Archive for category: Event Summaries

The September Stillness Within Meetup featured a recent video from a talk given by Eckhart Tolle in Australia where he spoke about the balance between being and doing – the collection of activities that form our work, hobbies, social and practical existence. A few pointers stood out for those who came out: Many mundane activities such as folding laundry or driving, can be opportunities to allow the spacious sense of ‘less thought’ and even a profound beauty within the openness – rather than the incessant stream of thinking we tend to default to. Finding many small moments of stillness – amidst the activities of each day, we can begin to find a deepened awareness emerging within stillness in many life settings. In my own case, having shifted my ‘practice’ away from formal meditation in favour of day to day moments of stillness, the message resonated with me. But it’s funny – the stillness or spaciousness is somehow the opposite of emptiness… A Krishnamurti quote I stumbled across seems to be speaking from a very similar perspective on the mind’s tendency to habitually cycle through thoughts: “As long as the mind is seeking to fill itself, it will always be empty. When the mind is no longer concerned with filling its own emptiness, then only does that emptiness cease to be”. JK Thank you again to KECC for hosting our first fall Meetup.

Inquiry Sunday Sunday, October 4, 2015 A small group of three gathered on Sunday morning to listen to a CD by Adyashanti on the stages of awakening.  He began by saying that in fact there is no linear path and the process will be different for each individual while still containing certain universal features.  The seventy minute talk was followed by a group dialogue out on the lawn.   It was felt by one participant that Adya was making things more complicated than need be, whereas the other two considered the points made to be interesting and of value, even if not strictly necessary for them to hear.  One person said that listening to the talk was a confirmation that all is well in the way the journey is unfolding for him. In the afternoon three video clips were shown of Krishnamurti speaking on death and dying to the self.  He pointed out the necessity of dropping all attachments if one is to be truly a free human being.  A very interesting discussion followed  with the four participants exploring what was said in the videos.  We also went into the question of love and attachment and whether it is possible to live without attachment in the midst of daily life, family obligations, relationships, and work commitments.  Again, it was agreed that these questions require ongoing looking and listening, which can bring insight and discovery.

A Glimpse Into Total Freedom September 25 – 27, 2015 Richard Waxburg and Deborah Kerner, from Ojai, California,  joined us for the second year in a row as the facilitators for a weekend exploration into freedom. Their mode of working is mostly inquiry in a group setting.  Topics are proposed for possible exploration, but the actual process is a very open and spontaneous investigation of whatever the group members bring forward.  A booklet used as the guide for the retreat says, “Working together, we want to explore and expose the nature of consciousness, what we think of as the “self”, or “me-idea”; the sense that there is a thought -based conscious entity, a controller, a center, that resides inside of us, that has continuity and exists in time, with a past, a present, and a future.”  Richard spoke of the fact that the “me” idea is being continually questioned and challenged within the group inquiry and therefore has no place to hide.  In being exposed and seen clearly, the “me” will lose strength and the dimensions of “being” will be more accessible.  The whole weekend was essentially focused on this process.  Participants took up the invitation to look and listen with total attention and to explore how they are responding to each moment.  Is there “something” that responds, or can one respond as “nothing”, with no resistance?  Just the seeing of resistance is very valuable and necessary in exploring our true nature.  The eleven participants all felt the weekend was extremely interesting and worthwhile, and Deborah and Richard expressed an intention to return next year.

On a lovely, sunny Labour Day, ten friends gathered at KECC to inquire as to how K’s teachings relate perfectly to Douglas Harding’s Headless Way. And K’s reference to the fact that freedom must include both the touch of the scientist as well as non-verbal perception in a talk in 1969 in the UK called, “The Flight of the Eagle.” We watched two short videos of both J Krishnamurti and one of his long time students and founding teacher at Brockwood Park, Alan Rowlands. We explored Douglas Harding’s the “Science of the First-Person Singular, Present Tense.” Doing several of the experiments that point back to the Place we are all looking from to See our true Face. Then we went outdoors to celebrate finding our true nature while “apparently” walking the lovely nature trails on the centre property. And discovering the fact that we are not in nature but that nature is IN us. Lots of laughter and insights hanging out with new “Headless” friends!

Krishnamurti Study Group Saturday, September 6, 2015 Five people gathered to read and discuss Chapter 8 in Krishnamurti’s book The First and Last Freedom.  The subject of the chapter was “Contradiction” and it continued on from the previous chapter in exploring some of the core elements of K’s teachings.  He looks into the fact that we often have opposing desires which can cause conflict and a wastage of energy.  If we look at all desires as impermanent, changing phenomena, rather than identifying with a particular desire and struggling to fulfill it, then there is no conflict and we will discover a state of peace.  This issue, among others that are introduced in the chapter, was explored further by the participants in a group dialogue as we made our way through the text.  It was felt to be an excellent discussion.