The Art of Meditative Living: Awakening to Inner Peace & Freedom A 5-Day Residential Workshop with Mukesh Gupta, June 26 – July 1, 2026

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Day 1 – Awakening to the Art of Meditative Living

The retreat began with a simple yet profound invitation: meditation was not something separate from daily life, but a way of living with complete presence. Mukesh explained that the essence of meditation was to give one’s full attention to whatever was happening in the present moment. Whether walking, listening, eating, breathing, speaking, or sitting in silence, the invitation remained the same: be completely present. Rather than striving to become mindful or judging ourselves when we became distracted, we were encouraged to simply notice what was happening with gentleness and without resistance. This soft, loving awareness—not effort or discipline—was presented as the foundation of meditative living.

He emphasized that true attention was free from the constant activity of thought and the burden of the past. Most of us experienced life through memories, beliefs, labels, and personal stories, causing us to see projections rather than reality itself. Through simple observation, without naming or judging, we began to experience life directly. In this silent observation, the separation between the observer and what was observed gradually dissolved. As the psychological “me” became quieter, there was a natural emergence of stillness, beauty, and love. The retreat opened by inviting participants not to acquire new knowledge, but to rediscover the timeless awareness that had always been present beneath the movement of thought.

Day 2 – Listening with the Whole of Your Being

Building on the foundation of presence, the second day explored the art of deep listening and pure observation. Mukesh reminded participants that the teachings themselves were secondary; what was truly being shared was a silent, wordless presence that could not be captured by concepts. Words merely pointed toward this deeper reality. The real invitation was to listen not only with the intellect but with the whole of one’s being, allowing awareness itself to receive what was being communicated beyond language.

He explored how our perception was usually conditioned by past experiences, knowledge, fears, and desires. Instead of seeing life directly, we saw it through accumulated images and conclusions. By observing this process without trying to change it, thought naturally became quieter. As the observer—the psychological self built from memory—lost its dominance, there was no longer a division between “me” and the world. This undivided perception gave rise to love, not as an emotion or ideal, but as the natural quality of awareness itself. When attention became whole, every ordinary activity became sacred, beauty was perceived everywhere, and life was experienced with freshness rather than through the repetition of old patterns.

Day 3 – Freedom Through Pure Observation

The third day turned more deeply toward self-understanding by examining the nature of conditioning. Mukesh explained that what we usually called the “self” was largely a movement of conditioning—a collection of thoughts, memories, emotions, beliefs, and psychological reactions accumulated throughout life. This conditioning created separation, conflict, and suffering, not only within ourselves but throughout humanity. Rather than condemning or trying to escape conditioning, participants were invited to become aware of it as it unfolded. This clear seeing marked the beginning of genuine freedom.

An important question was then introduced: Was the awareness that observed conditioning itself conditioned? By remaining with this inquiry without rushing toward an answer, participants were invited to discover a dimension of awareness that existed beyond the conditioned mind. This awareness did not struggle, judge, or seek control. It simply illuminated whatever arose. Mukesh emphasized that meditation was not the result of technique or effort but the natural flowering of awareness. As trust shifted away from the stories of the mind toward the silent presence that was always there, life became simpler, more spacious, and increasingly rooted in peace rather than psychological conflict.

Day 4 – Relationship as the Mirror of Self

The fourth day explored relationship as the very ground of life and self-discovery. Mukesh explained that relationship was not limited to interactions with other people; it also included our relationship with nature, our bodies, our thoughts, our emotions, and life itself. Because relationship was unavoidable, it became the clearest mirror in which we could see ourselves. Every conflict, attachment, fear, or reaction revealed something about the conditioning we carried. Rather than blaming others for our suffering, we were invited to use relationship as an opportunity for self-knowing. When we related through accumulated images and past experiences, we were not truly meeting another person—our stories were simply meeting their stories.

