The Urgency of Change Dialogue Group Meeting, August 15, 2021

The Urgency of Change Dialogue Group

Sunday, August 15, 2021

Zoom Online

     Nine participants attended this month’s gathering, with a few alerting us they would be involved with necessary activities and unable to be present. The meeting began with a guided meditation exploring the quality of attention to the “outer” and the “inner” suggested by Krishnamurti in his talks and writings. We then focused on the chosen readings for the month, beginning with the chapter entitled “Dependence” near the end of the Krishnamurti book The Urgency of Change. K enters into a discussion of the topic with a “questioner” and brings up the issue of attachment and resistance. We alternatively read passages from the text and then explored the questions, observations, and experiences that group members were moved to share related to their own study of the chapter. A dialogue took place that was quite alive and seemingly not without some conflict, which was absorbed into the movement of the inquiry. We looked at the issue of attachment to objects, to ideas and concepts, as well as to people and relationships. This involves possessiveness in different forms.

     Krishnamurti points out in the chapter that, although attachment gives rise to various problems and to pain, the solution is not to become detached. Neither attachment or detachment brings the freedom that we feel is necessary for living without division and the conflict of opposites. Both are forms of resistance. What is necessary is a flow of life like a river without any boulders. It was suggested that each of us must do the inquiry into our true nature that dissolves the barriers to the natural “flow” and awakens a life of harmony. These truths were explored and expanded in a number of ways by the participants, sometimes with a sense of resonance and sometimes less so. It was suggested that we can be in a continuous process of looking, listening, and learning about ourselves, and that our interactions can be fuel for the seeing and insight that is the essence of that process. It was asked if we can be both individuals and, at the same time, a “part” of an undivided reality. Although the ideas may have been expressed in slightly different words, these were some of the issues we investigated and which seemed to be valuable to explore. It is not easy to describe precisely all the elements of such a meeting that is alive and spontaneous.

     We had planned to look into the chapter headed “Fear” because of its close links with the “Dependence” chapter, but there was not enough time to do so. It would probably be appropriate to tackle the “Fear” chapter at our next meeting in September.

July 21st Westcoast Stillness Within Meetup – Nisargadatta (virtual gathring)

Posting a few notes from the meetup last month:

A handful of us got together on July 21st for a virtual exploration of Nisargadatta Maharaj’s key discoveries about the nature of self, existence and reality. The concepts were challenging yet somehow also familiar to each of us in different ways. This practice of exploring our direct experience with curiosity and an open mind, is something that Krishnamurti celebrated – suggesting that: [i]In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself[/i].

For ten or so minutes, we listened to https://krishnamurti-canada.ca consisting of a series of quotes from Nisargadattta’s book I Am That, and then explored whether/how these concepts resonated or felt aligned with our current experience.

The quotes were somewhat like koans, and for me, once the mind stopped stretching to grasp, there was a sweet echo of something known – once the seeming ‘knower’ melted into its own futility. A few of these quotes follow – included as an invitation here now to sit with each one for a few moments before reading the next:

[center][i]“You are beyond the experiencer, ever unborn and ever deathless.”
“What comes and goes has no being.”
“The Absolute precedes time; the Absolute is.”
“Both the subject and the object exist in you, but you are neither.”[/i][/center]

We followed our debrief/sharing with a practice called Group Awareness, sinking in to our source of awareness even more fully.

Thanks to the group for showing up, and leaning into their own direct experience in such a powerful way! And thanks to Krishnamurti Centre of Canada for their support for these meetups.

P.S. Feel free to chime in if this topic resonates in any way…

The Ending of Time, July 22 – 25, 2021

The Ending of Time

July 22 – 25, 2021

Zoom Online

 

This four-part workshop was presented by Mukesh Gupta from Varanasi, India, over four days. The focus of inquiry was the text The Ending of Time, a collection of conversations between J. Krishnamurti and renowned physicist Davi Bohm in which they explore in a number of meetings the possibility and importance of ending psychological time or ending the effort to become something one is not. Including the facilitator and staff, the event was attended by nineteen people.

Mukesh began by introducing the book and the relationship between Krishnamurti and David Bohm. He also explained that the material discussed in the text was very challenging and demanding, perhaps likely to bring students to a point of “not-knowing” or feeling unable to move in any direction towards meaningful answers to the questions raised by the two dialoguers. This, he said, may not be a bad thing at all. Mukesh made it clear that he is always learning about these deep issues and is not to be considered an authority.

