Choiceless Awareness, Part 4: The Inner Quest

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Choiceless Awareness, Part 4: The Inner Quest

With Cynthia Overweg Online

July 15, 2023

At Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

 

Fifteen people, all included, were present for this meeting led online by Cynthia Overweg from Ojai, California. It was the last in a series of meetings exploring the subject of choiceless awareness, which Cynthia claimed to be probably the pillar of J. Krishnamurti’s teachings. Choiceless awareness dissolves all conditioning, even if for just a short time, she said.

A number of questions significant for this inquiry are related to the fact of seeking: What are we seeking? Is it freedom from the “me”? What is the difference between seeking and “the state of search”? Who is seeking? Can all seeking end? Does the negation of the “me” end all seeking? Why do we seek at all? In the face of the fact that everything is impermanent and nothing lasts, why do we seek physical and psychological security? Do we seek to fill a void that cannot be filled?

The inquiry went into a number of aspects of the “seeker”, including the feeling of loneliness which, when felt without naming or conceptualising, can be a way into the very core of the self which is attempting to continue its existential journey through life while avoiding being nothing. This requires awareness from moment to moment, a direct looking at the facts. Truth comes to the mind that understands the activity of seeking. “Doing” is not required but, rather, being still and receptive from the beginning of our meditative journey. A careful attention to the movements of thought is necessary for the dissolving of the self or “me”. Attention stills the mind and makes choiceless awareness possible, along with the arising of compassion.

The session consisted of about an hour presentation by Cynthia followed by a group exploration of the ideas presented. It was felt to be a somewhat “heavy” exploration of concepts not easy to understand and yet there was an appreciation of the message and of Cynthia’s skill in communicating it. A number of participants requested more such gatherings, which were felt to have significant value in the “pursuit” of self-knowledge.

DB