The talk then examined the psychological movement that created conflict in relationships. Desire, when distorted by thought, became psychological striving, creating an endless movement toward what should be rather than what was. This inevitably gave rise to fear, insecurity, attachment, and dependence as we sought fulfillment through people, possessions, status, or identity. Mukesh emphasized that none of this needed to be condemned or resisted. By simply observing these movements without judgment, energy that had previously been wasted in conflict began to gather. This liberated energy transformed desire into pure passion—the natural vitality to live, create, and love in the present moment. Relationship then became a living meditation and a profound school for transformation, where awareness gradually replaced fear and genuine intimacy became possible.

Day 5 – Love: The Heart of Meditative Living

The fifth day turned to the central theme of the retreat: love. Mukesh suggested that beneath every human search—for happiness, security, meaning, or belonging—lay the search for love. Rather than something we had to acquire, love was presented as our deepest nature, temporarily hidden beneath layers of conditioning and psychological activity. In this sense, it was love itself that longed to rediscover itself. Participants were invited not to define love intellectually but to allow the heart to receive it directly, beyond words and concepts.

Love, he explained, was inseparable from complete presence. Whenever there was psychological separation created by thought, love became obscured. But when the mind grew quiet and there was total intimacy with the present moment, love naturally revealed itself as a living, boundless energy. It was not sentimental or possessive; rather, it was an unconditional openness that embraced everything. Love invited participants to let the non-essential die—the identities, defenses, and stories that kept them separate. This inner dying was described not as a loss but as a rebirth into a fuller, more vibrant way of living. As participants tasted this living presence, they naturally lost interest in living through old narratives and discovered a life marked by passion, simplicity, and profound aliveness.

Day 6 – Living the Inquiry Every Day

The final day brought the retreat together by emphasizing that meditation was not an event but an ongoing way of living. Mukesh encouraged participants not to wait for moments of crisis before becoming aware. Instead, the work began in the ordinary moments of daily life, where quiet observation could deepen naturally. Through sustained attention, inquiry gradually ceased to feel like something we did and instead became the very movement of life expressing itself. Awareness was recognized not as a personal achievement but as our natural state of being.

He concluded by emphasizing the importance of creating relationships and communities where vulnerability was welcomed rather than judged. Such spaces allowed emotional burdens to dissolve naturally through loving attention instead of suppression or analysis. Stillness could not be produced through effort or willpower; it unfolded whenever we stopped escaping the present moment and simply remained with what was. Ultimately, the art of meditative living was presented as cultivating this background of quiet awareness in every circumstance, allowing action to arise from clarity rather than habit. The retreat closed with an invitation to continue living from this presence—meeting each moment, each relationship, and each challenge with openness, sensitivity, and love, so that meditation became not a practice to perform, but a way of life.

  • Kathryn Jefferies

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 12, 2026

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This was Mukesh’s Final Dialogue. We met at Swanwick Centre. The dialogue began with an invitation to reflect on what everyone was taking home after their shared journey together. Rather than searching for a final teaching or definitive answer, participants were encouraged to quietly ask what it means to live from the essence of life. Many described the question itself bringing a sense of peace, openness, stillness, ease, and surrender, while others noted that the mind immediately wanted to define or explain what “essence” meant.

Mukesh suggested that true questions have no conceptual answers. Instead of seeking definitions, he invited the group to remain with the living energy of the question until the mind became quiet enough for something beyond thought to reveal itself. He explained that words spoken from deep presence can carry a quality beyond language, pointing toward an unnamed reality. Several participants shared experiences of moments when the separate sense of self faded, leaving a spaciousness where life flowed naturally, without fear or personal struggle.

The discussion then explored fear, control, and the ego’s need for certainty and continuity. Mukesh proposed that psychological fear arises from living in separation from one’s essence and from the mind’s constant attempt to control life. Rather than escaping difficult emotions, he suggested meeting them fully and without resistance, allowing even fear, sorrow, or jealousy to become doorways back to the essence. From this perspective, the essence does not reject life’s changing conditions but embraces them with complete openness and acceptance.

