Self-inquiry, November 8, 2023

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Self-inquiry

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

With Jackie McInley

Esquimalt Gorge Park Pavilion

 

Eleven people were present for this Wednesday afternoon dialogue meeting at the lovely Gorge Park pavilion. Jackie McInley was again facilitating the session and, as always, she did an excellent job of keeping the dialogue on track with searching questions and comments. She began by saying that people have always met in groups to talk over problems and have found the format of sitting in a circle to be very conducive to worthwhile communication. In a Krishnamurti dialogue, she pointed out, participants might think the structure was quite different in some ways. We look at problems both individually and as human beings who share many issues and challenges, both physically and psychologically. Beginning with his statement that “the first step is the last step”, we look at our assumptions about what life is. Our individual awareness shapes how we experience the world, but we might not be aware that our thoughts are creating a reality. Our inquiry is to discover ourselves and the universal nature where we are all the same. We may get a sense of our particular responses to each other and also of how our responses are conditioned by our society and upbringing.

Jackie asked if people would be interested in sharing what they understood from Krishnamurti’s teachings, which stimulated some interesting feedback. Some of it seemed overly complicated and there was a request to keep our ideas more simple to follow.

Another group member asked what was the most important question for us, and it was suggested that the issue of separation was the core problem for humans. This led to a rather intense interaction exploring separation and why it is a problem. The focus on trying to meet our needs was looked into and a question was raised concerning how we are creating separation NOW in this very moment. It was asked if we have the intensity to really be with the question. Could we go beneath the current level of our state of consciousness and be with a deeper feeling or experience. One participant offered that, for him, it was fear that was underneath but we may be afraid to look. Jackie agreed that we are often afraid to look at the fear but that may not necessarily always be the case. Further inquiry is needed into the matter.

DB