The first question raised in the text is whether mankind at some point made a mistake in its understanding of life and has been suffering ever since from the results of it. After some inquiry, it was seen that the origin of the problem may not be so important but, rather, the mistake that thought is making every time it conceives of life, the world, and the self in terms of duality and separateness. The mistaken belief that we are all separate from each other and from the world Is the basis for our psychological suffering. This is not rational thinking; it creates division and conflict in all areas of life. K, David Bohm, Mukesh, and presumably the rest of us, are asking whether this false division in our thinking can be seen clearly and thereby dissolved. Thought could then take its right place in our lives.

Over the four days of the workshop a number of interrelated questions and issues were explored in addressing the core issue of going beyond the psychological self and its constructs or beliefs. Can there be an understanding or insight into the nature of thought and from that a living in freedom from fear and conflict? This was explored from different angles in smaller groups and the whole group together. And then there was the question raised by K and Bohm as to whether there is a “Ground” which is beyond the self and even beyond the ‘universal mind”. This seemed to stretch our capacities of comprehension but possibly awakened a sense of intensity in the inquiry. Can there be a depth and intensity of listening to another and to oneself that can open a door to that which is beyond the limited egoic self? When thought is silent at its core, then another form of intelligence may be able to act within our daily existence and a flowering of a life without division and conflict may take place. This does not happen through control and effort but, rather, through observation and insight.

It was a very interesting and “hopefully” fruitful exercise in dialogue and inquiry and we thank Mukesh for the dedication required to create such an experience. Thanks also to the participants for joining as co-creators of the happening.

The Urgency of Change Dialogue Group, July 18, 2021

The Urgency of Change Dialogue Meeting

July 18, 2021

Zoom Online

Seven of us were present for this Sunday gathering, the relatively small turnout probably owing to the attraction of various summer activities. One of our group members had suggested at the previous meeting that we discuss the important topic of “authority” as presented by Krishnamurti in his teachings, and we decided to take a little detour into The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti, with particular focus on the January 7 – 22 selections. These passages were considered to explore the subject of authority more fully than the chapters in our regular chosen text, The Urgency of Change. In The Book of Life, K talks about not only the authority we invest in others as a result of our desire to be told what to do, to have a sense of security and certainty in our lives, but he also addresses the authority we assign to ourselves as someone who “knows”. This kind of knowing, which involves the past through memory, can never adequately meet the movement of life as it unfolds moment to moment. There is knowledge, which supports the egoic self with its collections of concepts and ideas largely based on conditioning, and then there is a very different kind of knowing or wisdom which comes from clear perception or insight in the present moment and guides our lives in a way that is freshly unfolding as we live with a choiceless awareness of ourselves and the movement of our thoughts and feelings. This quality of attention may be what it is to be fully alive.

The session was opened with a guided meditation exploring some of the aspects of true “learning” as Krishnamurti spoke of it. We then stayed with the topic of learning and the differences between thought and pure seeing. The group inquiry touched on a number of subtle points concerning the refinement with which we can observe our tendencies to create and defend our sense of self. There can be an alert awareness of how we ascribe authority both outwardly and inwardly in our daily functioning. Ultimately, as K points out, there must be an emptying of the contents of our consciousness in order to respond fully to the movement of life. We discussed how this emptiness is not an ideal to be achieved. It is, rather, the dissolving effect of attentive looking and listening as they are lived moment to moment. The group sharing and exploration was rich and seemingly valuable to the participants.

Self Study Meeting, July 4, 2021

Self Study Meeting

July 4, 2021

Zoom Online

 

Twelve participants in total were present for this Sunday online gathering. The focus of study was intended to be the February 17 – 21 selections from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti. These are passages from K’s talks and writings on the subject of action without thought. It is a somewhat challenging section of the book. We opened with a short guided meditation exploring the possibility of a simple perceiving of the activities of the mind, including feelings and sensations, which does not enter into the complexities of discursive thinking as we approach core issues of human consciousness. When the meeting was then opened to interaction within the group there were a few participants with very definite ideas that they apparently wished to have acknowledged or understood by others. Many of these ideas were perhaps of value and could have been a foundation for a very fruitful inquiry, but the intensity with which they were expressed made it difficult to engage in the kind of sensitive and tentative dialogue that Krishnamurti seems to recommend. There was a degree of argument and defensiveness that sometimes felt contrary to the spirit of dialogue, which requires an open listening. On the other hand, some people felt that there was value in the way the discussion progressed despite the focus wandering away from the actual text. A greater focus on the written material was suggested by some to be desirable and will most likely be more emphasized in future meetings.