The conversation concluded by exploring the relationship between essence, structure, and everyday life. While practical structures have their place, Mukesh emphasized that they should support, rather than suppress, the flowering of our true nature. Recalling a dialogue with Krishnamurti, he encouraged everyone to “start from the other shore”—to begin from a place of not knowing instead of relying on the familiar patterns of thought. In the end, the group was invited to rest in simple presence, allowing the mystery of the essence to remain unnamed and simply be lived.

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 9, 2026

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We met at the Pavilion. Mukesh invited everyone to listen with an open mind and a warm heart, not merely to understand the words but to experience the silence and presence behind them. He explored the meaning of “being a light to oneself,” suggesting that people habitually seek certainty from external authorities because they do not trust their own inner clarity. Since thought is rooted in memory and the past, it has an important practical role but cannot reveal the deeper peace, joy, or freedom that are only found in the living present.

He pointed to awareness as the inner light that exists beyond conditioned thought. Like a mirror, awareness observes without judgment, allowing fear, loneliness, and sorrow to be met directly instead of resisted or analyzed. When the constant effort to become, fix, or achieve is dropped, a quiet presence naturally emerges, revealing that wisdom, love, and happiness are already within and can guide daily life.

During the discussion, participants reflected on how nature, a resting dog, and the movement of trees illustrated effortless presence and quiet awareness. Questions explored the relationship between thought and awareness, with Mukesh clarifying that thought is essential for practical living but becomes limiting when it dominates without awareness. He emphasized that noticing when the mind has wandered is itself an expression of awareness, and that this gentle observation gradually deepens inner freedom.

The conversation also examined how awareness transforms conflict, difficult emotions, and relationships. Rather than reacting from fear or old conditioning, Mukesh encouraged responding from silence and presence, meeting emotions without labels or resistance. He suggested that relationships become a living classroom where awareness reveals habitual patterns and frees us from them, concluding that the inner light is always available to anyone willing to pause, observe, and trust it as their guide.

 

  • Kathryn Jefferies

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 5, 2026

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The Sunday dialogue at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre explored the nature of relationship as a mirror for self-understanding. Participants inquired into whether human beings are truly separate individuals or expressions of one shared consciousness. Mukesh suggested that although we appear separate physically, our fears, desires, and search for happiness are universal, revealing a deeper interconnectedness. Through relationship, we can see our own conditioning reflected and come to understand both ourselves and humanity more deeply.

The inquiry then turned to the questions of oneness and individuality. Participants shared differing perspectives on whether consciousness is personal or universal, while Mukesh pointed to the possibility that separation exists primarily in the stories and identities created by thought. Rather than attempting to persuade others or solve the world’s conflicts through ideas, he invited participants to explore what it means to live with compassion, allowing each person the freedom to discover truth for themselves.

The dialogue concluded with an exploration of self-inquiry and choiceless observation. Mukesh described observation as a quiet, nonjudgmental awareness that simply watches thoughts, emotions, and reactions without trying to change them. Such attentive observation, he suggested, gradually loosens the grip of self-centred thinking and opens the possibility of greater peace, love, and presence. Throughout the meeting, the emphasis remained not on adopting beliefs or conclusions, but on staying open, attentive, and inquiring together.

  • Kathryn Jefferies

 

 

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 2, 2026

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The Thursday dialogue in Victoria explored the nature of relationship, identity, and the possibility of living without psychological separation. Participants questioned whether the sense of being a separate individual is an essential fact or a story created by thought in the search for security. Mukesh suggested that while practical identity has its place, the psychological image we build of ourselves can create fear, conflict, and a feeling of isolation from others and from life itself.

The conversation then turned to the relationship between fear and security. Together, participants explored how fear often arises from thought projecting into the future, drawing on memory and past experience. Mukesh invited the group to consider whether, in moments of complete attention, fear loses its foundation, and whether the search for security through psychological identity may actually strengthen the very insecurity it hopes to escape.

