Daily Quote, Saturday February 28, 2009
Good morning.
If you're not here in Halifax I have to tell you that we have a mightly big rain storm this morning. Still, the remembered pleasure of chocolate croisants will, no doubt, get me out the door at to the farmers market very shortly in a moment of total non-awareness! :-)
I'm still reading through The Beginnings of Learning and it's still incredible. I can observe myself literally just looking as I read and in the seeing of what he's saying there is understanding. I can feel what Krishnamurti is talking about when he uses the word "affection." What I'm saying is that I can feel myself reading without an interpretive framework. It's just like Laureen's observation yesterday in the comments to the quote, about the artists. Go and take a look if you didn't read it as it's wonderfully illuminating.
Have a great day wherever you are, or if the events of the day don't make you happy just look at the day without images. Like saying "thank you," I'm getting a bit more sensitive to the structure of my everyday comments. :-)
Robert
Here's the quote:
Do it, and you will see.
Questioner: Sir, if there is no effort, if there is no method, then any transition into the state of awareness, any shift into a new dimension, must be a completely random accident, and therefore unaffected by anything you might say on the subject.
Krishnamurti: Ah, no, sir! I didn't say that. [Laughter] I said one has to be aware. By being aware, one discovers how one is conditioned. By being aware, I know I am conditioned - as a Hindu, as a Buddhist, as a Christian; I am conditioned as a nationalist: British, German, Russian, Indian, American, Chinese - I am conditioned. We never tackle that. That's the garbage we are, and we hope something marvelous will grow out of it, but I am afraid it is not possible. Being aware doesn't mean a chance happening, something irresponsible and vague. If one understands the implications of awareness, one's body not only becomes highly sensitive, but the whole entity is activated; there is a new energy given to it. Do it, and you will see. Don't sit on the bank and speculate about the river; jump in and follow the current of this awareness, and you will find out for yourself how extraordinarily limited our thoughts, our feelings, and our ideas are. Our projections of gods, saviors, and Masters - all that becomes so obvious, so infantile.
Collected Works, Vol. XV - 138
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Daily Quote, Friday February 27, 2009
Good morning!
Here's todays quote with my short reflection just above it.
So effort is a resistance to what is. To have awareness we must no longer resist. It goes very deep I think. Even to have an image in the mind of something is resistance to what is and already an effort to change it. The image is "always already" the effort. It's not the case that we have an image and that organises the effort.
Robert
Awareness is non-effort.
Does not effort mean a struggle to change what is into what it is not, or what it should be, or what it should become? We are constantly escaping from what is, to transform or modify it. . . .
Only when there is no awareness of exactly what is, then effort to transform takes place. So, effort is non-awareness. Awareness reveals the significance of what is, and the complete acceptance of the significance brings freedom. So, awareness is non-effort; awareness is the perception of what is without distortion. Distortion exists whenever there is effort.
Collected Works, Vol. IV - 117
Good morning!
Here's todays quote with my short reflection just above it.
So effort is a resistance to what is. To have awareness we must no longer resist. It goes very deep I think. Even to have an image in the mind of something is resistance to what is and already an effort to change it. The image is "always already" the effort. It's not the case that we have an image and that organises the effort.
Robert
Awareness is non-effort.
Does not effort mean a struggle to change what is into what it is not, or what it should be, or what it should become? We are constantly escaping from what is, to transform or modify it. . . .
Only when there is no awareness of exactly what is, then effort to transform takes place. So, effort is non-awareness. Awareness reveals the significance of what is, and the complete acceptance of the significance brings freedom. So, awareness is non-effort; awareness is the perception of what is without distortion. Distortion exists whenever there is effort.
Collected Works, Vol. IV - 117
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Daily Quote, Thursday February 26, 2009
Hello everyone,
It's bright and sunny this morning and I'm heading off for a walk in a few moments. It's wonderful that the sun is not coming up early and it's light at 6:30am. :-)
I'm reading The Beginnings of Learning and finding it an incredible illumination of the other Krishnamurti teachings that I've read. He is talking with the pupils at Brockwood Park School, which he founded, and they are having a conversation about the problems of living together without a set of rules that everyone has to conform to. It touches up his ideas of responsibility, affection, and intelligence. There is a fascinating and very helpful dialogue on sentimentality.
Today's quote picks up on Jackie's interest in choiceless awareness.
The beauty of listening . . .
The beauty of listening lies in being highly sensitive to everything about you: to the ugliness, to the dirt, to the squalor, to the poverty about you, and also to the dirt, to the disorder, to the poverty of one's own being. When you are aware of both, then there is no effort, that is, when there is an awareness which is without choice, then there is no effort.
Collected Works, Vol. XV - 61
Hello everyone,
It's bright and sunny this morning and I'm heading off for a walk in a few moments. It's wonderful that the sun is not coming up early and it's light at 6:30am. :-)
I'm reading The Beginnings of Learning and finding it an incredible illumination of the other Krishnamurti teachings that I've read. He is talking with the pupils at Brockwood Park School, which he founded, and they are having a conversation about the problems of living together without a set of rules that everyone has to conform to. It touches up his ideas of responsibility, affection, and intelligence. There is a fascinating and very helpful dialogue on sentimentality.
Today's quote picks up on Jackie's interest in choiceless awareness.
The beauty of listening . . .
The beauty of listening lies in being highly sensitive to everything about you: to the ugliness, to the dirt, to the squalor, to the poverty about you, and also to the dirt, to the disorder, to the poverty of one's own being. When you are aware of both, then there is no effort, that is, when there is an awareness which is without choice, then there is no effort.
Collected Works, Vol. XV - 61
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Daily Quote, Wednesday February 25, 2009
Good morning,
Bright and sunny here today if you are not in Halifax!
I was caught by a line in todays quote that if you are able to simply observe a thought or a feeling it will unfold and keep unfolding to wider and deeper levels of understanding. And through this it seems that 'what is' then reveals itself.
Have a great day.
