Archive for category: Event Summaries

To Be Human: Examining the Core of the Teachings

With Javier Gomez Rodriguez

Sunday, October 9, 2022

Zoom Online

This was the fourth in a series of six sessions hosted by Javier from the Netherlands via Zoom. The series is an examination of the short summary written by J. Krishnamurti outlining what he felt was the core of his teachings. In this presentation Javier discussed the section of the summary he entitled “Freedom”. There was a total of twelve participants in attendance.

Javier began with a brilliant analysis of the history of freedom on the outer level (which is limited and temporary), then moved to the inner dimension of freedom which was Krishnamurti’s main interest. For K, freedom was a factor of perception and is to be found in the “mirror of relationship”. The key is observation, which must be engaged by each individual. The images and ideas used by thought in seeking security are the problem from which there must be freedom – freedom from the content of consciousness or “the known”. When there is no limitation in consciousness engendered by the known then there is “love” and “freedom”. Where conditioning is operative there is no freedom. As Krishnamurti said, “freedom is pure observation without direction”. This means observation without motivation and is described by K as “choiceless awareness” (of the movements of thought or of the reactions of the human psyche).

Javier asked a number of deep questions about the issue of freedom. Can we choose to be free, to be kind, or to behave in a certain way? Is choice an expression of confusion, as K maintained? Is it freedom when we identify with people or ideas, when we have preferences, likes, and dislikes? Is perception shaped by our conditioning and are our images and concepts always partial and fragmentary? Javier’s exposition lasted about forty-five minutes, after which he opened the session to group discussion, which produced further interesting questions and insights. Aspects of freedom explored were as follows:

– Freedom is at the beginning, in the moment, in perception now, before thought interferes or takes control.

– Choiceless awareness is the space of freedom.

– “Freedom from” is different than “freedom” itself.

– Freedom is in emptiness, silence, nothingness, and in the place where we are not, which is also “love”.

– Freedom involves seeing things “properly”.

It was a harmonious session imbued with an atmosphere of cooperation and friendliness. There will be more to investigate at our next meeting in two weeks “time”.

Who Am I? Finding the Truth of Who You Really Are

With Kathy White

September 23 – 25, 2022

This workshop presented a weekend of The Work of Byron Katie and was guided by Kathy White, certified facilitator, Art Psychotherapist, and yoga teacher. Kathy lived in the spiritual community of Findhorn in Scotland for 23 years and now works from her home on Vancouver Island. In this online event, attended by twelve persons in all, participants were invited to use a form of self-inquiry (called The Work of Byron Katie) as a tool to “meditate on any stressful identities” they are holding, whether involving work, family, or friends. They may find freedom and may access who they are beyond identifications. The Work, a simple yet radical tool of self-inquiry, has been used for the past thirty years by thousands of people all over the world. Using four questions and “turnarounds”, you inquire into the thoughts that are causing you stress in your life and may find many of those thoughts falling away and no longer of value.

The format of the workshop was a combination of full group interaction and smaller “brakeout” pairings of two inquirers which allowed for more precise and intimate explorations. Some participants were relatively more experienced than others in the method and others less so. It seemed that everyone had a meaningful experience and appreciation for the learning and insights was widely expressed at the end of the event.

To Be Human

With Javier Rodrigues

Sunday, September 11, 2022

Zoom Online

This was the third of four sessions comprising the “To Be Human” series of presentations by Javier being transmitted from his place of residence in the Netherlands. There were thirteen of us in attendance for this investigation of Krishnamurti’s attempt to summarise clearly the essence of his teachings in a short booklet entitled The Core of the Teachings. The exploration of this particular segment of the booklet Javier chose to call “Examining the Common Consciousness of Mankind”.  He began with what he considered to be the main points of the section, Krishnamurti’s insights regarding how the human mind creates the content of its consciousness through images, which are hoped to provide security but in fact end up creating division between human beings. Security in images is a contradiction. Man is not an individual as the contents of his consciousness are shared with all other men or women. The way thought projects “the known” – knowledge, memory, and experience – was explored in some depth, including the fragmentation of such activity and the limitation of the resulting “me” entity which then feels separate and isolated. The paradoxes of separateness and shared humanity were looked at along with Krishnamurti’s well-known saying that “you are the world and the world is you.” When the truth of this statement is realised then there is an intelligent response to life and compassion arises. True freedom and uniqueness are only possible for the human being who is free of the content of his consciousness. Some time was spent with these and other rather challenging ideas, including the question of an agent or entity behind consciousness and the different quality of wholeness that is felt when we go beyond identification with thought.

After about an hour the group was opened to shared discussion or dialogue. The first question inquired into “What is the meaning of oneness and how is it to be realised?” This was followed by a question about trauma, the genuine need for love, and the art of being with difficult feelings. A number of other complex issues were brought forward including the importance of being vulnerable to our conditioning, our subconscious hurts, and that which is authentic in us. Krishnamurti’s emphasis on dissolving the distinction between the observer and the observed and the impact of such an action was debated for some minutes with some contrary perspectives expressed.

As usual, Javier guided the dialogue skillfully (and sometimes humorously) and it seemed the meeting was enjoyed by the participants.

DB

Death, Love, and Time August 26 – 28, 2022 With Hillary Rodrigues Zoom Online   We were very pleased to have Hillary Rodrigues join us for another of his numerous presentations sponsored annually by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. As a professor of religious studies, he brings an interesting and valuable blend of academic […]

To Be Human, Session 2: The World of Images

With Javier Gomez Rodriguez

August 14, 2022

Zoom Online

Javier joined us from the Netherlands to continue with our second exploration of Krishnamurti’s short summary of his teachings in the booklet The Core of the Teachings. The summary was requested of K by his biographer Mary Lutyens. There were fifteen participants in total in attendance at the meeting.

Javier began with a clear introduction of the section on “images”, which includes ideas, concepts, and beliefs. Krishnamurti regularly made mention in his talks and writings about the use made of images by the human consciousness in its attempts to find security. Attachment to images as well as the denial of images are equally violent, leading to nationalism and conflict on both social and personal levels. “Is the psyche bound by our self-images?’ Javier asked. Images become symbols with which we identify and which create limitations in our seeing or perceiving. Our desire for security prevents questioning of our concepts, beliefs, and conclusions.

The issue of relationships and images was discussed in some detail. Am I related to you or to my image of you? And I also have an image of myself. These images end up destroying the security we are seeking. They create division, which in turn creates conflict. Images of what we should be prevent us from facing the fact of what we are, to which Krishnamurti gives great significance with its power to transform us. We must learn to look at ourselves without the image.

The last half of the meeting was given to group discussion or dialogue. Group members asked a number of pointed questions such as “What is real security and where is it to be found?” Is security found in going beyond images and communing in our humanity? Is there a certain security in doing as we are expected to do or is conformity of no value? The questions posed by the group members came finally to a final inquiry: Is it possible to be free of images?

DB