Truth is a Pathless Land

Wisdom in a World on Fire: Part 3

Javier joined us from Amsterdam for this three part workshop using the Zoom online application. Each of the three sessions included a roughly forty-five minute talk or presentation followed by forty-five minutes of group dialogue or discussion. There were between eight and ten persons present in total in each meeting and others that were not present live but were planning to watch the recordings of the sessions at a later time. Javier began the meeting with some comments on the present situation in the world with its conflicts, divisions, violence, and nationalism. The root of violence, he pointed out, is the notion of self or the separate “me”. Identity is based on memory, the structures of the past, and the contradictions of thought, which creates its own problems. Are we willing to drop our identities and our sense of separateness? Javier asked. We are strongly driven by our ego identity and selfish motivations and must question where we are coming from in our relationships. Are we living in a world of ideas? Why do we not see these attachments to ideas and let them go? Are we controlled by our desires for fame and fulfilment, position, ownership of objects, and so on? Over the three days we explored deeper aspects of the self and the need for it to dissolve. This is the core of Krishnamurti’s teachings and he suggests that we use the “mirror of relationship” to gain “knowledge” of ourselves or insight into our thought structures which can bring about an experience of wholeness. The talks and discussions touched on many of the psychological aspects of the self and its nature. The central place of images was explored in relation to fiction, reality, and love. This tied into the issue of loneliness and isolation and then the workings of pleasure and fear. Questions arose about children, siblings, parents and the opportunities of family life in realising love. A number of times we delved into the necessity of being fully with our pain and sorrow. Being with our suffering can awaken compassion and a sense of freedom. And facing the psychological fear of death and the desire for security can bring transformation. The question arose, “have we faced the fear of death?” The question is one of depth and value. Javier’s presentations are full of humour and lightness as well as confronting serious and profound questions. The balance makes for an enjoyable and instructive learning experience. Presented by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Wisdom in a World on Fire: Part 2

Javier joined us from Amsterdam for this three part workshop using the Zoom online application. Each of the three sessions included a roughly forty-five minute talk or presentation followed by forty-five minutes of group dialogue or discussion. There were between eight and ten persons present in total in each meeting and others that were not present live but were planning to watch the recordings of the sessions at a later time. Javier began the meeting with some comments on the present situation in the world with its conflicts, divisions, violence, and nationalism. The root of violence, he pointed out, is the notion of self or the separate “me”. Identity is based on memory, the structures of the past, and the contradictions of thought, which creates its own problems. Are we willing to drop our identities and our sense of separateness? Javier asked. We are strongly driven by our ego identity and selfish motivations and must question where we are coming from in our relationships. Are we living in a world of ideas? Why do we not see these attachments to ideas and let them go? Are we controlled by our desires for fame and fulfilment, position, ownership of objects, and so on? Over the three days we explored deeper aspects of the self and the need for it to dissolve. This is the core of Krishnamurti’s teachings and he suggests that we use the “mirror of relationship” to gain “knowledge” of ourselves or insight into our thought structures which can bring about an experience of wholeness. The talks and discussions touched on many of the psychological aspects of the self and its nature. The central place of images was explored in relation to fiction, reality, and love. This tied into the issue of loneliness and isolation and then the workings of pleasure and fear. Questions arose about children, siblings, parents and the opportunities of family life in realising love. A number of times we delved into the necessity of being fully with our pain and sorrow. Being with our suffering can awaken compassion and a sense of freedom. And facing the psychological fear of death and the desire for security can bring transformation. The question arose, “have we faced the fear of death?” The question is one of depth and value. Javier’s presentations are full of humour and lightness as well as confronting serious and profound questions. The balance makes for an enjoyable and instructive learning experience. Presented by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Wisdom in a World on Fire: Part 1

Javier joined us from Amsterdam for this three part workshop using the Zoom online application. Each of the three sessions included a roughly forty-five minute talk or presentation followed by forty-five minutes of group dialogue or discussion. There were between eight and ten persons present in total in each meeting and others that were not present live but were planning to watch the recordings of the sessions at a later time. Javier began the meeting with some comments on the present situation in the world with its conflicts, divisions, violence, and nationalism. The root of violence, he pointed out, is the notion of self or the separate “me”. Identity is based on memory, the structures of the past, and the contradictions of thought, which creates its own problems. Are we willing to drop our identities and our sense of separateness? Javier asked. We are strongly driven by our ego identity and selfish motivations and must question where we are coming from in our relationships. Are we living in a world of ideas? Why do we not see these attachments to ideas and let them go? Are we controlled by our desires for fame and fulfilment, position, ownership of objects, and so on? Over the three days we explored deeper aspects of the self and the need for it to dissolve. This is the core of Krishnamurti’s teachings and he suggests that we use the “mirror of relationship” to gain “knowledge” of ourselves or insight into our thought structures which can bring about an experience of wholeness. The talks and discussions touched on many of the psychological aspects of the self and its nature. The central place of images was explored in relation to fiction, reality, and love. This tied into the issue of loneliness and isolation and then the workings of pleasure and fear. Questions arose about children, siblings, parents and the opportunities of family life in realising love. A number of times we delved into the necessity of being fully with our pain and sorrow. Being with our suffering can awaken compassion and a sense of freedom. And facing the psychological fear of death and the desire for security can bring transformation. The question arose, “have we faced the fear of death?” The question is one of depth and value. Javier’s presentations are full of humour and lightness as well as confronting serious and profound questions. The balance makes for an enjoyable and instructive learning experience. Presented by the Krishnamurti Educational Centre of Canada