The dialogue concluded with an inquiry into relationship as a living movement rather than something fixed or defined. As participants reflected on what happens when self-protective patterns fall away, the discussion pointed toward a quality of openness, presence, and direct contact with life. Throughout the evening, the emphasis remained on observing experience without conclusion, allowing genuine insight to emerge through shared inquiry rather than through belief or ideology.

 

  • Kathryn Jefferies

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 21, 2026

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We met at Krishnamurti Educational Centre. Mukesh emphasized that the purpose of a dialogue is to explore fundamental questions of life from a place of openness, stillness, compassion, and connectedness. Participants were invited to let go of fixed opinions, knowledge, and ideologies, and instead engage in a process of discovery through attentive presence and deep listening. The focus was on the quality of observation rather than finding definitive answers.

One participant described experiencing vivid visions during meditation, including images of unfamiliar people, Rather than interpreting the visions intellectually, Mukesh encouraged appreciating them with wonder and gratitude, especially if they brought feelings of peace, joy, and connectedness. The discussion highlighted the value of remaining with the mystery rather than rushing to explain it.

The conversation then turned to the nature of silence and inquiry. Participants questioned whether silence and asking questions were compatible. Mukesh suggested that true silence is not merely the absence of words but a living, dynamic space from which questions, creativity, and insight can naturally emerge. Questions arising from curiosity and wonder need not disturb silence; instead, they can deepen exploration when approached without a desire for fixed answers.

A major theme of the meeting centered on the nature of the self. Participants explored whether it is possible to live without a self-image—the collection of thoughts, memories, labels, preferences, and conclusions that define who we believe we are. The group examined how the sense of self appears to be continuously recreated through thought, reactions, judgments, and relationships. Several examples illustrated how identity is shaped by conditioning and how easily people become trapped within their personal narratives and worldviews.

The discussion concluded with an exploration of awareness, reaction, and transformation. Participants reflected on everyday habits, emotional reactions, and moments when they observe themselves acting against their better judgment. Mukesh distinguished between simple noticing and a deeper awareness that is free from judgment and control. He suggested that lasting change does not come from forcing transformation but from a profound longing for freedom and a clear awareness of what is happening. Patterns naturally generate suffering, and that suffering can become an invitation to deeper understanding and genuine transformation.

  • Kathryn Jefferies

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 18, 2026

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We met at the Pavilion in Victoria. Mukesh (M) gave a talk on the relationship between desire and fear.

Q: Does being aware of our desire have an action?

M: Yes, silent loving presence has its own action. And it may not be according to my own idea.

Awareness absorbs that energy [of desire] into itself and there’s a real joy now. The dropping of the movement of thought to attain desire is a relief and there’s a releasing of energy.

Krishnamurti: “Happy is the man who is nothing.” Am I happy to be nothing? Can I watch this movement to become something? Because it will inevitably bring fear and sorrow.

I’m dissatisfied with what I am/what I have now and I am believing strongly that if I reach that point I will be satisfied. In this whole process I am moving away from the now, from the present moment. There is always fear because I may not reach that goal. What is happening is that I am missing the joy of this present moment. I am imagining there will be beauty, joy when I reach there. Supposing you reach there, you are satisfied, the mind projects another goal and the whole life is spent in that search. I am never happy.

Absence of becoming is not stagnating. Sometimes we have this fear. The energy of ambition is different: it’s full of conflict. It’s different than the energy of passion. Indifference comes when I am not present. When I am sensitive, I am full of life.

Q: I’ve worked with craving and aversion and see that it’s thought … but beyond the willingness to sit there and experience the craving, I notice that I don’t want attention to be drawn to that. I want to be free of the fixation. It’s not that I can’t tolerate the sensation but there’s this further wish to not be fixated, not have my attention captured.

