Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 28, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry 

With Mukesh Gupta 

Sunday, July 28, 2024 

At KECC Metchosin 

 

Mukesh opened this afternoon session with a period of silence, then revealed that he would like to explore the core of J. Krishnamurti’s teachings. What is the key? he asked, to approaching the source of any problem we face, no matter what the issue? How we approach any problem depends on understanding the source of it. This requires attention, but what exactly is attention? Concentration is not needed, Thought based on memory is not required. A different kind of energy is needed. What is it? How we listen to ourselves is crucial. Are we listening now, not just to the words but to the space that is quiet and attentive? From this inner space we can listen, we can relax into the problem so it can be observed and understood. This attention is the only energy that is beyond conditioning. 

Sixteen people in total were present for the meeting held on a sunny and windless afternoon. Mukesh asked us to move slowly as we shared our perceptions. Again he asked the question, “What is attention?” If we are not looking from the mind, then what is asking the question? Is it not that what is asking  the question and seeking the answer is in fact not definable? But, one participant commented, one quality required is “interest”. There must be a not-knowingness, a quality of the unknown. A constant watchfulness stops the thinking and a sense of leisure is part of this awareness. We are looking for something – happiness – that is already here, like a fish seeking water. Without attention how can we relate to another, to life? Is there a different space, a simple space of silence? Is there any purpose or any answer? Even non-silence is not a problem. 

Attention is not just mindfulness, Mukesh pointed out. It has compassion and love in it. Can there also be a great relaxation? Why is there so much self-protection in our attention? Surely, it is not a gradual process to achieve the qualities of love and compassion. In spite of that it may require a degree of security and there was a wondering if we ever find it entirely. Is grabbing at security like chasing a mirage? Is there any separation in attention, or is there harmony?  

Other questions that arose challenged the nature of thought itself, which seems to bring an army of problems. What happens when we stay with what is happening within us? There may be more needed than mere noticing. Can there be patience and urgency at the same time? 

 

It was a valuable afternoon 

 

DB 

Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 21,2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry

Sunday, July 21, 2024

With Mukesh Gupta

At KECC Metchosin

 

Ten people were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting with Mukesh Gupta at the Swanwick Road location in Metchosin. The meeting was sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and it began in the Gatehouse before it was decided to try sitting on the lawn in front of the main house. The change in location was enjoyed by most of the participants but a few were feeling cold towards the end of the session.

Mukesh began the meeting with a silent sit and a short introduction to the nature of self-inquiry. He said that in self-inquiry it is very important to slow down and to inhabit the space in a way that creates a togetherness. The process is more one of the “heart” than of the intellect. Listening from the space of the heart there is no limitation. We are exploring, or, rather, a shared space is exploring without judging. There is an inquiry into what is true in this moment. What is arising may be from the past but then the question is “how do we relate to it?” Do we judge “what is” as good or bad? Any judgement is a waste of energy, it was said. Pure observation was invited as the most effective and meaningful approach

Participants offered some descriptions of their state of mind when listening in a state of presence or in what some called “meditation”. States of “mind” were described as “high” or “low” energy and it was asked if such a variation was not natural. A distinction was made between the state of “becoming” and the state of “Being” or peacefulness where there is no effort to reach or achieve any particular state.

There was a sharing of being open to one’s own likes and dislikes within oneself and the flow from one personality to another where there might even be a sense of multiple personalities. It was said that the personality is “the known” and there is no freedom in that state. When there is a seeing of the personality then there is a dissolution, which brings some freedom. The state of Presence is the freedom from the personality. One group member emphasised that our true nature or essence is Divine and we must fully acknowledge that aspect of what we are.

We spoke of the truth of non-movement, of that which is prior to all movement and all arising. In that state there are no points of reference and no place to land on. There is neither this nor that. There is a state of beauty when one is beyond the mind.

Our explorations seemed sometimes difficult to follow and yet there seemed to be significant moments of “truth” and insight.