Robert
The awareness of which I speak is of what is from moment to moment . . .
Understanding comes with the awareness of what is. There can be no understanding if there is condemnation of or identification with what is. If you condemn a child or identify yourself with him, then you cease to understand him. So, being aware of a thought or a feeling as it arises, without condemning it or identifying with it, you will find that it unfolds ever more widely and deeply, and thereby discover the whole content of what is. To understand the process of what is there must be choiceless awareness, a freedom from condemnation, justification, and identification. When you are vitally interested in fully understanding something, you give your mind and heart, withholding nothing. But unfortunately you are conditioned, educated, disciplined through religious and social environment to condemn or to identify, and not to understand. To condemn is stupid and easy, but to understand is arduous, requiring pliability and intelligence. Condemnation, as identification, is a form of self-protection. Condemnation or identification is a barrier to understanding. To understand the confusion, the misery in which one is, and so of the world, you must observe its total process. To be aware and pursue all its implications requires patience, to follow swiftly, and to be still.
There is understanding only when there is stillness, when there is silent observation, passive awareness. Then only the problem yields its full significance. The awareness of which I speak is of what is from moment to moment, of the activities of thought and its subtle deceptions, fears, and hope. Choiceless awareness wholly dissolves our conflicts and miseries.
Collected Works, Vol. IV - 143
Good morning,
Bright and sunny here today if you are not in Halifax!
I was caught by a line in todays quote that if you are able to simply observe a thought or a feeling it will unfold and keep unfolding to wider and deeper levels of understanding. And through this it seems that 'what is' then reveals itself.
Have a great day.
Robert
The awareness of which I speak is of what is from moment to moment . . .
Understanding comes with the awareness of what is. There can be no understanding if there is condemnation of or identification with what is. If you condemn a child or identify yourself with him, then you cease to understand him. So, being aware of a thought or a feeling as it arises, without condemning it or identifying with it, you will find that it unfolds ever more widely and deeply, and thereby discover the whole content of what is. To understand the process of what is there must be choiceless awareness, a freedom from condemnation, justification, and identification. When you are vitally interested in fully understanding something, you give your mind and heart, withholding nothing. But unfortunately you are conditioned, educated, disciplined through religious and social environment to condemn or to identify, and not to understand. To condemn is stupid and easy, but to understand is arduous, requiring pliability and intelligence. Condemnation, as identification, is a form of self-protection. Condemnation or identification is a barrier to understanding. To understand the confusion, the misery in which one is, and so of the world, you must observe its total process. To be aware and pursue all its implications requires patience, to follow swiftly, and to be still.
There is understanding only when there is stillness, when there is silent observation, passive awareness. Then only the problem yields its full significance. The awareness of which I speak is of what is from moment to moment, of the activities of thought and its subtle deceptions, fears, and hope. Choiceless awareness wholly dissolves our conflicts and miseries.
Collected Works, Vol. IV - 143
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Daily Quote, Tuesday February 24, 2009
Good morning,
Today's quote might help to sort out some possible confusion about what is. It seems obvious after our discussions of this but also it remains the case for many people that we live in the world of what we might be. It's interesting to observe people's use of the future tense in conversations and how often they speak in terms of what they will be doing in the future rather than what they are doing now. Psychologically, many people feel, I think, that both they and through this the present has no worth. They believe that the present has to be something, something other than awareness. As Krishnamurti says, what is actual is moment to moment and requires a very swift mind. If we think of the future all the time or too much, we can observe our mind slowing down. It's because the future is an image with all the complexity removed. We don't really have to pay attention because its sole purpose is escape.
You might like to try observing today how much you talk about the future and how much you notice other people doing the same.
The what is is what you are, not what you would like to be.
The 'what is' is what you are, not what you would like to be; it is not the ideal because the ideal is fictitious, but it is actually what you are doing, thinking, and feeling from moment to moment. What is is the actual, and to understand the actual requires awareness, a very alert, swift mind.
Collected Works, Vol. V - 50
Good morning,
Today's quote might help to sort out some possible confusion about what is. It seems obvious after our discussions of this but also it remains the case for many people that we live in the world of what we might be. It's interesting to observe people's use of the future tense in conversations and how often they speak in terms of what they will be doing in the future rather than what they are doing now. Psychologically, many people feel, I think, that both they and through this the present has no worth. They believe that the present has to be something, something other than awareness. As Krishnamurti says, what is actual is moment to moment and requires a very swift mind. If we think of the future all the time or too much, we can observe our mind slowing down. It's because the future is an image with all the complexity removed. We don't really have to pay attention because its sole purpose is escape.
You might like to try observing today how much you talk about the future and how much you notice other people doing the same.
The what is is what you are, not what you would like to be.
The 'what is' is what you are, not what you would like to be; it is not the ideal because the ideal is fictitious, but it is actually what you are doing, thinking, and feeling from moment to moment. What is is the actual, and to understand the actual requires awareness, a very alert, swift mind.
Collected Works, Vol. V - 50
Monday, February 23, 2009
Daily Quote, Monday February 23, 2009.
Hello everyone,
Just the quote this morning as I'm driving someone to the airport asap. More later. Have a great day!
Out of this awareness there comes a clarity that is not induced . . .
If you sit on the bank of a river after a storm, you see the stream going by, carrying a great deal of debris. Similarly, you have to watch the movement of yourself - following every thought, every feeling, every intention, every motive - just watch it. That watching is also listening; it is being aware with your eyes, with your ears, with your insight, of all the values that human beings have created, and by which you are conditioned, and it is only this state of total awareness that will end all seeking.
Please do listen to this. Most of us think that awareness is a mysterious something to be practiced, and that we should get together day after day to talk about awareness. Now, you don't come to awareness that way at all. But if you are aware of outward things - the curve of a road, the shape of a tree, the color of another's dress, the outline of the mountains against a blue sky, the delicacy of a flower, the pain on the face of a passerby, the ignorance, the envy, the jealousy of others, the beauty of the earth - then, seeing all these outward things without condemnation, without choice, you can ride on the tide of inner awareness. Then you will become aware of your own reactions, of your own pettiness, of your own jealousies. From the outward awareness you come to the inward, but if you are not aware of the outer you cannot possibly come to the inner.
