Self-inquiry, October 15, 2023

Self-inquiry

With James Waite

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

 

Eight people attended this Sunday afternoon dialogue session at the Metchosin location for KECC at 538 Swanwick Road. Facilitator James Waite opened the meeting with a reading from a J. Krishnamurti talk on the subject of the “old brain” and the “new brain”. When the brain becomes quiet the old brain is transcended, making space for a new clarity of perception and understanding which the old brain cannot have. The old brain, James pointed out, is binary or dualistic, always thinking in terms of either/or. It is dualistic, grounded in subject/object conceiving, and oriented to the past, whereas the new brain is attentive in the present moment and can recognize our true nature as awareness. The old brain is who or what we think we are, not what we really are.

A question was posed by a participant, “How can we switch from the old brain or mind to the new?”

A sensitive discussion followed concerning the limitations of beliefs and definitions and then the need for “order” when we are seeking freedom. The nature of order and the need to see the disorder in ourselves were looked into and it was suggested that seeing the disorder is the essence of the new functioning of the brain, bringing forth a different quality of awareness or perception.

It was suggested we take care to notice during the coming week how the old brain habitually acts in our daily lives. There seemed to be a keenness to watch ourselves in such a way.

DB