February UVic Spiritual Awakening Meetup

I’m pleased to report that the February UVic Spiritual Awakening Meetup went very well, with a growing number of returning members. 15 Awakeners attended, and the discussion was intelligent, lively and dynamic. The topic was “Exploring Empathy and Compassion”. We began with a video on self-compassion by Kristin Neff. Following that we looked at some definitions of empathy, compassion and a Buddhist term called “maitri”, which refers to “unconditional friendliness towards oneself”. Some thoughts about compassion, kindness and love were briefly explored. The notion of “self-compassion” then sparked a discussion about “self”, and the value of having compassion for something that might, ultimately, be a delusion. We explored whether self-compassion and mindfulness could be used to bring a spaciousness to the mechanism of thought that might help to disempower the ego and its self-perpetuating strategies (which exist in thought). While compassion and self-compassion are themes in many Buddhist teachings, many of the teachings also include notions such as “emptiness” and “no self”. It was interesting to explore how these different elements might be compatible. Some of the members (including myself) are passionate about K’s teachings, and the so conversation was very much grounded in his teachings, although it allowed for and acknowledged other perspectives as well. For instance, we discussed the limited value of adopting a practice and how simply relying on a new behaviour pattern may be limited and potentially counterproductive; others shared tools and practices that are helping them to relate to thought differently and better understand that they are not necessarily the “self” they had to come to believe themselves to be. We discussed awareness and inquired into the question of whether we can be something that appears in our awareness, which includes our identification as individuals. A Krishnamurti quote on compassion was shared towards the end, and as it turns out the essence of the content had already been significantly discussed. I’m certainly still learning as I go along, but the event seems to be going very smoothly at this point. Many people made a point of saying they would be returning, and I was surprised to receive hugs from a few folks who were very appreciative of the content and the good company.  Here is the quote that was shared: “Compassion is not hard to come by when the heart is not filled with the cunning things of the mind. It is the mind with its demands and fears, its attachments and denials, its determinations and urges, that destroys love. And how difficult it is to be simple about all this! You don’t need philosophies and doctrines to be gentle and kind. The efficient and the powerful of the land will organize to feed and clothe the people, to provide them with shelter and medical care. This is inevitable with the rapid increase of production; it is the function of well-organized government and a balanced society. But organization does not give the generosity of the heart and hand. Generosity comes from quite a different source, a source beyond all measure. Ambition and envy destroy it as surely as fire burns. This source must be touched, but one must come to it empty-handed, without prayer, without sacrifice. Books cannot teach, nor can any guru lead to, this source. It cannot be reached through the cultivation of virtue, though virtue is necessary, nor through capacity and obedience. When the mind is serene, without any movement, it is there. Serenity is without motive, without the urge for the more.” -J. Krishnamurti, The Book of Life