When there is inward awareness of every activity of your mind and your body, when you are aware of your thoughts, of your feelings, both secret and open, conscious and unconscious, then out of this awareness there comes a clarity that is not induced, not put together by the mind. And without that clarity you may do what you will, you may search the heavens and the earth and the deeps, but you will never find out what is true.
Collected Works, Vol. XV - 242
Hello everyone,
Just the quote this morning as I'm driving someone to the airport asap. More later. Have a great day!
Out of this awareness there comes a clarity that is not induced . . .
If you sit on the bank of a river after a storm, you see the stream going by, carrying a great deal of debris. Similarly, you have to watch the movement of yourself - following every thought, every feeling, every intention, every motive - just watch it. That watching is also listening; it is being aware with your eyes, with your ears, with your insight, of all the values that human beings have created, and by which you are conditioned, and it is only this state of total awareness that will end all seeking.
Please do listen to this. Most of us think that awareness is a mysterious something to be practiced, and that we should get together day after day to talk about awareness. Now, you don't come to awareness that way at all. But if you are aware of outward things - the curve of a road, the shape of a tree, the color of another's dress, the outline of the mountains against a blue sky, the delicacy of a flower, the pain on the face of a passerby, the ignorance, the envy, the jealousy of others, the beauty of the earth - then, seeing all these outward things without condemnation, without choice, you can ride on the tide of inner awareness. Then you will become aware of your own reactions, of your own pettiness, of your own jealousies. From the outward awareness you come to the inward, but if you are not aware of the outer you cannot possibly come to the inner.
When there is inward awareness of every activity of your mind and your body, when you are aware of your thoughts, of your feelings, both secret and open, conscious and unconscious, then out of this awareness there comes a clarity that is not induced, not put together by the mind. And without that clarity you may do what you will, you may search the heavens and the earth and the deeps, but you will never find out what is true.
Collected Works, Vol. XV - 242
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Daily Quote, Sunday February 22, 2009.
Good morning once again!
Just to say, it's sunny for now!
Todays' quote is really interesting. It's asking when is awareness not awareness, or maybe to put it different, perhaps awareness itself isn't enough. Do we need to be aware of our being aware?
It might just be an answer (better maybe to call it a response) to my question about whether the will hyjacks the intellect in the achievement of desire.
Derrida once said that deconstruction is a never ending process, you just keep deconstructing back and back to reveal deeper needs for a foundation, truth, etc. I get the feeling that Krishnamurti is saying a similar thing, that the self-revealing process of observing ourselves in relationship never stops. What do you think?
When you say, 'I must be aware all the time', you have made a problem of it . . .
Questioner: I find it impossible to be aware all the time.
Krishnamurti: Don't be aware all the time! Just be aware in little bits. Please, there is no being aware all the time - that is a dreadful idea! It is a nightmare, this terrible desire for continuity. Just be aware for one minute, for one second, and in that one second of awareness you can see the whole universe. That is not a poetic phrase. We see things in a flash, in a single moment; but, having seen something, we want to capture, to hold it, give it continuity. That is not being aware at all. When you say, 'I must be aware all the time,' you have made a problem of it, and then you should really find out why you want to be aware all the time. See the greed it implies, the desire to acquire. And to say, 'Well, I am aware all the time,' means nothing.
Collected Works, Vol. XIII - 184
Good morning once again!
Just to say, it's sunny for now!
Todays' quote is really interesting. It's asking when is awareness not awareness, or maybe to put it different, perhaps awareness itself isn't enough. Do we need to be aware of our being aware?
It might just be an answer (better maybe to call it a response) to my question about whether the will hyjacks the intellect in the achievement of desire.
Derrida once said that deconstruction is a never ending process, you just keep deconstructing back and back to reveal deeper needs for a foundation, truth, etc. I get the feeling that Krishnamurti is saying a similar thing, that the self-revealing process of observing ourselves in relationship never stops. What do you think?
When you say, 'I must be aware all the time', you have made a problem of it . . .
Questioner: I find it impossible to be aware all the time.
Krishnamurti: Don't be aware all the time! Just be aware in little bits. Please, there is no being aware all the time - that is a dreadful idea! It is a nightmare, this terrible desire for continuity. Just be aware for one minute, for one second, and in that one second of awareness you can see the whole universe. That is not a poetic phrase. We see things in a flash, in a single moment; but, having seen something, we want to capture, to hold it, give it continuity. That is not being aware at all. When you say, 'I must be aware all the time,' you have made a problem of it, and then you should really find out why you want to be aware all the time. See the greed it implies, the desire to acquire. And to say, 'Well, I am aware all the time,' means nothing.
Collected Works, Vol. XIII - 184
Awareness and some conditioning thrown in...?
So why am I still up I ask myself? well an unrelated topic, I have been subjected to this scam that apparently originated in Nigeria and now the gory email details have arrived in Canada for some unknown reason. Not that I played into some devilish hands of sorts, just I have been researching and found many interesting things relating to this very subject that sends me emails at least twice a day, annoying slightltly...unrelated a little I did say....
As with the reading I have been doing lately from JK and plus the watchings from the marvellous Internet we have, of his past video talks and converse with friends. I recently watched a video on fragmentation which I know is a little behind what we have been discussing, however I can not get past the idea that we are all categorising ourselves into little fragments! Its such great concept and I have been exploring it a great deal. Every time I draft out who I am to someone for the first time the more prevalent these fragments become. I am this, I was this, I do so and so and the list builds. Until my awareness of what I am saying kicks in and says HEY! stop fragmenting yourself....this has happened a few time lately since I have been introduced to the JK words. Not a bad thing at all, possibly a really great thing.
