Self-inquiry, March 3, 2024

Exploring Ourselves

March 3, 2024

With Jackie McInley

Zoom Online

 

Jackie joined us online from London, England, for this Sunday morning (Pacific Time) meeting. Initially there were 11 participants present but one soon left due to poor internet reception at her location. Those remaining then attempted to connect with what we’d been dialoguing about during the previous meeting to see if we wanted to go back and continue to explore the subject in greater depth. What was most remembered was an interest in the significance of listening and being listened to, which could turn into a profound sense of “being heard” and “understood”. We collectively wondered what it is that we feel we need, including what sorrow needs in the way of support. Is it to be acknowledged? To be loved? Are we hurt in some way and wanting to be affirmed? Can we look carefully into the subject? Are we seeking to support the egoic self in us? When we hear ourselves speaking with our parents’ voices, can we stop and look at what we are trying to say deeply but not get caught in our identities? Is it possible, we asked, to look at exactly what goes on when we listen to others and to ourselves at the same time.

Is it “connection” we are seeking in our relationships? What do we mean by connection? Does it imply that we must negate the self we have “created” and break through the programming and conditioning that keeps us stuck in our personalities and cut off from love? And what is love? Is it a programmed response? Is it romantic? Spiritual? Does it involve beliefs, or is it beyond beliefs? Are we afraid of each other and limited by that fear? The dialogue went on for a good couple of hours then seemed to come to a natural ending with some closing comments by Jackie stressing the importance of “seeing”. If there is no seeing, she offered, then the conditioned responses continue. When there is seeing then the patterns may come to an end and something “new” may be revealed in our relating.

 

DB