 

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 17, 2024

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Self Inquiry with Mukesh Gupta 

July 17, 2024 

At Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion 

1170 Tillicum Rd., 

Victoria, BC 

 

Nine people in total were in attendance at this Wednesday afternoon meeting with Mukesh Gupta at the Gorge Park Pavilion in Esquimalt. We began with a period of silence which was then followed by a reading and some comments emerging from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti. The selection was read by Mukesh. The quote from J. Krishnamurti was to the effect that there is no path to truth. Truth is to have an open and simple heart when there is not a fullness of the things of the mind but rather of the things of the heart. The mind must be empty and the heart full, whereas the opposite is usually the case.  

There followed some discussion which touched the interconnectedness between people and the presence of love, with a listening and a paying of attention to each other. It was said that words are not so relevant. What do we really wish to communicate? When the “me” is not dominant then there is an offering of attention and Presence. The “me” or “self” is suspended for the moment. 

Mukesh asked what is the tendency to get lost in the activities of the mind and why can we not put aside our concern with the “I”? It was suggested that the intensity of a question – the curiosity and passion with which it is asked – may be a crucial element in dealing effectively with the habitual tendencies of thought and the mind. On the other hand is it possible for the mind to be totally silent and aware so that all escape has disappeared? Can there be a state where the instrument that created the problem is not employed in transcending it? Can the death of the self be fully faced? 

It was quite a delicate inquiry, which was given a good deal of subtle attention and exploration by the group. 

 

DB 

 

Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 14, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry

July 14, 2024

With Mukesh Gupta

At KECC Metchosin, BC

 

Twelve people in total were present for this Sunday meeting at the Swanwick Road location of the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada. It was a lovely, sunny day which supported our sitting on the lawn in front of the Main House. The Meeting was started by Mukesh, our facilitator, asking for a period of silence during which participants could sink into a space of silent attention. He then gave a brief introduction to the principles of self-inquiry.

Self-inquiry, Mukesh explained, is not a debate where we exchange knowledge. We connect in a space of openness and compassionate communication which is beyond the words used and which may carry a sense of wonder. We are not looking for final answers to the problems of life and yet something deeper than conventional thinking may come into existence through our dialogue.

In recent sessions we had been making use of The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti as a resource to activate our explorations. The July 14 selection from the book was read aloud and opportunity was offered to share any questions or issues arising within our group with the reading and with our individual processes of self-inquiry. One person shared some questions about the difference between conscious and unconscious sorrow. There are innumerable forms of sorrow, she said, and without understanding sorrow there is suffering of various kinds, conscious and unconscious. When we speak of the ending of sorrow, we intend to end it at all levels of ourselves.

Mukesh pointed out that we must proceed very slowly and concisely. Firstly, he asked, how are we in contact with the unconscious sorrows? And how do we avoid them? There was some discussion of our desire to keep our self-images intact. It was deemed necessary to be “naked” to ourselves and to be willing to reveal ourselves to others and to ourselves. This brought in the issue of the separation we may usually feel between ourselves and others and questions were asked. Is the separation real? Can we do anything about it? How effective is it to observe how the mind constructs reality? Is the investigation into psychological sorrow optional or necessary? Is the core issue that we have lost the recognition of our divinity?

Mukesh introduced the role of attachment in our way of thinking and acting. We are attached in many ways to the forms of the body, the mind, and are also burdened by our own self-pity. Can there be a sorrow free from self-pity, one that can shift and change? What does it mean to really “be with” our feelings of sorrow? Can such awareness open a door to a deeper experience?

Our “time” ran out and the meeting was brought to an end. We engaged in friendly talk while enjoying some snacks before participants went their separate ways. It was a good gathering which was apparently enjoyed by most or all.

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 10, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

With Mukesh Gupta

At Esquimalt Gorge Park

 

Nine people attended this gathering on the Gorge Park grounds at a lovely outdoor setting to which some participants brought folding chairs and others blankets. We sat in a circle near the forest bordering the grassy field of the park and several comments were made about the suitable nature of the location. The meeting was sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada.

