Archive for category: Event Summaries

Self-inquiry with Ralph Tiller and David Bruneau

Thursday, October 24, 2024

Esquimalt Park Pavilion

Victoria, BC, Canada

Sponsored by KECC

 

Only three people were present for this meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and located at the lovely Esquimalt Park in Esquimalt, British Columbia. Ralph commented that sometimes smaller meetings can be more profound and indeed we did find the meeting to be interesting and meaningful. We began with a reading from The Book of Life: Meditations with Krishnamurti which we found to be quite powerful in expressing some of K’s ideas about the “Detriment to Change” presented by knowledge and the seeking by “a centre” of personal satisfaction when the mind must be “free from the known.”

The dialogue began with a silent period wherein it was suggested we take the opportunity to observe the movements of the mind. After the silence we discussed a few subjects such as questioning vs. non-questioning and the history of belief and stories promoting it. Belief has brought people together and at the same time separated them. One of the most significant beliefs has been the idea of the “me” as a separate individual and it seems that the source of the world’s problems is the accepted idea that we are all separate individuals.

We talked about the use of koans in Zen practice which sometimes enabled a jumping out of the mind and a “going beyond”.

Exploring Ourselves with Jackie McInley  

Saturday, October 19, 2024 

Zoom Online Meeting 

 

Eight people were present for this meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. After the usual period of silence it was suggested that we might wish to explore the phenomenon of fear, especially as we had gone somewhat deeply into it in previous meetings. The idea raised many questions. Is fear owned by an individual or can it be a shared experience? Is it an expression of egotism or is that an accusation or judgement? It was noted that fear can manipulate people and participants started to admit some of their own fear. We looked at a number of forms that fear could take and the elements of its structure. The desire to continue in one’s self-identity was acknowledged as a cause of fear. Jackie brought up the interesting possibility of being with fear without really knowing anything about it. There is the fear we know about and are aware of and the fear we are not. There may be a kind of paralysis which comes with fear and humanity itself may be held in this state. It was asked if fear is the most fundamental issue we must deal with, which would give it a depth of importance. It may be that love is as important as fear and we may need to look deeply at fear in order to be with love. 

Many questions arose as we continued to look at the issues: 

• What is it like when fear takes precedence? 

• Are fear and love mutually exclusive?  

• How do we navigate these questions? 

• How do we look at fear without getting overwhelmed? 

• One participant was feeling angry about the fear she was feeling. 

• What are the differences between real danger and psychological fear? 

• How much is imagination involved with fear? 

• What is the Void if there is no fear?  

• Is fear and identity the same thing? 

• Fear is related to time, the future, avoidance, belonging, loss, and security. Money can be a source of fear 

• When faced with the true insecurity of existence a feeling of instability is experienced. There is a sense that anything can happen, which is the ”true nature” of everything. 

 

     DB 

Self-inquiry 

With Cynthia Overweg 

October 10, 2024 

Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion 

Esquimalt, BC 

 

This meeting was sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and was held at the Gorge Park Pavilion in Esquimalt with Cynthia Overweg as facilitator. There were eight of us present to enjoy the lovely setting of the pavilion. Cynthia began with thoughts about peace and the suffering of human life. We must be at peace in ourselves, she said, in order to address the issue of peace in the world. Must we not discover how we interact with the rest of the world and how we create suffering? There must be inner peace before there can be outer peace. 

Why should we even care about peace? A powerful response may arise in us but then fade away before long. The situation is very complex. Can we respond in small ways that can make a difference? Can the “new brain” of which Krishnamurti speaks emerge from the old, violent brain? What kind of life do we really want to live? Can differences become less meaningful and love be more predominant? Can we see what we and others really are? Can we love each other? Can we address our fear? Can we do so without being overwhelmed by our situation? How we meet with “what is” is highly significant. Can we act without being attached to the outcomes of our actions? Although self-orientation may be difficult to move beyond, self-awareness is the beginning of compassion. “Seeing” is the essence: we must really look! 

 

DB 

Self-inquiry 

With Cynthia Overweg 

October 3, 2024 

At Esquimalt Park Pavilion 

Victoria, BC 

 

Five people in total were present for this meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and facilitated by Cynthia Overweg. Cynthia and Ralph introduced Cynthia and the programs she would be offering, followed by a short meditation guided by Cynthia and focused on awareness of the breath, then including awareness of the body and any tensions being experienced. It was suggested that such attention brings a different quality of awareness and energy. The floor was then opened to any questions or issues participants wished to explore within the group context. The topics that were brought forward for discussion were as follows: 

• One group member said that she was happy just to be 

• Another was interested in exploring the mutation of the mind spoken of by Krishnamurti 

• It was suggested that with attention change happens by itself. 

• Open curiosity about learning 

• What is dominating our experience at any moment and can we allow our experience to be and to move through different spaces inwardly and outwardly? 

• Being together with others can elicit a sense of unity which can feel quite blissful 

• Are we following a path or more entering a state of open awareness? 

 

DB 

Self-inquiry with Hillary Rodrigues 

Sunday, September 29, 2024 

At KECC Metchosin, BC 

 

Eight people attended this Sunday afternoon meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Centre of Canada. Four of them were new to self-inquiry meetings. It was a lovely day, with weather enabling us to sit out on the front lawn in front of the main house. It was the last meeting for the time-being that will be facilitated by Hillary. After a silent period the meeting was opened to questions and observations. Some participants shared that, for them, Krishnamurti had been difficult to understand but also very valuable and interesting for the exploration of deeper ideas about life and living. 

Hillary outlined some ways of paying attention to both the outer and the inner responses that arise in daily existence. The challenge of the chattering mind was mentioned along with the counter-productive nature of attempting to control it. The “practice” of noticing the activities of thought and feeling was said to be very interesting and valuable in the understanding and transformative power of observing the actions of our conditioned selves and gaining insight into our patterns of behaviour. There was a good deal of discussion about the significance of “seeing” in Krishnamurti’s teachings. Hillary concluded the session with the statement that one of our most challenging issues is the factor of time, both in the realm of the clock and in the psychological sense. 

Participants commented that the dialogue had been very useful for them in the pursuit of “truth” and the study of K’s message. 

 

DB