Weekend Retreat at the Centre

The Quest for Truth

Retreat with Professor P. Krishna

May 12 – 14, 2017

Professor P. Krishna visited us again this year to facilitate a weekend workshop exploring “The Quest for Truth”. Prof. Krishna has been a long-time associate of J. Krishnamurti, has directed the Krishnamurti adult centre and been principal of the K school at Rajghat near Varansi. He has written numerous articles and books on K’s teachings and given talks around the world. Formerly a physicist, he has a deep comprehension of the scientific approach to truth as well as the inner or spiritual approach. The weekend retreat began with a public talk by Prof. Krishna at the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada near Victoria in which he discussed the differences and similarities between the scientific and spiritual approaches to truth. It was a very interesting talk in which he stressed that the two approaches need not be antagonistic towards each other but can be complimentary. The desire to inquire into the truth of nature or of ourselves in based in a natural curiosity which is built in to the human consciousness. The scientific exploration is into the external environment, whereas the spiritual is inward. It is possible to have both a scientific mind as well as a “religious” one. The true measure of spiritual truth, he suggested, was whether or not a human being becomes more compassionate and loving in his daily life. The point of the spiritual quest is to bring about order in consciousness, which naturally produces compassion as a by-product. Without wisdom, mere knowledge becomes a problem. Eleven people were in attendance for the Friday evening talk. A version of the talk can be seen on YouTube.

The rest of the weekend was attended by eight people and was a further exploration into both the scientific approach and the spiritual, with a greater emphasis on the latter. It was suggested that the most meaningful things in life are not attainable through thought and will, but are by-products of self- understanding. Authority is not helpful in the religious search. Knowledge has its place but is not transformative: we must find out for ourselves. The question as to what brings actual transformation in ourselves was looked into. We watched two videos of 1983 K talks in Saanen which stimulated group discussion, had plenty of time for walks on the property and resting, and enjoyed delicious meals from the Pearson College kitchen. Our Sunday topic was the illusions that create disorder and which appear at various levels of consciousness. We need to establish right relationship with these illusory concepts and beliefs with begin at the level of superstition and have their deepest effect in the belief that we are a separate entity. The remedy for illusions is seeing their danger through passive awareness or watchfulness. The blocks to such seeing are our attachments to the “me” and its manifestations, looking for pleasure and comfort rather than truth, and not looking at the root of our problems. Awareness can see the illusion of ego as it arises from moment to moment.

More information about Prof. Krishna and his work can be found on his website, www.P.Krishna.org