I'm aware that I have this fragmentation occurring and accept that is what my experience has had to build upon. But today for some reason I was curious if our fragmentation was in built from birth as such with certain conditioning levels that everyone has? I am asking are we as a human race, conditioning ourselves with some certain basic protocols, from a certain point of time. Such as instilling manners, right and wrong, installing the fragments so our awareness has a bench mark to work upon.? does that make a little sense? today I was fascinated, well I am always with this! and it is why, no matter who replies, someone says "Bless You" when a sneeze has taken place? is this a conditioning from childhood, religion or habit? But I find a massive awareness when I feel compelled to say it and I cant understand why??? Can this be a conditioning or is it apart of our fragmentation that has been conditioned with the side of manners and curtousey?
As with the reading I have been doing lately from JK and plus the watchings from the marvellous Internet we have, of his past video talks and converse with friends. I recently watched a video on fragmentation which I know is a little behind what we have been discussing, however I can not get past the idea that we are all categorising ourselves into little fragments! Its such great concept and I have been exploring it a great deal. Every time I draft out who I am to someone for the first time the more prevalent these fragments become. I am this, I was this, I do so and so and the list builds. Until my awareness of what I am saying kicks in and says HEY! stop fragmenting yourself....this has happened a few time lately since I have been introduced to the JK words. Not a bad thing at all, possibly a really great thing.
I'm aware that I have this fragmentation occurring and accept that is what my experience has had to build upon. But today for some reason I was curious if our fragmentation was in built from birth as such with certain conditioning levels that everyone has? I am asking are we as a human race, conditioning ourselves with some certain basic protocols, from a certain point of time. Such as instilling manners, right and wrong, installing the fragments so our awareness has a bench mark to work upon.? does that make a little sense? today I was fascinated, well I am always with this! and it is why, no matter who replies, someone says "Bless You" when a sneeze has taken place? is this a conditioning from childhood, religion or habit? But I find a massive awareness when I feel compelled to say it and I cant understand why??? Can this be a conditioning or is it apart of our fragmentation that has been conditioned with the side of manners and curtousey?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Daily Quote, Saturday February 21, 2009
Hi everyone,
Just a quick post this morning as it's Farmers Market day here in Halifax!
Today the daily quote is shifting to a different Krishnamurti text, Think On These Things, and there is a change of theme too. So I'm wondering if there is a weekly theme for the quote. We'll see.
If you are not posting on the blog yet, please start soon, as there are just 3 or 4 of us that are in conversation right now.
Here's the quote:
We say, 'That is beautiful', or, 'That is ugly', and pass by.
Questioner: What is the difference between awareness and sensitivity?
Krishnamurti: I wonder if there is any difference? You know, when you ask a question, what is important is to find out for yourself the truth of the matter and not merely accept what someone else says. So, let us find out together what it is to be aware.
You see a lovely tree with its leaves sparkling after the rain; you see the sunlight shining on the water and on the gray-hued feathers of the birds; you see the villagers walking to town carrying heavy burdens, and hear their laughter; you hear the bark of a dog, or a calf calling to its mother. All this is part of awareness, the awareness of what is around you, is it not? Coming a little closer, you notice your relationship to people, to ideas and to things; you are aware of how you regard the house, the road; you observe your reactions to what people say to you, and how your mind is always evaluating, judging, comparing, or condemning. This is all part of awareness, which begins on the surface and then goes deeper and deeper, but for most of us awareness stops at a certain point. We take in the noises, the songs, the beautiful and ugly sights, but we are not aware of our reactions to them. We say, 'That is beautiful', or, 'That is ugly', and pass by; we don't inquire into what beauty is, what ugliness is. Surely, to see what your reactions are, to be more and more alert to every movement of your own thought, to observe that your mind is conditioned by the influence of your parents, of your teachers, of your race and culture - all this is part of awareness, is it not?
Think on These Things - 202
Hi everyone,
Just a quick post this morning as it's Farmers Market day here in Halifax!
Today the daily quote is shifting to a different Krishnamurti text, Think On These Things, and there is a change of theme too. So I'm wondering if there is a weekly theme for the quote. We'll see.
If you are not posting on the blog yet, please start soon, as there are just 3 or 4 of us that are in conversation right now.
Here's the quote:
We say, 'That is beautiful', or, 'That is ugly', and pass by.
Questioner: What is the difference between awareness and sensitivity?
Krishnamurti: I wonder if there is any difference? You know, when you ask a question, what is important is to find out for yourself the truth of the matter and not merely accept what someone else says. So, let us find out together what it is to be aware.
You see a lovely tree with its leaves sparkling after the rain; you see the sunlight shining on the water and on the gray-hued feathers of the birds; you see the villagers walking to town carrying heavy burdens, and hear their laughter; you hear the bark of a dog, or a calf calling to its mother. All this is part of awareness, the awareness of what is around you, is it not? Coming a little closer, you notice your relationship to people, to ideas and to things; you are aware of how you regard the house, the road; you observe your reactions to what people say to you, and how your mind is always evaluating, judging, comparing, or condemning. This is all part of awareness, which begins on the surface and then goes deeper and deeper, but for most of us awareness stops at a certain point. We take in the noises, the songs, the beautiful and ugly sights, but we are not aware of our reactions to them. We say, 'That is beautiful', or, 'That is ugly', and pass by; we don't inquire into what beauty is, what ugliness is. Surely, to see what your reactions are, to be more and more alert to every movement of your own thought, to observe that your mind is conditioned by the influence of your parents, of your teachers, of your race and culture - all this is part of awareness, is it not?
Think on These Things - 202
Friday, February 20, 2009
Daily Quote, Friday February 20, 2009
Good morning!
Well, the snow wasn't as bad as many expected and hopefully that's the end for a while!
