Self-inquiry, September 10, 2023

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Self-inquiry with James Waite

Sunday, September 10, 2023

Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Metchosin, BC

 

Five people were in attendance at this Sunday afternoon meeting at the Swanwick Road location. It was a slightly windy day but the fairly mild temperature allowed us to sit outdoors on the lawn and enjoy the surrounding beauties of nature: the ocean, the mountains, the trees, and the bird songs.

James, as the facilitator of the event, chose to begin with a quote from J. Krishnamurti which he shared with the group. “Life is not a thing you learn from somebody. Life is something you listen to moment to moment without accumulating experience..”

James added that K is thus saying that Life is always fresh and new. He invited us all to share how we understand K’s words and how we apply them in our own lives. This stimulated some discussion of “self-remembering”, a concept or practice recommended by spiritual teachers Gurjief and Ouspensky. Some participants expressed their understanding that self-remembering seemed to be very much like the “choiceless awareness” or silent “self-observation” that K often spoke of and which was his form of “meditation”. Krishnamurti’s description of how he had at one point seen visions of Buddha – and earlier of Krishna – was mentioned, along with the disappearance of the images as soon as K became aware that it was his own mind that was projecting them. The duality of self and other was seen to be an illusion that could not survive the clear awareness of inquiry.

Aspects of awareness and the “process” of learning arose in the group inquiry and were investigated, along with the importance of being willing to “let go” of the patterns of thinking that keep the mind identified with its sense of separateness. Listening to the “inner voice” was said to be important, and living without attachment to thought’s concepts of reality. Change and development can happen, it was said, when one is not attached to the ideas about self to which thinking gives importance.

The subject of commitment was introduced. Is commitment personal or non-personal and what is the difference between commitment and ambition, which could be an expression of “ego”? One group member gave interesting practical examples from his own struggle to understand the different movements of commitment and ambition in his own life. It was deemed necessary to find a good balance between the two and also to take care of ourselves physically and emotionally in a sensitive manner. There were a number of insightful points made and the afternoon seemed to be found valuable to those who attended.

DB

Self-inquiry, September 6, 2023

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Self-inquiry

September 6, 2023

With James Waite

At Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion

 

Five participants attended this afternoon meeting at the Gorge Pavilion facilitated by James Waite, a resident of Victoria who has spent many years exploring his essential nature and loves to share such inquiry with other “seekers”. There was also a man from India we had not met before but who had a great deal to say about the teachings of Krishnamurti and other wisdom from India such as Theosophy, Patanjali, and other classic traditions. According to him, Krishnamurti represented the deepest wisdom of the ages and the evolution of wisdom over the centuries. For him, K was the most important factor in the progression of true understanding of ourselves and our place in the world, which meant “living by intelligence”. K was an embodiment of the “Mystery” at the core of Life. For the rest of us this was most likely an idea to be embraced or questioned. The rest of us contributed our own appreciation of Krishnamurti so as to add our own flavours to the conversation. There was some questioning of the value of asserting a knowledge of spiritual truths, as such knowing may lack humility at times, but still we enjoyed debating with each other and sharing our perceptions and insights, James was interested in discussing Krishnamurti’s famous statement that “Truth is a pathless land” as well as his understanding that what we are is awareness. Others joined him in looking at the centrality of awareness in our lives along with the importance of Being. We must, it was seen, step out of the preoccupation with “becoming”, explore the reality of the present moment beyond thought, and experience the meaning of silence. Questions arose concerning the unity or diversity of awareness and overall there was a richness to the group investigation.

