquiry, October 31, 2024  

with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau 

At Esquimalt Park Pavilion 

Victoria, BC 

 

Five participants were in attendance for this Thursday afternoon meeting at the lovely new pavilion in Esquimalt Gorge Park. The meeting was  sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. The facilitator asked if any participants had a burning question they would like to explore with the group and one person shared that he would like to examine the issue of pain, both physical and psychological. Other group members offered input to the discussion which branched out to include the pain triggered by the many changes that we all undergo as life is experienced. We talked about chronic pain, the grief of losing vitality, the fragility of life, and what could happen when we accept that pain is a part of our lives, with old age for example. 

We took up the question of what can be done to be with our pain or suffering so that life is not made constantly unbearable – or at least it can be less so. Krishnamurti and others have given many helpful clues as to being present with our problems which we could well benefit from. We looked at the issue of naming our experience vs. not naming it and allowing the sensations, thoughts, and feelings to unfold in our awareness. Participants have found that this approach is particularly helpful when it comes to emotional pain and discomfort. They spoke of the effects of going towards our pain or “leaning into it”. Krishnamurti spoke about “total attention” to all that we think and feel and this seems to be a very useful “strategy” or non-strategy. 

The quality of the dialogue produced an atmosphere of lightness and enjoyment of the interactions and communication. 

 

DB 

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Self-inquiry 

With Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau 

Sunday, October 27, 2024 

Sponsored by KECC 

At the Metchosin location 

 

Three people were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting at the Gatehouse on Swanwick Road, the location for the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada in Metchosin, BC. We began with a reading from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti. The chosen reading was dated October 27, 2024 and was titled “Outside the Field of Thought”. The passage was mainly exploring the possibility of creating a change in oneself while remaining within the field of thought, which Krishnamurti maintained was not possible. For any real change the mind must realize that any change within the field is no change at all. Our discussion of the issue led us to look into the realms of Krishnamurti’s  explorations with nuclear physicist David Bohm. We brought forward for inquiry Bohm’s ideas about “proprioception” and awareness of the breathing, the body, and the need to be vigilant about attempts to achieve anything for ourselves as a centre of self interest. Attempts to expand ourselves were not considered to be beneficial, and needed to include an awareness of our motives and intentions. Or so we felt Bohm had implied. We spoke of Bohm’s approaches to dialogue, considered by all group members to be very practical and wise, and did our best to gain what wisdom we could on the subject. It was an interesting and valuable session. 

 

DB 

Self-inquiry with ralph Tiller and David Bruneau, October 24, 2024

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Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau 

Thursday, October 24, 2024 

Esquimalt Park Pavilion 

Sponsored by KECC 

 

Only three people were present in the Esquimalt Park Pavilion for this meeting on a lovely sunny day in Esquimalt, BC. We began with a ten minute silence wherein we had the opportunity to observe the movements of the mind. After the silent period we talked about questioning vs. not questioning beliefs. We spoke of the history of beliefs and stories which can bring people together and at the same time can separate them. The belief in the “me” as a separate individual seems to be perhaps the basic source of the world’s problems. 

We spoke of the practice of koans in the Zen discipline which seems to create an opportunity to “jump out” of the mind and somehow go beyond thought. 

We commented on the fact that small groups can sometimes allow the participants to delve more deeply into whatever is looked into than larger groups can. Today seemed to support that idea. 

 

 

Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau, October 24, 2024

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Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Esquimalt Park Pavilion

Sponsored by KECC

 

Only three people were present in the Esquimalt Park Pavilion for this meeting on a lovely sunny day in Esquimalt, BC. We began with a ten minute silence wherein we had the opportunity to observe the movements of the mind. After the silent period we talked about questioning vs. not questioning beliefs. We spoke of the history of beliefs and stories which can bring people together and at the same time can separate them. The belief in the “me” as a separate individual seems to be perhaps the basic source of the world’s problems.

We spoke of the practice of koans in the Zen discipline which seems to create an opportunity to “jump out” of the mind and somehow go beyond thought.

We commented on the fact that small groups can sometimes allow the participants to delve more deeply into whatever is looked into than larger groups can. Today seemed to support that idea.