M: I think that is an important point because desire, fear are all sensations; it’s a movement of energy and what thought is doing is naming those energies, therefore not letting them be pure, pristine. So we can we let that energy of life — the sensation — be pure. The problem comes when I name it: with the naming comes judgement and then effort to do something about it.

This conditioning is so heavy — we are taught to judge sensation. They are just pure feelings.

Can we see the destructiveness of this conditioning? If I’m experiencing any strong emotion, can I remain with it by letting go of this habitual naming process. Then it has its own living and dying process.

Q: This seems like a difficult thing: these emotions can be very strong. One can make that into something to achieve, a goal.

M: That tension that I’m experiencing in the body is no problem; the problem comes when thought is demanding that it should go. If I let go of the control then tension is not a problem

…then that creative energy of life can come forward.

For example anger, that is pure energy of life. In the moment of anger there is no problem, there is no separation, no observer, just an intense energy. There is no mind in that. Later we start naming it, wish we could have done something about it — all that story. When we move away from it, the mind starts to control it.

Q: But the anger might want to express itself.

M: Yes, I can look at if this is a pattern in my life, if thought is the cause of the anger. If you can catch it, then there is no explosion. But there is no me in that. You cannot blame the volcano.

If you live something fully in the moment, consciously, you are finished with it.

Q: When desire flowers and dies away, you said, then there is creativity.

M: Creative means being fully present now. Fully alive. Am I meeting myself as I am without any story. Isn’t that creative? Observing thought, emotion. I see how futile it is to try to do something about it. I am also thinking with creativity — there is a thinking process that is not bound to the past.

Q: I think, “Not this.” I want to be doing something different than what’s in front of me, that whatever it is is not good enough somehow — even though there is nothing better that I want to be doing.

M: Notice that the mind is always wanting to be somewhere else. So it can be observed with a smile. ‘Oh it’s interesting how the mind has been conditioned to be unsatisfied.’

Q: It seems like it’s about being as opposed to becoming.

M: Yes.

The whole burden is mind carrying this belief, what should be, what should not be. That is the central conflict in our life—this judge, sitting inside the head saying you should not be feeling that. And who is this judge? Conditioned thought. If I see that life is moving with all its force … it’s showing up … so can I live that fully? Without a story of what should and should not be.

So we have this tremendous force of desire which is the force of life — can this force be allowed to move creatively, can we make it free? Then it is a river of life flowing with its own discipline. Presence brings its own order and harmony. Then that force of desire is creative …. so that energy of life is of discovering from moment to moment.

  • Kathryn Jefferies

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 14, 2026

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We met at the Swanwick Centre. Mukesh opened with guidance for the dialogue: It is a space to inquire into our daily life, a space not to judge anyone here but to listen, look openly — not a space to debate, offer any opinions, but to bring a quality of not-knowing, love. Though we may be using words, words are incidental. Listening as one consciousness. And then maybe there will be a shift in consciousness.

It’s important we bring one question and continue that thread. Not many questions. It’s’ like digging a well, we may never reach water. So this is an art, meditative self-inquiry.

Q: A participant expressed her desire to look at the sorrow of life, the suffering of life. She quoted K, who said that in love there is no sorrow and where there is sorrow there is no love; sorrow, love, and death are all connected.

Mukesh (M): Why is there suffering in myself and in life? I am humanity.

Let’s take up this question of sorrow and then see if there is a connection to love.

Can we distinguish between physical suffering? But what we are exploring is psychological suffering (although that can come from physical suffering). And there can be suffering from loss and not getting what I want. Suffering is related to wanting: can we see this?

Can we distinguish between pain and sorrow? It is important we don’t stop feeling this pain because it is what makes us human. We have to be careful to explain what we mean by sorrow: it contains self-pity, there is a self in there.

Q: Participants tried to agree on the experience of sorrow, to define it. One participant noted that he experiences a sorrow where beauty and joy come from it.