DB

Self-inquiry, September 3, 2023

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Self-inquiry

September 3, 2023

With James Waite

At KECC Metchosin, BC

Only four people were present for this meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and held at the Swanwick Rd. location in Metchosin, BC, on a Sunday afternoon. Rainy weather prevented us from sitting outside. James Waite was the facilitator. He had a certain amount of experience in such a role and seemed quite comfortable in it. He began by pointing out that in our self-inquiry exercise we would be working with two fundamental aspects of our physical and psychological make-up. Firstly there would be the existence of “experience” – our feelings and sensations – and secondly there would be the awareness with which we would “know” and appreciate our experience. The latter would be more our true identity. These statements led to a fairly detailed discussion of awareness and identity. One of the participants was relatively new to this kind of perceiving and questioning our nature and had a number of questions and comments about our conversation, which made it more interesting and provoked various ideas and interactions between those seeking to deepen their understanding. In fact, the meaning of “understanding” was explored to some degree, with its different possible nuances. The “dialogue” moved on with contributions from all involved, James probably taking the lead most of the time. The sharing was engaging for everyone and seemed to flow easily into a number of questions and observations. We touched upon the power of insight and “seeing” when it comes to self knowing and the freedom generated in the individual when seeing takes place as a significant happening in the person. We also spoke of the non-personal aspect of exploring oneself and of the transcendence of the separate identity that can take place. It was all quite interesting and promised to be fertile ground for future inquiry. The meeting came to a close in a natural way and we took our leave with affectionate good-byes.

DB

Self-inquiry, August 27, 2023

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Self-inquiry

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Metchosin, BC

With Mukesh Gupta

 

Eleven people were present for Mukesh Gupta’s last meeting before his departure from Canada. He began the session in his usual manner with a short guided meditation and an introduction to what takes place in a self-inquiry meeting, the main intention of which is to understand ourselves. Mukesh pointed out that if self-understanding is not present the implications are immense. Self-understanding brings love, beauty, and a freshness into our lives and without it there is a gap in our experience of ourselves. These qualities must be rediscovered every day, beginning with simple sensations and exploring the deeper aspects of living a “conscious” life. Right understanding is when all faculties are in harmony. This involves a “dying” to the false ideas of ourselves, which must be seen by observation. The seeing is the transformation, the falling away of the false self. It is a life-long process which involves insight each day, each moment, as one opens to the exploration of the challenges and obstacles involved.

Mukesh encouraged participants to share some of the obstacles they had come upon. The first to speak suggested that his greatest obstacle has been “unconsciousness” in himself and others. In delving more deeply into the question, issues of emptiness and manifestation were looked at with a careful curiosity about the sense of separation and isolation that many feel and the illusion of such a deeply held belief. On the other hand, it was shared by some that coming together in a group such as this in order to witness the workings of our own minds and “hearts” was in this very moment producing an experience of Being which contains love and a sense of communion. People may speak as if they hold a kind of knowing about what they are speaking of but there seems to be more profundity and fullness to the truth of “not-knowing”!

In conclusion, Mukesh encouraged us to keep on learning and opening our hearts, awakening from moment to moment to the truth that Life is being in Love. He suggested we pay attention to whatever is taking us away from love and unity.

We have very much appreciated Mukesh’s presence and wisdom this year and we look forward to spending more time with him when he visits next year.

Self-inquiry August 23, 2023

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Self-inquiry

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

With Mukesh Gupta

At Esquimalt Gorge Pavilion

 

Six people attended this meeting at the new Gorge Park Pavilion. It was Mukesh Gupta’s last engagement with the Victoria interested parties before he returns to Europe and India. He will be returning to Victoria again in the future sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. His last presentation of this trip will be on Sunday at the Metchosin Centre.

This time Mukesh took a slightly different approach to the dialogue by proposing that we explore joy and beauty rather than focusing on the suffering of humanity and the fears at the centre of it. He asked us to share our experiences of joy, how it comes about, and what are its qualities. How is joy created in our daily lives and what are the delights of living? Is our life one of mechanical seriousness or do we take delight in the beauty of nature and the goodness of the human heart? Does the simplicity of children bring us joy and spontaneous happiness? What is it like to find a calmness in ourselves which can bring enjoyment to all activities? Can we be consistent in our self-exploration, with its insights and contact with the inner sense of Being? Does this produce a feeling of freshness and “newness” in us? Can we be aware of what in us is not joy and then can we die to that which causes suffering, as Krishnamurti recommends?