Humility and Wisdom

Part 3 of a 3-day online workshop entitled "The Power of Loving Awareness" by GP Walsh and hosted by the Krishnamurti Education Centre of Canada in March 2023. GP Walsh has joined us for a number of years now either in person or online from Seattle to facilitate weekend retreats to which participants are welcome from anywhere in the world. Most join us online from Canada or the US. In this case there were a total of seventeen attendees for the three session workshop entitled “The Power of Loving Awareness”. Each meeting began with a short guided meditation led by GP and focusing on some aspects of our true nature as pure awareness. The basic question being explored was “Who am I?” GP asked a number of questions which might stimulate insights about our true identity (or lack of it) and which often drew from the world of Zen Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. Is Awareness without an agenda our true nature? Are we the self-aware space in which all experience happens? Is there a sense of gratitude for being here? Can anything be experienced outside of awareness? These and many other questions were shared by GP in order to encourage a kind of looking which was beyond opposites and essentially indescribable. Nothing is rejected in this kind of inquiry and we embrace both the “nothingness” and the “somethingness” of life. In practical terms, to ask what we are not is sufficient to end human suffering. Over the three days GP explored a good number of the teachings of Buddhism, including those about dealing with fear and anger. In Buddhism and other similar teachings, including those of J. Krishnamurti, inquiry into the workings of the mind and heart brings about happiness. In Buddhism, right practice is necessary and brings us to Being (which is still perceived by something which has no attributes). The mind is not an enemy but, rather, just a bunch of thoughts made of an awareness which could be called “loving awareness”. Freedom is to be okay with whatever is present. Can my sorrows be allowed to be present? Can my humanness be allowed? It is all impermanent and there is nothing we can do to make things perfect. This is It! GP’s discourses were both profound and yet beyond explanation and “knowing”. Truth is full of paradoxes and yet can be a beautiful Mystery. The answers to the questions and the Zen koans are found in BEING the answer and in the opening of “the Heart”, not in intellectual concepts. GPs pointings and the group discussions explored the broad and challenging territory of non-dual self-inquiry and the insubstantiality of any position being taken about the nature of things. Is there anything “out there”? We were challenged to examine our processes of projection and belief in the existence of a separate self. GP pointed us to the experience of delight in the loving engagement with the nature of life, with the impersonal and the personal dimensions, with being fully present with “what is” right now. This is the “Buddha mind”. No path was being prescribed. We are our own true path if we are genuinely looking and inquiring into our experience, whether it is “positive” or “negative”. Belief in any story creates suffering and the need to choose eventually falls away (or not). Some quotes from Krishnamurti and others highlighted what GP was speaking of, including his statement that “relationship is a mirror in which we discover ourselves.” The third meeting ended with time for personal questions from the participants, who asked about the nature of faith, ritual, and the tendency towards self-abuse and self-hatred, and not doing what we know is right. GP emphasised compassion for oneself and others and curiosity about what is happening and how “danger” is perceived. We can also ask “What is the most loving thing to do in this moment?”

Wisdom and Compassion

Part 2 of a 3-day online workshop entitled "The Power of Loving Awareness" by GP Walsh and hosted by the Krishnamurti Education Centre of Canada in March 2023. GP Walsh has joined us for a number of years now either in person or online from Seattle to facilitate weekend retreats to which participants are welcome from anywhere in the world. Most join us online from Canada or the US. In this case there were a total of seventeen attendees for the three session workshop entitled “The Power of Loving Awareness”. Each meeting began with a short guided meditation led by GP and focusing on some aspects of our true nature as pure awareness. The basic question being explored was “Who am I?” GP asked a number of questions which might stimulate insights about our true identity (or lack of it) and which often drew from the world of Zen Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta. Is Awareness without an agenda our true nature? Are we the self-aware space in which all experience happens? Is there a sense of gratitude for being here? Can anything be experienced outside of awareness? These and many other questions were shared by GP in order to encourage a kind of looking which was beyond opposites and essentially indescribable. Nothing is rejected in this kind of inquiry and we embrace both the “nothingness” and the “somethingness” of life. In practical terms, to ask what we are not is sufficient to end human suffering. Over the three days GP explored a good number of the teachings of Buddhism, including those about dealing with fear and anger. In Buddhism and other similar teachings, including those of J. Krishnamurti, inquiry into the workings of the mind and heart brings about happiness. In Buddhism, right practice is necessary and brings us to Being (which is still perceived by something which has no attributes). The mind is not an enemy but, rather, just a bunch of thoughts made of an awareness which could be called “loving awareness”. Freedom is to be okay with whatever is present. Can my sorrows be allowed to be present? Can my humanness be allowed? It is all impermanent and there is nothing we can do to make things perfect. This is It! GP’s discourses were both profound and yet beyond explanation and “knowing”. Truth is full of paradoxes and yet can be a beautiful Mystery. The answers to the questions and the Zen koans are found in BEING the answer and in the opening of “the Heart”, not in intellectual concepts. GPs pointings and the group discussions explored the broad and challenging territory of non-dual self-inquiry and the insubstantiality of any position being taken about the nature of things. Is there anything “out there”? We were challenged to examine our processes of projection and belief in the existence of a separate self. GP pointed us to the experience of delight in the loving engagement with the nature of life, with the impersonal and the personal dimensions, with being fully present with “what is” right now. This is the “Buddha mind”. No path was being prescribed. We are our own true path if we are genuinely looking and inquiring into our experience, whether it is “positive” or “negative”. Belief in any story creates suffering and the need to choose eventually falls away (or not). Some quotes from Krishnamurti and others highlighted what GP was speaking of, including his statement that “relationship is a mirror in which we discover ourselves.” The third meeting ended with time for personal questions from the participants, who asked about the nature of faith, ritual, and the tendency towards self-abuse and self-hatred, and not doing what we know is right. GP emphasised compassion for oneself and others and curiosity about what is happening and how “danger” is perceived. We can also ask “What is the most loving thing to do in this moment?”