M: This is a sorrow that creates unity so it is not a problem; whereas there is a sorrow that creates conflict and separation.

Q: A participant observes that making ourselves the central character through the narrative we tell seems to cause the problem.

M: What is the key question now? Because there are endless expressions of it—we have described many of them. Now a question is required that could lead to a breakthrough.

There is one common ground of what we have said so far: we were in the field of thought. The ground of thought is necessary for there to be suffering. In order for suffering to be, there has to be a deviation from the now. There is no other way. We have to go forward or backward in time through thought.

What can I do other than feel the pain fully? I meet that fully: am I resisting it? Do I wish it were different? This creates the suffering. I can go through intense pain — and that is part of being human — but see the optional part of suffering.

Where is life? Is it somewhere other than here?

Q: A participant notices that when he wakes from a terrible dream, for a while his thought sustains it until I realizes it wasn’t real.

M: Suffering is real but what caused it is imaginary. So you see the power of the thought process, the power of imagination.

Q: Someone insists that there is suffering in the world.

M: Yes, we can feel it but not make it into a problem. Ignorance of the mind creates suffering.

There is something related to wanting.

Q: It seems like there’s something beyond wanting, that it’s a need for psychological security and safety that is behind the suffering.

M: Is the fear from not being in control? But then I see that I am not in control, I can not control things, so the fear remains but I do not give up the control.

Can we pause here and ask, what is the true question for me? Is there even a question? To find one, you’d have to go into the past. Seeing what is is enough, otherwise it’s a conclusion.

There is no separation between me and my fear …. If I see it as separate I will try to do something about what is. This doing is coming from the idea that there is a ‘me’ that can do something about it. If I see this, then there is the possibility for what is to transform.

For the mind this is not good news: I am nothing, no one. Seeing the truth of it is a relief. The burden of ‘I’ is released.

M: Sometimes we lose touch with the sensation of fear and stay only with the label and that is part of the problem.

Q: A participant observes that the constant narration in the mind of what’s happening is what keeps us separate from the experience.

M: What is left behind all these words? Do you feel at peace within yourself or a tension to grab or understand? This is the intention of self-inquiry: inner light and lightness. It’s not necessary to live with this burden of heaviness.

 

  • Kathryn Jefferies

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 11, 2026

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We met at the Gorge Park Pavilion. Mukesh gave a talk titled “The observer is the observed”, which, together with the following talks in this series, is available on our YouTube channel, and the Q&A session followed:

Q: There’s a joy in naming. Can I do that while also looking without naming?

A: We cannot deny the brain its job of naming; just don’t stay with the name / on the level of knowledge. Go beyond it or I am denying myself the experiencing of that present moment.

Q: How to relate to others? Whether they are aware of this deeper possibility or not?

A: If I am relating to you with an open heart then that affects others. I am emanating a different kind of vibration. But how they receive it is not determined by me. I see that this is the most beautiful way to be without making it into an ideal. Ideal means choice which means the observer has come who wants to be good.

Mukesh wanted to add something to his talk:

The whole reason Krishnamurti emphasized the observer/observed is to remove the conflict because energy is wasted in conflict. The experiencing has its own living and dying process. What do I have to do with it? All energy has to change. When I come in conflict with what is then I delay the transformation. It’s like we’re fighting with the truth. We waste a lot of energy.

Each time the entity [‘me’/the separate self] comes you can just see it as a reaction to the thought process. The separate self can come in a subtle form which means our observation has to be subtler.

K has used “observer” to mean the conditioned entity / ego — because there’s no entity in this,

whereas in Vedanta, ancient traditions etc. use it as pure observation / witness / unconditioned consciousness.

The source of the observation is not in the past, not in thought, not in the field of knowledge; it’s in the now. It doesn’t depend on my past accumulation. This is the awakening, awakening of pure observation, of pure love, observed with the totality of your being. And then it can be dissolved. ‘I’ don’t want it to be dissolved, it dissolves by itself.