In conclusion Mukesh shared that the softening of the “me” or “ego self” makes room for joy and a merging with the flow of Life and love. The sharing of such energies seemed to be appreciated by the group members, who appeared to have experienced a kind of joy in such an interaction.

Self-inquiry, August 23, 2023

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Self-inquiry

Sunday, August 20, 2023

With Mukesh Gupta

At KECC Metchosin, BC

 

The nine people who attended this Sunday afternoon meeting were able to take full advantage of the lovely outdoor setting in front of the main house. We sat in a circle with some turned away from the sun and some choosing to face the sun as well as the ocean and mountain views. We spoke of the teachings and philosophy of J. Krishnamurti relative to those of other non-dual “teachers” with whom we were familiar and found the conversation deepening spontaneously as we explored the nature of the (separate) self and its illusions or misunderstandings. If the self is an illusion, in what sense is it so? How does fear and anxiety arise in an illusory self and what are the elements and causes of such fear? The fear of death was broached. Is this fear based on the unreality of a manufactured ego self or identity which is always looking for security and a safe existence?

Some participants felt that it is important not to deny the reality of suffering around death and loss. Somehow these must be acknowledged and dealt with in a direct manner which does not seek to pretend that they are not real and needing to be included in our living. Such questioning of opposing points of view produced a lively examination of attitudes towards our lives and the content of our thoughts and feelings. Can we face the difficult, even brutal, realities of life and pain without dismissing them as mere projections of illusory thought? Some felt that such attention to the real problems of our lives was absolutely essential in approaching our lives honestly and without escape.

It seemed that somehow there was truth in the sharing of questions and insights. The process of attentive inquiring, along with present-moment presence and attention, seemed to be interesting and meaningful in its own way.

 

DB

Self-inquiry, August 20, 2023

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Self-inquiry

Sunday, August 20, 2023

With Mukesh Gupta

At KECC, Metchosin, BC

 

The nine people who attended this Sunday afternoon meeting were able to take full advantage of the lovely outdoor setting in front of the main house. We sat in a circle with some turned away from the sun and some choosing to face the sun as well as the ocean and mountain views. We spoke of the teachings and philosophy of J. Krishnamurti relative to those of other non-dual “teachers” with whom we were familiar and found the conversation deepening spontaneously as we explored the nature of the (separate) self and its illusions or misunderstandings. If the self is an illusion, in what sense is it so? How does fear and anxiety arise in an illusory self and what are the elements and causes of such fear? The fear of death was broached. Is this fear based on the unreality of a manufactured ego self or identity which is always looking for security and a safe existence?

Some participants felt that it is important not to deny the reality of suffering around death and loss. Somehow these must be acknowledged and dealt with in a direct manner which does not seek to pretend that they are not real and needing to be included in our living. Such questioning of opposing points of view produced a lively examination of attitudes towards our lives and the content of our thoughts and feelings. Can we face the difficult, even brutal, realities of life and pain without dismissing them as mere projections of illusory thought? Some felt that such attention to the real problems of our lives was absolutely essential in approaching our lives honestly and without escape.

It seemed that somehow there was truth in the sharing of questions and insights. The process of attentive inquiring, along with present-moment presence and attention, seemed to be interesting and meaningful in its own way.

 

DB

Self-inquiry, August 16, 2023

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Self-inquiry

With Mukesh Gupta

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

At Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion

 

Ten of us were present for this dialogue meeting in Victoria sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and guided by our visitor from India, Mukesh Gupta. We began with a silent meditation which was followed by an introduction to the process of self-inquiry and the use of a “dialogue format which encourages learning about our physical and ‘spiritual” nature as we interact within a group. As Mukesh mentioned, this also includes learning about the source of our sorrows and sufferings.

Mukesh proposed a question which might be of value in focusing our attention in a beneficial way: “What is learning?” he asked. Learning usually means memorising facts, adding to our knowledge, and thereby reproducing ourselves, but is there another kind of learning like that which took place in us as children? We then were involved in alert and fresh observation and listening which was non-mechanical. It did not maintain its freshness as we grew older, however. Now we tend to see, hear, and feel through images, indirectly. Is it possible for us to return to a more direct seeing and listening which dissolves the conditioned ways of our thinking?