As I was reading the daily quote for today, I was reminded again of how many yoga students take one aspect of a yoga posture and substitute it for the whole, so that the part definies the whole, and becomes the element around which the posture is defined. The heels on the floor in Downward Dog or the top arm in the air in Revolved Trikonasana are common examples. Of course, this is a practice of self-definition, an action of the will, as the posture and the student are inseparable, just as the content of consciousness and consciousness are inseparable. In your yoga practice today or next time you practice, take each posture and observe yourself, take the posture as a mirror of your deepest concern, which might turn out to be surprisingly superficial, and observe how you practice. Watching, listening and seeing yourself without images and observe if one part is representing the whole posture. Make a list of the postures and the essentialisations, the part your use to define the whole, and send it into the blog.
Ask yourself as you practice, do you fully understand the implication of using the will to become someone?
Here's the daily quote:
In the action of will, one dominant desire is imposing itself upon other desires.
...when we try to break down our conditioning through the action of will, what happens? One desire becomes dominant and resists the various other desires - which means that there is always the whole problem of suppression, resistance, and so-called sublimation. Does any of this free the mind from conditioning?
I wonder if we fully understand the implication of using the will to get rid of something, or to become something. What is will? Surely will is, in itself, a way of conditioning the mind, is it not? In the action of will, one dominant desire is imposing itself upon other desires, one wish is over-riding other motives and urges. This process obviously creates inward opposition, and hence there is ever conflict. So, will cannot help us to free the mind.
Collected Works, Vol. X - 26
Good morning!
Well, the snow wasn't as bad as many expected and hopefully that's the end for a while!
As I was reading the daily quote for today, I was reminded again of how many yoga students take one aspect of a yoga posture and substitute it for the whole, so that the part definies the whole, and becomes the element around which the posture is defined. The heels on the floor in Downward Dog or the top arm in the air in Revolved Trikonasana are common examples. Of course, this is a practice of self-definition, an action of the will, as the posture and the student are inseparable, just as the content of consciousness and consciousness are inseparable. In your yoga practice today or next time you practice, take each posture and observe yourself, take the posture as a mirror of your deepest concern, which might turn out to be surprisingly superficial, and observe how you practice. Watching, listening and seeing yourself without images and observe if one part is representing the whole posture. Make a list of the postures and the essentialisations, the part your use to define the whole, and send it into the blog.
Ask yourself as you practice, do you fully understand the implication of using the will to become someone?
Here's the daily quote:
In the action of will, one dominant desire is imposing itself upon other desires.
...when we try to break down our conditioning through the action of will, what happens? One desire becomes dominant and resists the various other desires - which means that there is always the whole problem of suppression, resistance, and so-called sublimation. Does any of this free the mind from conditioning?
I wonder if we fully understand the implication of using the will to get rid of something, or to become something. What is will? Surely will is, in itself, a way of conditioning the mind, is it not? In the action of will, one dominant desire is imposing itself upon other desires, one wish is over-riding other motives and urges. This process obviously creates inward opposition, and hence there is ever conflict. So, will cannot help us to free the mind.
Collected Works, Vol. X - 26
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Daily Quote, Thursday February 19, 2009
Morning everyone,
For those of you away from Halifax at this time of year and missing the snow, today is apparently the day! Grab your groceries this morning as 10cm might be on the way later. Still, it's a nice excuse to say in and read. :-)
Here the daily quote. This one retraces the ground we have already been through this week. I'm still interested in whether the will hyjacks the intellect to achieve desire. Any thoughts?
I've been reading another of Krishnamurti's books recently, Meeting Life, and was thinking of putting up a quote from this 3 times a week. It would follow a different theme from the daily quote. Would that be too much?
Will is the outcome of desire.
As long as the mind is seeking, there must be endeavor, effort, which is invariably based on the action of will, and however refined, will is the outcome of desire. Will may be the outcome of many integrated desires, or of a single desire, and that will expresses itself through action, does it not? When you say you are seeking truth, behind all the meditation, the devotion, the discipline entailed in that search, there is surely this action of will, which is desire...
Collected Works, Vol. IX, - 179
Morning everyone,
For those of you away from Halifax at this time of year and missing the snow, today is apparently the day! Grab your groceries this morning as 10cm might be on the way later. Still, it's a nice excuse to say in and read. :-)
Here the daily quote. This one retraces the ground we have already been through this week. I'm still interested in whether the will hyjacks the intellect to achieve desire. Any thoughts?
I've been reading another of Krishnamurti's books recently, Meeting Life, and was thinking of putting up a quote from this 3 times a week. It would follow a different theme from the daily quote. Would that be too much?
Will is the outcome of desire.
As long as the mind is seeking, there must be endeavor, effort, which is invariably based on the action of will, and however refined, will is the outcome of desire. Will may be the outcome of many integrated desires, or of a single desire, and that will expresses itself through action, does it not? When you say you are seeking truth, behind all the meditation, the devotion, the discipline entailed in that search, there is surely this action of will, which is desire...
Collected Works, Vol. IX, - 179
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Topics for the next study group meetings.
I thought for a change this week we could post a sentense or paragraph from one of the chapters we have read on the blog a few days before we meet and give each other the chance to reflect upon it. We could then pick up our conversation there with one of them when we meet.
If you are in Group A, please post by Friday.
Here is mine, which is from the chapter on 'What Is Your Over-Riding Interest' from The Awakening of Intelligence:
"[I]f you really want to find out if there is such a thing as God, something that cannot possibly be put into words, something which is unnameable, if that really is the major interest in your life, then that very interest does bring about order." (p302)
I'm interested in what links the two, having a major interest and order.
I thought for a change this week we could post a sentense or paragraph from one of the chapters we have read on the blog a few days before we meet and give each other the chance to reflect upon it. We could then pick up our conversation there with one of them when we meet.
If you are in Group A, please post by Friday.
Here is mine, which is from the chapter on 'What Is Your Over-Riding Interest' from The Awakening of Intelligence:
"[I]f you really want to find out if there is such a thing as God, something that cannot possibly be put into words, something which is unnameable, if that really is the major interest in your life, then that very interest does bring about order." (p302)
I'm interested in what links the two, having a major interest and order.
