Archive for category: Event Summaries

Again working from our on-going Sunday quote for the month of August:

 

“To go very far, you must begin very near.

But that is very difficult for most of us

because we want to escape from

“what is” ; from the fact of what we are.“

The group focused on a non linear implication from the quote;

Pain and “escape” from pain.

The question was posed, “How do we meet pain?, subsequent observations included our resistance to pain and a highly honed skill set in humans to avoid it.

The group contemplated the mind’s identification with pain for reasons of security vs the unknown and non-existence, which was framed as, “I have pain; therefore I exist”, A group member observed a subsequent “addiction to pain”, as identity.

There was observation of a collective human belief that we CAN avoid pain.

Comparison was made between Physical pain and psychological pain; with physical pain seemingly more obviously lacking in “choice”. While psychological pain is assumed to in some way be “avoid-able”.

The group took several forays into “understanding” and “analyzing” the “why” of pain, including goals to “destroy the mind’s access to pain together”. This analysis was seen to be, in itself, a way of “meeting pain” to solve or understand. We never see that we are pain.

A comment: “…allowed my thoughts to be in a better place now” was observed to be a familiar fragmenting to create  a “good” version of thought that is “better”;

Whereby pain is avoided and thought is therefore powerful and unlimited.

These observations landed the group squarely in the fact that “thought is limited”.

It was humorously observed that that thought is “unlimited” in it’s ability to perpetuate itself, nothing more.

 

—Vala Kondo-Legan

Again working from our on-going Sunday quote for the month of August:

 

“To go very far, you must begin very near.

But that is very difficult for most of us

because we want to escape from

“what is” ; from the fact of what we are.“

The group posed an initial question: “

Aren’t “escapes”, themselves, also “that Which iS”?

The question was developed further in the observation that

“We do not see that we are escape artists”

It was observed that “partial seeing” can/ does occur, when part of the problem, is  felt, seen.

A comparison was made to ordinary situations where “partial” success

leads one closer to an objective,

Yet, “Partial seeing” does NOT bring one closer to total seeing.

This phenomenon is not perceived.

Inquiry then focused on “hope”, which was observed to exists only in the past or future, never in the now. “Fear” and “Hope” were observed to be the same, with both positing a known outcome and neither allowing the actuality of “not knowing”.

The sensation of “I don’t know” was seen linked to the limitation of the mind.

 

—Vala Kondo-Legan

The group worked off of a Krisnamurti quote, which will remain the same single quote  for all dialogues in August:

“To go very far, you must begin very near.

But that is very difficult for most of us

because we want to escape from

“what is” ; from the fact of what we are.“

The group began by looking at collective “escape” from both “uncertainty “and “confusion.”

A comparison was made between uncertainty and insecurity, which are frequently viewed as similar but may not be. There were observations of insecurity as threat, which led to a question of whether lack of knowledge is felt to be dangerous?

Some debate centered around whether “what is” is not available when the mind is “chattering” OR

if the “what is” may itself BE the chattering mind.

In returning to the quote ,the questions was asked: “Why is the “near” difficult?”, there was observation of a Blindness to that which is near.

Subsequent conversation  brought in references to Krishnamurti and advice to access silence as a “tool”.

The question arose, “What goes on when the mind searches for a tool?’, Including the usage of Krishnamurti theory as a “tool”? There was observation that without tools, one may be lost, and the group debated the meaning and value of being “lost”.

In closing, a group member asked , “Is it possible to be lost and uncertain without insecurity?”

A reference was made to being without hope or fear, which was reframed in the context of our daily life as hopeful, fearful beings!

 

—Vala Kondo-Legan

The Fundamental Question: Can the Mind Be Quiet?

Mukesh opened with what he called “one most important question in self-inquiry”: Can the mind be quiet? He distinguished between surface mental noise and deeper undercurrents—streams of insecurity, fear of not being accepted, and survival instincts that drive our restlessness. “In the light of silence, all problems are dissolved,” he quoted from Krishnamurti, inviting exploration of what this actually means. Participants examined their resistance to quietness and the mind’s addiction to problem-solving. The discussion revealed how every strategy to achieve silence becomes another form of noise, leading to an insight: “No strategy works.” This recognition brought both discouragement and relief—the paradoxical freedom of having “no hope, no path, no answer.”

The dialogue ended by posing a question as a gift: what brings the passion to be present when we’re constantly being hijacked by conditioning?

Gist: The dialogue identified inward quietness – which emerges effortlessly by being simply present – as the prerequisite for all spiritual inquiry, explored the futility of strategies for achieving silence, and pointed to the paradoxical freedom that comes from recognizing there is no path or solution to be found.

By Joost De Wulf, Belgium

The Flame of Attention

It was another beautiful Summer day in Metchosin, BC. The session began with a message from Mukesh to not treat this dialogue like an arena for debate, but to instead slow down and embrace a meditative quality to our shared exploration together.

After a period of silence we began to discuss image-making and identity, and questioned whether it is possible to be with what is behind or in-front of this veil. It was shared that life is unfolding in a dynamic ever-changing flow, and that being open to that allows for a deeper felt sense of presence. In contrast image-making prevents us from experiencing this full sensation, we get caught up in watching and responding to the movies in our mind.

Gist: The flame of attention was brought in throughout the conversation as a reminder to not just sense an endless state of emptiness but to also recognize the immediacy required in our lives to address the issues before us. Something that can only happen through direct action born out of awareness.

By Joost De Wulf, Belgium