If I have an idea of enlightenment then it’s just a part of the thought process. Is enlightenment a one-time happening or moment to moment? Then the moment is gone; I cannot hold onto it. I cannot make it happen, it is a happening. K: “When you are not there, the other is.” The other is the unknown. The problem is, I want to hold on to myself while having the other.

“On the path of love only one can walk” (Kabir) so the other has to die. There is not a separate entity that is “ego” and it can be problematic to believe in a separate “ego” until it is observed and seen.

Thought and desire work together —thought has no power without desire. Everything has its right place. Meditation is the process of putting things in their right place. How can I find this light, the living teacher inside us, our guide.

 

  • Kathryn Jefferies

Meditative Self-Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 7, 2026

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We met at Swanwick Centre. Mukesh (M) gave an opening talk on the topic of Inner Freedom. He spoke first of the tool of deep listening for finding inner freedom, saying, “In order to listen, there has to be an inner freedom.” He went on to describe observation and attention as additional tools, explaining that ultimately they are all one tool.

A participant suggested that a question which might arise for people is, “I don’t feel the inner freedom so how do I find it?” in response to M pointing out K’s assertion that you have to start with the freedom — it’s not at the end of the journey but rather at the beginning.

M responded with a question he’d “like to drop into that mind,” which is to see if they could “just listen and see with the quality of silence prior to any activity of the mind.”

The mind only can exist within this space so can I listen to this space also —listening and seeing, whatever the mind is telling, is the beginning of freedom —in spite of any belief or story of the mind, there is freedom; these energies or qualities are not coming from the mind. Any sorrow [etc.] can be observed and that is freedom.

A participant pointed out that it seems the default mode is this thinking with only glimpses of freedom.

M: So how can there be a shift —the mind wants to experience freedom, that is part of the problem —mind doesn’t want to believe that there is existence beyond itself (mind = activity of thought) —there is an existence that doesn’t depend on mind. I want to experience freedom, joy, love on my own conditions but there are no conditions. There’s an energy of attention that is available at any moment.

The participant continued that there seems to always be a self that wants to be present, to experience presence. It’s always behind everything.

M poses the question to the group, “When do I experience a state of inattention? Am I aware of it? No, that is the problem.” A participant notices we never experience inattention, only in retrospect.

M gives the example of his own great passion to understand K when he first came open his books, or the example if one wants to learn an instrument then there is a great passion there; but, when it comes from the story of the mind, then that creates effort and a duality. It’s coming from a belief of the mind. “Effort to change oneself comes from the ego and it exhausts one whereas passion fills one with energy.”

A participant offers his observation that, “[F]reedom seems like something I want to have and I need to discharge something, there’s something stuck preventing me from living in that spaciousness and beauty.”

M responds,

You bring all of your attention to that which is sticking, not to escape from it, not to ignore it. Now, this is my teacher. I am not condemning it even though it is not comfortable, but the energy of attention is not judging it. My whole energy is present and then see what happens. Can I be fully present with it without trying to get rid of it? Getting rid of it is mediocre, whereas giving my full attention is the passion.

He cautions that, “it is not a strategy,” and not to be “lukewarm” (indifferent) and suggests the peace will reemerge by itself.

A participant comments that freedom as free of limiting beliefs is a narrow view but it seems like M is pointing to something bigger, like acceptance of life as it comes.

M: There can be a whole spectrum with many dimensions to it. There is a great power in life that doesn’t want to accept anything that is limiting …. Nobody can be happy with something limiting because somewhere there is a knowing … It shows that there is a great inner intelligence …. Listen to the heart where there is a deep knowing, what is not true, what is not freedom.

The good thing is that the deep intelligence of life is always waiting to be heard by us ….

We don’t have to make a big project of it: am I listening to my heart or am I just driven by the story in my head? Listen less and less to it.

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  • Kathryn Jefferies