The facilitator for this gathering, Mukesh Gupta, led us in a period of silence which he described as a deep listening which has a universal nature in that all humans are likely to share whatever issues arise to be explored. When we give attention to what is being said we create a safe space in the here and now where we can be compassionate and sensitive with each other.

Mukesh asked one of the group if she would read the July 10 passage in The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti, the book we have been using to guide our group inquiries. The selection is titled “Acquiring Beliefs to Ward Off Pain” and in it K points out how we use the accumulation of beliefs in order to protect ourselves from pain both in the physical sense and the psychological. We do not want to be disturbed, so we resist the unknown, using knowledge to ward off pain. There was some discussion about the tendencies of the mind to hold on to accumulated identities or to create new ones. Can I create a satisfying life by organising my memories and my “past” in a way that forms a sense of security for myself? This question led to some inquiry into the issue of dealing with the “darkness” in ourselves. How do I experience myself if I do not hold on to my accumulated identities and attachments – and burdens? There is a fear of losing my “self”, which may not actually exist. Can we invite ourselves to step outside of the familiar, to abandon our past identities? When Krishnamurti was asked what is his secret, Mukesh reminded us, he replied “I don’t mind what happens”. A fundamental question that must be asked again and again, one group member shared, is the question “Who am I?” or “What is the I?” The past identity must be abandoned moment by moment.

It seemed that most participants found the inquiry to be interesting and fruitful. A good meeting!

 

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta July 7, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry

With Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, July 7, 2024

At Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Metchosin, BC

 

Nine people were present for this dialogue held on the front lawn of the Main House at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre in Metchosin, BC. It was a lovely sunny day with none of the recent winds which had been quite disturbing during our recent meetings at the Swanwick Road location. We began the session with a silent sit, followed by a sharing by Mukesh of the main principles of meditative self-inquiry which he described as a meeting in friendliness and “Presence” where the primary intention is to find what is “true” and false without resorting to comparative judgements. The deeper ground from which we can communicate is a deep listening from the “Heart”. There is no goal to be reached or which is known to the participants: we are walking together without knowing where we are going. We allow a natural gap between our words and anyone can raise a question. What is interesting to us in this moment. Mukesh asked.

One possible question that was proposed was related to the issue of inner transformation. What do we understand self-transformation to be? Where does such an inquiry begin? Does it start with a sense of discontent? Awareness of suffering may arise and initiate some questioning and inquiry. Our thinking may bring with it a sense of psychological suffering. Self-observation is then necessary and brings some insight and understanding. As we spoke of these matters a feeling of “love” began to be shared by all or most of the participants. There was a sense of non-separation within the group and of a deeper connection. It was a lovely experience of Being together.

DB

Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, July 3, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion

With Mukesh Gupta

 

Nine people were in attendance for this afternoon gathering at the lovely Gorge Park pavilion for a meeting sponsored by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada and held at the Esquimalt location in Victoria, BC. Mukesh Gupta began the session with a period of silence after which he gave a brief introduction to the spirit of self-inquiry. He spoke of the facing of existential questions in a context of quiet minds and a compassionate togetherness. If possible, we must listen to each other – and to ourselves – with great attention where the “Me” is not dominating our awareness and we are not attached to ideas of what is true or what conclusions we may reach.

Mukesh gave a short reading from the July 4 selection in The Book of Life which turned out to mention the subject of happiness and the idea of getting what we want. Mukesh probed us about our own deep questions regarding happiness and a number of participants spoke of the difference between a state of Being and one of becoming. There were questions about how we can attain an experience of Being: can we just feel it directly within ourselves?

We explored the possibility of boredom, which can result from being quiet and entering a state of “emptiness”. Is there an insight or “seeing” which brings a central understanding about our seeking of happiness inside or outside ourselves. Does an insight come from our thinking process and is thought the source of our understanding?