Daily Quote, Wednesday February 19, 2009
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the great comments to yesterday's quote. Today's looks even more interesting.
It seems clear by now that the total revolution of which Krishnamurti is speaking cannot come from the will, but can it be totally unconscious? What does this mean and what is the mechanism of it? How does it relate the knowing and not knowing.
Perhaps the first question here is what does unconscious mean here? Is it the same as "the unconscious"?
Have a great day. :-)
Here's the the daily quote:
Total revolution must be wholly unconscious.
We use virtue, 'love', the action of the will, as a means of conquering ourselves, our idiosyncracies, and we think we are changing. But, essentially, when we go down to deeper layers, there it is still the same. When we are considering revolution, change, surely we are not concerned only with superficial changes, which are necessary, but with the deeper issue - which is the revolution, total revolution, the integrated revolution of our whole being. Can that change be brought about by effort, or must there be a cessation of all effort?
What does effort mean? With most of us, effort implies the action of the will, does it not? I hope you are following all this, because if you do not listen wisely, you will miss totally what I am going to say. If you listen wisely, you will directly experience what I am talking about. Total revolution must be wholly unconscious, not voluntary, not brought about by any action of the will. Will is still the desire, still the 'me', the self, at whatever level you may place that will. The will of action is still the desire and, therefore, it is still the 'me', and when I suppress myself in order to be good, in order to achieve, in order to become more noble, it is still desire, it is still the action of the will trying to transform itself, to put on a different clothing, it is still the will of the 'me' trying to achieve a result.
Collected Works, Vol. VIII - 35
Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the great comments to yesterday's quote. Today's looks even more interesting.
It seems clear by now that the total revolution of which Krishnamurti is speaking cannot come from the will, but can it be totally unconscious? What does this mean and what is the mechanism of it? How does it relate the knowing and not knowing.
Perhaps the first question here is what does unconscious mean here? Is it the same as "the unconscious"?
Have a great day. :-)
Here's the the daily quote:
Total revolution must be wholly unconscious.
We use virtue, 'love', the action of the will, as a means of conquering ourselves, our idiosyncracies, and we think we are changing. But, essentially, when we go down to deeper layers, there it is still the same. When we are considering revolution, change, surely we are not concerned only with superficial changes, which are necessary, but with the deeper issue - which is the revolution, total revolution, the integrated revolution of our whole being. Can that change be brought about by effort, or must there be a cessation of all effort?
What does effort mean? With most of us, effort implies the action of the will, does it not? I hope you are following all this, because if you do not listen wisely, you will miss totally what I am going to say. If you listen wisely, you will directly experience what I am talking about. Total revolution must be wholly unconscious, not voluntary, not brought about by any action of the will. Will is still the desire, still the 'me', the self, at whatever level you may place that will. The will of action is still the desire and, therefore, it is still the 'me', and when I suppress myself in order to be good, in order to achieve, in order to become more noble, it is still desire, it is still the action of the will trying to transform itself, to put on a different clothing, it is still the will of the 'me' trying to achieve a result.
Collected Works, Vol. VIII - 35
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Daily Quote, Tuesday February 17, 2009
Bright and sunny in Halifax this morning if you're checking in from far away!
Today's quote is below under the bold type as usual.
Have you in yourself, as a feeling, feel now or have ever felt the contradiction between being who you are and who you want to be? It's an opportunity to go into yourself and experiment with Krishnamurti's negative approach that my comments yesterday where briefly outlining. For example, have you ever had a radical career change or left a long term relationship?
Today's quote takes up the points that Laureen and I were exploring in relation to yesterday's quote: where does effort come from?
Do join the conversation! Everyone from anywhere is welcome to comment. :-)
Self-contradiction is the cause of your ceaseless effort.
Self-contradiction does produce action, does it not? And the more determined you are in your self-contradiction, the more energy you pour into action. Do watch this process in yourself. The tension of self-contradiction produces its own action. If you are a clerk and you want to be the manager, or you want to become a famous artist or writer, or a great saint, in that state of self-contradiction you act most vigorously, and your action is praised by society, which is equally in a state of self-contradiction. You are this, which you dislike, and you want to become that, which you like. So, self-contradiction is the cause of your ceaseless effort. Don't say, 'How am I to get out of self-contradiction?' That is a most silly question to ask. Just see how completely you are caught up in self-contradiction. That is enough; because the moment you are fully aware of the contradiction in yourself, with all its implications, that very awareness creates the energy to be free of contradiction. Awareness of the fact, like awareness of a dangerous thing, creates its own energy, which in turn produces action not based on contradiction.
Collected Works, Vol. XI, - 262
Bright and sunny in Halifax this morning if you're checking in from far away!
Today's quote is below under the bold type as usual.
Have you in yourself, as a feeling, feel now or have ever felt the contradiction between being who you are and who you want to be? It's an opportunity to go into yourself and experiment with Krishnamurti's negative approach that my comments yesterday where briefly outlining. For example, have you ever had a radical career change or left a long term relationship?
Today's quote takes up the points that Laureen and I were exploring in relation to yesterday's quote: where does effort come from?
Do join the conversation! Everyone from anywhere is welcome to comment. :-)
Self-contradiction is the cause of your ceaseless effort.
Self-contradiction does produce action, does it not? And the more determined you are in your self-contradiction, the more energy you pour into action. Do watch this process in yourself. The tension of self-contradiction produces its own action. If you are a clerk and you want to be the manager, or you want to become a famous artist or writer, or a great saint, in that state of self-contradiction you act most vigorously, and your action is praised by society, which is equally in a state of self-contradiction. You are this, which you dislike, and you want to become that, which you like. So, self-contradiction is the cause of your ceaseless effort. Don't say, 'How am I to get out of self-contradiction?' That is a most silly question to ask. Just see how completely you are caught up in self-contradiction. That is enough; because the moment you are fully aware of the contradiction in yourself, with all its implications, that very awareness creates the energy to be free of contradiction. Awareness of the fact, like awareness of a dangerous thing, creates its own energy, which in turn produces action not based on contradiction.
