Exploring Ourselves, January 21, 2024

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  • Exploring Ourselves
  • With Jackie McKinley
  • Sunday, January 23, 2024
  • Zoom Online

Twelve people in total were present for this Sunday morning dialogue session with Jackie, who joined us via Zoom from the UK. Jackie began with some pointers about how to make use of a dialogue meeting. She said that dialogue is mainly about speaking and listening, both at a depth which is “accessible to everybody”. It is not a search for something we can take away and use in our lives. Rather, it is an ongoing “waking up” or “seeing” which opens up as we go. It can be very helpful if we can express ourselves clearly and slowly enough that we can follow what is being shared.

As is usually the case, we began with some quiet time. This allows space for any questions or observations that may arise and for any significant unresolved problems to reveal themselves. The first issue that arose was a question about how we can approach Krishnamurti without depending on him for answers. Do we repeat K’s words and make them into theories, or is a direct seeing into the issue possible? Is thought looking at thought or is there something beyond thought looking at thought or “aware” of thought? One participant expressed frustration with the seemingly slow process of going around in circles with such questions. Was the frustration a fact to simply “be with” or could we immediately go beyond the frustration? There was a good deal of discussion of such points, which could have been experienced as hard work or creative discovery – or some of each.

Closing remarks emphasised the central importance of the action of “seeing” as we inquire into the structures of our consciousness, either in group inquiry or on our own. We will be meeting on the first and third Sundays of each month until further notice.

DB