Exploring Ourselves, July 3, 2022

Exploring Ourselves

Online Zoom Meeting

Sunday, July 3, 2022

 

Jackie McInley, who usually guides the “Exploring Ourselves” meetings, informed us a little earlier in the day that she was not feeling well and would not be able to facilitate this Sunday morning meeting. Then, in the process of inviting and enabling David to stand in as Jackie’s replacement, some technical difficulties arose which made it impossible for him to join the Zoom meeting with a functional video and audio speaker. Ralph then took the role of opening the meeting and asking the participants to create their own experience of inquiring into whatever was most interesting and relevant to them. It was a “dialogue without an authority”, as one participant called it. The thirteen participants seemed to be well enough versed in the mechanics of dialogue that they could together bring forward questions and pursue investigations into them that flowed along for a total of two hours. Some of the questions which were presented to the group were as follows:

 

– How do I know what is false and what is true?

– Are opinions useful? Are my opinions true or just beliefs? And how do I know if I am caught in a limiting belief?

– What is the place of our background in any communication? Is the background made of accurate images or illusions, and is it a source of conflict?

– What is self-awareness? Is it the realization that I am not in the present moment with my attention?

– What is the “actual” and what is resistance to it?

– Is there a possibility of going beyond self-interest? The desire to go beyond may be part of the trap of self-interest.

 

Some other issues that were discussed were the following:

 

– Being trapped in the perceptions of another person

– The chatter of the thinking mind

– Sensitivity and over-thinking

– The difference between thought, awareness, and insight.

– The nature of thought, of “being aware of being aware”, and of a total insight

– “New thought” and “old thought”

– The nature of the “I” or “me”

– How much “unwellness” we are willing to tolerate

– How often are we repeating our behaviour and are we really present with our experience?

– How is awareness communicated?

– How much does individual agency exist and can it bring about change?

 

It was acknowledged that many of these subtle questions are difficult to resolve and may often elicit rather vague responses. It was mentioned that, in contrast, Krishnamurti seemed to be very clear and direct in most of his answers to the questions posed to him during talks and dialogues.

It was clear that there was a good deal of curiosity in the group and a strong interest in self-inquiry, in whatever way it was understood.