Collected Works, Vol. XI, - 262
Monday, February 16, 2009
Daily Quote on Monday February 16, 2009
Good morning everyone,
Here is the daily quote from the Krishnamurti Foundation.
Today's topic is evil. Is effort towards a goal the very definition of evil, that it is to do good in the wrong direction.
Would you say that to live in a way where the attention is fragmented is the definition of evil. Is this consistent with other aspects of Krishnamurti's thought that we've looked at so far?
Let me know. Don't be afraid to post any thoughts!
Robert
To live with effort is evil
As I was saying, if we do not understand the nature of effort, all action is limiting. Effort creates its own frontiers, its own objectives, its own limitations. Effort has the time-binding quality. You say, 'I must meditate, I must make an effort to control my mind'. That very effort to control puts a limit on your mind. Do watch this, do think it out with me. To live with effort is evil; to me it is an abomination, if I may use a strong word. And if you observe, you will realize that from childhood on we are conditioned to make an effort. In our so-called education, in all the work we do, we struggle to improve ourselves, to become something. Everything we undertake is based on effort; and the more effort we make, the duller the mind becomes.
...Where there is effort, there is an objective; where there is effort, there is a limitation on attention and on action. To do good in the wrong direction is to do evil. Do you understand? For centuries we have done 'good' in the wrong direction by assuming that we must be this, we must not be that, and so on, which only creates further conflict.
Collected Works, Vol. XI - 229
Good morning everyone,
Here is the daily quote from the Krishnamurti Foundation.
Today's topic is evil. Is effort towards a goal the very definition of evil, that it is to do good in the wrong direction.
Would you say that to live in a way where the attention is fragmented is the definition of evil. Is this consistent with other aspects of Krishnamurti's thought that we've looked at so far?
Let me know. Don't be afraid to post any thoughts!
Robert
To live with effort is evil
As I was saying, if we do not understand the nature of effort, all action is limiting. Effort creates its own frontiers, its own objectives, its own limitations. Effort has the time-binding quality. You say, 'I must meditate, I must make an effort to control my mind'. That very effort to control puts a limit on your mind. Do watch this, do think it out with me. To live with effort is evil; to me it is an abomination, if I may use a strong word. And if you observe, you will realize that from childhood on we are conditioned to make an effort. In our so-called education, in all the work we do, we struggle to improve ourselves, to become something. Everything we undertake is based on effort; and the more effort we make, the duller the mind becomes.
...Where there is effort, there is an objective; where there is effort, there is a limitation on attention and on action. To do good in the wrong direction is to do evil. Do you understand? For centuries we have done 'good' in the wrong direction by assuming that we must be this, we must not be that, and so on, which only creates further conflict.
Collected Works, Vol. XI - 229
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Why did you join the Krishnamurti Study Group
Tonight at our group meeting, we shared a little bit about our experience happening upon Krishnamurti and/or this Krishnamurti study group. I offer my experience in hopes that some of you will feel compelled to offer yours as well.
The main reason that I joined the group was because I was curious to learn about the words of a man who had influenced Robert’s yoga classes. Admittedly, I was hesitant at first. I have developed a resistance to the overwhelming amount of teachings (some of which seem to be of very low quality) that exist in this world. Yet despite the accessibility of information, I rarely find something that is insightful. In fact, I have been searching for a teacher for the past 2-3 years after having taken a leap of faith and leaving my career in science to pursue another career. I spent most of my academic training being mentored and taught by those senior to me. Those teachers were quite obvious and available; however, in my new career they are not. I ended up doing my Yoga Teacher Certification last year still hoping to find THE teacher (a feeling of should rather than need) but I never really found the insight that I was looking for. I went on a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat, which was an amazing personal experience, but I didn’t find that individual who was to “teach” me. Knowing that I had to commit a significant amount of time to practicing yoga if I were to continue to feel legitimate as a teacher, I re-invested my time into Robert’s classes, which years before invoked a confused sense of curiosity in me. What I like most about Robert’s classes now is that he says things that I don't always understand. At first I didn't hear what he said, or rather I never listened. But then I began to listen and I know that I can’t come to know through intellectualization, a tendency of mine in many realms. Happening upon Robert’s Krishnamurti study group was an inviting opportunity to continue to explore Robert’s yoga classes from another experience. And so now I am reading Krishnamurti’s words. In the process I came across the following:
We accept, we are gullible, we are greedy for new experiences. People swallow what is said by anybody with a beard, with promises, saying you will have a marvelous experience if you do certain things! I think one has to say “I know nothing.” Obviously I can’t rely on others. If there were no books, no gurus, what would you do? p.23 The Awakening of Intelligence, J. Krishnamurti
What a great question! What would you do?
What would I do? I would probably sit and wonder and ponder, because that’s what I remember doing naturally and easily as a child. I haven't actually read many books, in fact I can probably count on both hands the number of books that I’ve read cover to cover thus far in my life – this stat baffles many people who know me and my doctorate degree in psychology and neuroscience but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Krishnamurti did not read books either! I would also probably think a lot, because that seems pretty easy and natural and has been for as long as I can remember. I would probably observe and interact with animals, because again, that is easy and natural for me, as is the thought of swimming in beautiful clear blue waters, basking in the sun, napping, dreaming, playing competitive team sports. That's what I would do because those are all pretty natural to me, and in the absence of books, teachers, and gurus I suspect I would just exist naturally.