The Art of Seeing with Cynthia Overweg, June 25 – 27, 2021

“The Art of Seeing” with Cynthia Overweg

June 25 – 27, 2021

Zoom Online

This series of three presentations by Cythia Overweg from Ojai, California, was attended by between twelve and fourteen persons in total each session. Cynthia combined talks on the teachings of J. Krishnamurti with periods of quiet meditation, breath and bodily awareness, silence, and music. She also invited questions and feedback from the attendees. She intends to create a space of focused attention in which what K is saying may be understood through direct seeing and self-observation. “Seeing”, she stated, is central to Krishnamurti’s teachings and warrants a deep immersion in his explanation of its nature. When true seeing takes place there is no separation between the observer and the observed. The mind is quiet and there is a transformation.

According to K, “the act of seeing is the only truth; there is nothing else.” Seeing is the perennial transformation spoken of by many sages. Watching ourselves, Cynthia said, is fascinating and it opens the door to the “immeasurable”. With self-understanding comes love. Why do we not see? K explains that our mind is not free but is occupied with self-interest. To find freedom we must learn what the mind is doing and be sensitive to all the activities of thought.

Cynthia made use of many quotes from K’s writings and talks along with quotes from other sages down the ages. The truth of what others have said must be confirmed by ourselves in our own self-examination. She explored the topic of seeing in some depth over the three presentations and then summarized the main points in the last presentation with an outline of the steps involved in laying the foundation of self-transformation.

– There must be awareness of ourselves in “the mirror of relationship.”

– We must learn to see with our whole being.

– Meditation is the purging of the mind of its self-centred activity.

– The silent mind is open to receive the immeasurable, which is indescribable.

There is an apparent contradiction when K says that the foundation can be laid instantly and also that it takes a lifetime of work. The contradiction can be resolved in our own inquiry when it is seen that both points are true.

Cynthia brought the series of three meetings to a close with the questions “What is your relationship with what you see?” and “What is your relationship with silence?” Good material for ongoing contemplation. It was a powerful and valuable meditation on core teachings about “the miracle of seeing,” and it seems certain that participants left with many valuable insights having taken place.

The Urgency of Change Dialogue Group Meeting, June 20, 2021

The Urgency of Change Dialogue Group Meeting

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Zoom Online

Five members of the group informed us that they would not be able to attend this meeting for various reasons to do with summer-time activities, birthdays, and so on. There were nine of us in attendance. The focus for this meeting was to consider any questions or insights still alive from our previous gathering related to the chapters “Perception” and “Suffering” and then to move into a study of the chapter entitled “The Mind and the Heart”. All selections were from The Urgency of Change by J. Krishnamurti. There were some issues from the first chapters that still were of interest to some participants. “What does it mean to perceive totally?” provoked some valuable inquiry which touched on the idea that the whole of life is present in each moment, as stated by Krishnamurti in the text. There was some questioning of whether there is any such thing as “moments” or is there, rather, an undivided flow of life which cannot be separated into moments. Some valuable discussion of the nature of suffering arose before we moved on to the chapter on mind and heart, which again provoked a good deal of significant inquiry. There was a sense that the dialogue was touching into a number of subtle and deep points in our exploration of ourselves and that it was looking into important and essential questions about the functioning of consciousness. We spent a good deal of time exploring the concept of “negation”, which has a central place in Krishnamurti’s teachings.

The opening guided meditation introduced the challenge of approaching what often appears to be complicated ideas with simplicity and a direct seeing of “what is”. The subject came back into the discussion a number of times and seemed to have a definite significance. It was a valuable journey of self-knowledge apparently enjoyed by all present.

Nonduality: An Experiential Journey with GP Walsh

“Nonduality: An Experiential Journey” with GP Walsh

June 12, 2021

Zoom Online

This Saturday morning session with spiritual teacher GP Walsh was attended by twenty-one people in total. GP has offered a number of presentations through the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada over the last few years, in each case attracting a good number of interested students who have always seemed to very much enjoy his communication style. He began and ended the session with guided meditations focusing on the simple sense of being that is always present, the “non-phenomenal” knowing which brings a sense of a reality which is undivided. GP spoke of the Buddha and Krishnamurti, with their shared challenge in speaking of knowing ourselves when we cannot describe ourselves. They both said that we can only discover ourselves for ourselves and not through the knowledge of another. What we actually are has no subject-object dualism. The two spiritual giants sought the source and cure of suffering, which lies not in the experience of suffering but in the one experiencing it. As soon as we say ‘this shouldn’t be happening” we begin to suffer. Trying to control life only creates suffering. On the other hand, Krishnamurti says “I don’t mind what happens.”

