To Be Human, Session 2: The World of Images

To Be Human, Session 2: The World of Images

With Javier Gomez Rodriguez

August 14, 2022

Zoom Online

 

Javier joined us from the Netherlands to continue with our second exploration of Krishnamurti’s short summary of his teachings in the booklet The Core of the Teachings. The summary was requested of K by his biographer Mary Lutyens. There were fifteen participants in total in attendance at the meeting.

Javier began with a clear introduction of the section on “images”, which includes ideas, concepts, and beliefs. Krishnamurti regularly made mention in his talks and writings about the use made of images by the human consciousness in its attempts to find security. Attachment to images as well as the denial of images are equally violent, leading to nationalism and conflict on both social and personal levels. “Is the psyche bound by our self-images?’ Javier asked. Images become symbols with which we identify and which create limitations in our seeing or perceiving. Our desire for security prevents questioning of our concepts, beliefs, and conclusions.

The issue of relationships and images was discussed in some detail. Am I related to you or to my image of you? And I also have an image of myself. These images end up destroying the security we are seeking. They create division, which in turn creates conflict. Images of what we should be prevent us from facing the fact of what we are, to which Krishnamurti gives great significance with its power to transform us. We must learn to look at ourselves without the image.

The last half of the meeting was given to group discussion or dialogue. Group members asked a number of pointed questions such as “What is real security and where is it to be found?” Is security found in going beyond images and communing in our humanity? Is there a certain security in doing as we are expected to do or is conformity of no value? The questions posed by the group members came finally to a final inquiry: Is it possible to be free of images?

DB