As we came to an end of our dialogue, we spoke of the importance of looking carefully into the “I” we take ourselves to be and the problems such a sense of identity can create. We came to the point that the “I” must be questioned and perhaps exposed as a false identity. It was an interesting and revealing way to end our session

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 30, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry

With Mukesh Gupta

Sunday, June 30, 2024

At KECC Metchosin

 

Seven participants in total were present for this Sunday afternoon meeting at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada in Metchosin, BC, at the 538 Swanwick Road location. The weather was warm and dry, with no rain, so we were able to sit on the front lawn in the sunshine. The gathering was facilitated by Mukesh Gupta who began with a short period of silence which, he said, allowed the flowering of a quality beyond thought and memory and created a space within which group members could bring forward any question that was wanting to be asked and explored within the group context. If there was no pressing question then Mukesh would read a selection from The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with J Krishnamurti. The book had been chosen as particularly relevant to the engagement with the process of self-inquiry which was the focus of the Meditative Self-inquiry sessions.

Mukesh asked if one of the group would like to read a passage, which she then shared with the others in the group. We then entered into a dialogue which investigated the meaning of the Krishnamurti quote and sought to illuminate more deeply the truth of what was said. The questions and topics for exploration that arose amongst the participants were, at first, the nature of relationship and love both within relationship and outside the field of personal interaction. It was suggested that love may be much deeper than thought but, also, what is love in fact? There was some discussion of the role of the “self” and the self-image in the inhibition of the energy of love and the need to be aware of the presence of a tendency in each of us to give or to take in our relationships with others and within ourselves. We asked what quality is dominating our consciousness at any given time and how we are affected by the habit of separating ourselves from each other psychologically. Does a sense of separateness mean love is missing? Are the two mutually exclusive? Must the “I” disappear before love can appear? Is love an ultimate goal or can there be an immediate seeing of whatever our state is? Can we ever say “I know love”?

It was an interesting afternoon of inquiry and “meditation” on some challenging issues.

Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 26, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

June 26, 2024

Esquimalt Park Pavilion

Victoria, BC

 

There was a small turnout of just five people for this Wednesday afternoon meeting at the Esquimalt Park Pavilion with Mukesh Gupta. After the usual quiet period, Mukesh said that he would like to explore the question of happiness with the small group. What is the nature of happiness and how do we experience it? Can our biological and psychological conditioning be approached in a way that allows joy and love to flourish? Is there a state of peace that can be lived? Is there any permanent good feeling that can be attained, or does our experience keep changing so that we can hold on to nothing that lasts or endures? We explored these questions deeply and found that there are many ways and reasons why we cannot come to a stable happiness in the face of the fact of transience in our life experience.

We came to the insight that as soon as the “I” comes into our consciousness there can be no permanent happiness. Thought is constantly creating images which create a separation between the observer and the observed. Can there be a consistency, depth, and power in our observation that can dissolve the images as they arise? This seems to be what Krishnamurti is suggesting with his “impossible questions”. Can we stay with such profound questions so that the answer is found in the very awareness brought to bear on the questions? Can there be a willingness to “die before we die,” to allow the “I” to let go of its solidity? We ended with the challenge of the question before us.

DB

Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta, June 23, 2024

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Meditative Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta

June 23, 2024

At KECC Metchosin Gatehouse

 

Nine participants were in attendance in total for this Sunday afternoon meeting with Mukesh Gupta. He went over briefly some of the principles of dialogue or “Meditative Self-inquiry”, as he calls it. One of the most important principles is that we accept ourselves as we are and not as we would like to be. The psychic structures making up ourselves can be seen with affection and non-judgement. Knowledge about ourselves is not the point, but, rather, a sharing of our compassionate presence and a looking together at our lives in a quiet manner. Moving together slowly, we can ask any questions while leaving space between questions and answers. The whole experience is relevant, important, and significant.

At that point one group member asked a question about authentic relationships with others where there is a desire to keep the energy of the exchange smooth and not to risk creating conflict. Learning about ourselves may involve taking risks in relationship and we may have to go through difficult challenges. We must see for ourselves how we are reacting. In fact, noticing what is going on is central to the process of self-transformation and “being in our heart” is a powerful reality that must be explored. It involves the exploring of our self-awareness and learning to trust the deeper aspects of our being.

The meeting ended with a lovely period of silent “meditation”.

 

DB