Are we still learning or have we become stuck in old patterns, blocks, and complacencies? It was suggested that there may be a question of being overly concerned about ourselves, which involves fear and the seeking of pleasure. We took some time to consider the anxiety about the loss of self, which many have to face. One participant shared a personal example of such an experience.

We then explored in some depth the process of labelling our experiences rather than staying with them to see what they reveal. There is a tendency to escape uncomfortable feelings by eating food or by other ways of hiding our feelings. Can this be seen as it takes place? Can there be an “unlearning” which brings us back to the fluidity of life and makes living from love more available?

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, August 13, 2023

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Self-inquiry

Sunday, August 13 2023

With Mukesh Gupta

Krishnamurti Educational Centre, Metchosin, BC

 

Nine people were in attendance for this Sunday afternoon meeting at the Esquimalt Gorge park Pavilion. Mukesh Gupta began the session with his usual guided relaxing meditation, followed by an introduction to the self-inquiry process that we usually engage with. He asked us to bring forward any fundamental question that is significant to us in our lives at the present time so that we can look at its challenges, discuss the issues, and learn about ourselves from our investigation as a group. To go deeply into such exploration requires a quality of silence and quietness in our minds, Mukesh said – a deep quality or ground of listening from the heart, not merely from the thinking mind. This involves qualities of love and compassion, including non-judgement of others and ourselves. Each moment is important, not just some future goal or resolution, and we are invited to focus on what is most alive in us and what is existential rather than intellectual.

One question that can open up our exploration is to inquire what brought each of us to this particular meeting, especially if we are new to this type of dialogue within the context of looking at the teachings of J. Krishnamurti. An issue that arose in asking this question was the sense of separateness, with its loneliness and isolation, that almost all of us experience from time to time (or more often). We discussed how our identification as individuals and members of separate groups can both create a sense of fragmentation as well as a feeling of togetherness. Is the feeling of separateness or fragmentation a construct of thought?

We explored the possibility that by observing or watching the way thought creates fragmentation, this could bring about a diminishment of the feeling of separateness and consequently a greater sense of wholeness and harmony between people. An awareness of the mind as well as the body could generate a state of Presence which gives less importance to images and to a focus on the separate self which feels isolated and apart. The possibility of being a “nobody” was raised and given serious attention. The actuality of such a happening was explored but, at the same time, some people seemed to feel that the discussion was becoming too abstract and “intellectual”. It was not clear to what extent this was seen as a limitation in the dialogue, but it seemed that participants had varying degrees of appreciation of the way the group dialogue had unfolded.

DB

Self-inquiry, August 9, 2023

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Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

Esquimalt Gorge Park, Victoria, BC

 

Only three participants showed up for this Wednesday afternoon meeting at the Gorge Park pavilion in Esquimalt. The session began with a guided meditation, led by David, exploring what happens in the mind when it is faced with a situation where there is nothing to be done other than to simply be present in the moment and to observe the reactions of thought when there is almost nothing going on to fill the emptiness of silent inactivity. How does thought respond to the presence of nothingness? How does it attempt to fill the space experienced when one is intensely aware of the “darkness” or “void” within when one pays attention to what is happening in one’s consciousness when there is no need to be active or productive in any way? Does thought go into a state of resistance to that emptiness or does it come to rest in a profound silence and peacefulness? We found it very interesting to contemplate such possibilities in the group.

We found that judgments would arise at times about our experience and what “should” be taking place in us as opposed to what was actually happening. This then led to a discussion of “what is” and “what should be” and how those opposites were spoken of by J. Krishnamurti in his lifetime. We spoke of some of our readings of K in which he appeared to be critical of people close to him and to justify such criticism, which we found to be sometimes surprising and out of character for such a highly developed human being. We looked at the phenomenon from a few different perspectives and decided that his basic message was to look at and understand oneself above all.

The dialogue was rather an unusual one, but we all seemed to find it interesting and valuable.

 

DB