After a presentation of roughly an hour, with some questions from the audience, GP opened the floor for further questions. The first question considered the apparent contradiction between spiritual inquiry and the performance of duties demanded by society. GP suggested we ask “who” or “what” is playing the human roles in life. It will be seen that there is actually no self or person performing the roles: there is just an emptiness, an indefinable movement of life. It is a recognition that what we are is the emptiness and not the personal identity or the images projected by thought, which is the source of all our problems. It was asked how we can know the difference between good and evil actions. GP replied that the Emptiness that we truly are is inherently discerning. If we ask what is the most loving thing to do, which is the vital question of each moment, the answer is an inner knowing of the heart. And we learn as we go.

Another questioner asked why the penny doesn’t drop completely or why is the understanding not totally realized for most of us. This opened a good deal of discussion and inquiry into “knowing” and “Being” and the belief in a separate self. As soon as a separate self is believed in, we begin to suffer. We can ask what appearances arise in and what remains when they depart. All preferences can be seen as arbitrary, which activates a letting go of attachment and, therefore, brings freedom.

It was another illuminating meeting with GP and the inquiring participants who joined the event.

Self Study Meeting, June 6, 2021

Self Study Meeting

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Zoom online

     Fifteen people, all included, were in attendance for this Sunday session online to share questions and insights related to the suggested reading from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti. The readings were focused on selected material from K’s talks and writings on the subject of “Belief”. David opened the meeting with a guided meditation exploring Krishnamurti’s idea of “total attention without effort” and the capacity to observe our thoughts and feelings without the belief that they are a true and accurate representation of who or what we actually are. And if our thoughts are believed to be real and true, can that be seen and, in the seeing, questioned. Can there be an observing of thoughts, including any doubts and fears, “negative” or “positive” ideas, without giving them the authority of truth? Can there be a “choiceless awareness” which awakens a different kind of knowing other than intellectual analysis?

     After the meditation and some discussion the floor was opened to participants who wished to share what was significant for them in the February 9 – 16 readings. Some interesting questions and responses were shared related to the material, along with some overly long and repetitive monologues and then some seemingly assertive (perhaps even aggressive and confrontational) commentaries by a couple of individuals. It was somewhat challenging to keep the meeting on a friendly basis when frustration was being felt in the group with some of the communication styles. Hopefully there was benefit in observing our reactions as revelations of the activities of “self”. There is always value in the activity of self-inquiry.

 

The Transformation of Consciousness, May 29 – 30, 2021

Meditative Self-Inquiry: The Transformation of Consciousness

With Mukesh Gupta

May 29 – 30, 2021

Zoom online

This was the final session of the spring series on “meditative self-inquiry” presented by Mukesh Gupta and sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. Eleven people (all included) were in attendance. The Saturday meeting featured a presentation by Mukesh covering quite widely the subject of the transformation of consciousness as Krishnamurti spoke of it in his teachings. Mukesh clearly stated that he was presenting his own understanding of the teachings and not claiming to be an ultimate authority on what K has said. He soon asked the question, “What is consciousness?” According to his understanding of K, there is no consciousness as we know it without the contents, which are our experiences, thoughts, memories, knowledge, desires and fears. There may be something else when consciousness is emptied of its content, but normally we only know it through conflict between fragments, between one desire and another, between what is and what should be (the ideal). There is the conflict between “me” and my experiences, the thinker and the thought, the observer and the observed. K asked if there is a separate “I”, or is the “I” merely a thought and therefore, in a sense, an illusion or unreal. What can be done about this sense of separation that creates all our suffering and problems psychologically speaking? Is there anything to be done other than to be completely still with it? Transformation cannot happen through effort, thought, idea, or desire. There must, rather, be a seeing of the patterns of thought and division. This seeing is the ending of conflict. The nature of this seeing includes the facts of no observer or “past baggage”, no psychological time or effort (which is futile), and no motive. It is not part of thought and is therefore free of time and conflict. Seeing is also supreme action, negation, intelligence, love, and transformation. The false drops away when seen. Supreme discontentment is necessary in this self-inquiry process.

The second half of the meeting was open for questions and comments from participants. There seemed to be some difficulties in fully comprehending what K is actually meaning and applying it to everyday life, so there was a good deal of discussion of finer points of the presentation. The meeting on Sunday continued with the same number of people and further group exploration of the same and similar issues, partly in the form of a breakout into two smaller groups. The breakout allowed for a more intimate and engaged sharing, which apparently was enjoyed by participants. Being with emotions such as anger was looked into along with what it means to be aware. At the end of the meeting Mukesh recommended two Krishnamurti books as being very helpful: The Wholeness of Life, and Truth and Actuality. It was a fruitful and enjoyable weekend of inquiry.