The main reason that I joined the group was because I was curious to learn about the words of a man who had influenced Robert’s yoga classes. Admittedly, I was hesitant at first. I have developed a resistance to the overwhelming amount of teachings (some of which seem to be of very low quality) that exist in this world. Yet despite the accessibility of information, I rarely find something that is insightful. In fact, I have been searching for a teacher for the past 2-3 years after having taken a leap of faith and leaving my career in science to pursue another career. I spent most of my academic training being mentored and taught by those senior to me. Those teachers were quite obvious and available; however, in my new career they are not. I ended up doing my Yoga Teacher Certification last year still hoping to find THE teacher (a feeling of should rather than need) but I never really found the insight that I was looking for. I went on a 10-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat, which was an amazing personal experience, but I didn’t find that individual who was to “teach” me. Knowing that I had to commit a significant amount of time to practicing yoga if I were to continue to feel legitimate as a teacher, I re-invested my time into Robert’s classes, which years before invoked a confused sense of curiosity in me. What I like most about Robert’s classes now is that he says things that I don't always understand. At first I didn't hear what he said, or rather I never listened. But then I began to listen and I know that I can’t come to know through intellectualization, a tendency of mine in many realms. Happening upon Robert’s Krishnamurti study group was an inviting opportunity to continue to explore Robert’s yoga classes from another experience. And so now I am reading Krishnamurti’s words. In the process I came across the following:
We accept, we are gullible, we are greedy for new experiences. People swallow what is said by anybody with a beard, with promises, saying you will have a marvelous experience if you do certain things! I think one has to say “I know nothing.” Obviously I can’t rely on others. If there were no books, no gurus, what would you do? p.23 The Awakening of Intelligence, J. Krishnamurti
What a great question! What would you do?
What would I do? I would probably sit and wonder and ponder, because that’s what I remember doing naturally and easily as a child. I haven't actually read many books, in fact I can probably count on both hands the number of books that I’ve read cover to cover thus far in my life – this stat baffles many people who know me and my doctorate degree in psychology and neuroscience but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Krishnamurti did not read books either! I would also probably think a lot, because that seems pretty easy and natural and has been for as long as I can remember. I would probably observe and interact with animals, because again, that is easy and natural for me, as is the thought of swimming in beautiful clear blue waters, basking in the sun, napping, dreaming, playing competitive team sports. That's what I would do because those are all pretty natural to me, and in the absence of books, teachers, and gurus I suspect I would just exist naturally.
Hello everyone,
Here is the daily quote. Please feel free to reflect upon this and post your contributions or comments.
It brings up a question that came up in our study group last Sunday about Krishnamurti's approach and what the negative approach means. That's is, rather than escaping to the positive all the time, go into the negative and feel it within yourself. Then the positive will be revealed. In other words, can dependency, like violence or inattention, observe itself, and isn't that observaing the miracle; isn't it the transformation that the escape into the positive creates methods and programs and jumps from this teacher to that teacher trying to find?
Let me know!
Robert
Find out what happens when a truth is put before you
How do we react when a truth is presented? Take, for example, what we were discussing the other day - the problem of fear. We realize that our activity and our being and our whole existence would be fundamentally altered if there were no fear of any kind in us. We may see that, we may see the truth of it; and thereby there is a freedom from fear. But for most of us, when a fact, a truth, is put before us, what is our immediate response? Please experiment with what I am saying; please do not merely listen. Watch your own reactions and find out what happens when a truth, a fact, is put before you - such as, 'Any dependency in relationship destroys relationship'. Now, when a statement of that kind is made, what is your response? Do you see, are you aware of the truth of it, and thereby dependency ceases? Or have you an idea about the fact? Here is a statement of truth. Do we experience the truth of it, or do we create an idea about it?
If we can understand the process of this creation of idea, then we shall perhaps understand the whole process of effort. Because when once we have created the idea, then effort comes into being. Then the problem arises, what to do, how to act? That is, we see that psychological dependency on another is a form of self-fulfillment; it is not love; in it there is conflict, in it there is fear, in it there is dependency, which corrodes; in it there is the desire to fulfill oneself through another, jealousy, and so on. We see that psychological dependency on another embraces all these facts. Then we proceed to create the idea, do we not? We do not directly experience the fact, the truth of it; but we look at it, and then create an idea of how to be free from dependency. We see the implications of psychological dependence, and then we create the idea of how to be free from it. We do not directly experience the truth, which is the liberating factor. But out of the experience of look ing at that fact, we create an idea. We are incapable of looking at it directly, without ideation. Then, having created the idea, we proceed to put that idea into action. Then we try to bridge the gap between idea and action - in which effort is involved.
Collected Works, Vol. VI - 355
Here is the daily quote. Please feel free to reflect upon this and post your contributions or comments.
It brings up a question that came up in our study group last Sunday about Krishnamurti's approach and what the negative approach means. That's is, rather than escaping to the positive all the time, go into the negative and feel it within yourself. Then the positive will be revealed. In other words, can dependency, like violence or inattention, observe itself, and isn't that observaing the miracle; isn't it the transformation that the escape into the positive creates methods and programs and jumps from this teacher to that teacher trying to find?
Let me know!
Robert
Find out what happens when a truth is put before you
How do we react when a truth is presented? Take, for example, what we were discussing the other day - the problem of fear. We realize that our activity and our being and our whole existence would be fundamentally altered if there were no fear of any kind in us. We may see that, we may see the truth of it; and thereby there is a freedom from fear. But for most of us, when a fact, a truth, is put before us, what is our immediate response? Please experiment with what I am saying; please do not merely listen. Watch your own reactions and find out what happens when a truth, a fact, is put before you - such as, 'Any dependency in relationship destroys relationship'. Now, when a statement of that kind is made, what is your response? Do you see, are you aware of the truth of it, and thereby dependency ceases? Or have you an idea about the fact? Here is a statement of truth. Do we experience the truth of it, or do we create an idea about it?
If we can understand the process of this creation of idea, then we shall perhaps understand the whole process of effort. Because when once we have created the idea, then effort comes into being. Then the problem arises, what to do, how to act? That is, we see that psychological dependency on another is a form of self-fulfillment; it is not love; in it there is conflict, in it there is fear, in it there is dependency, which corrodes; in it there is the desire to fulfill oneself through another, jealousy, and so on. We see that psychological dependency on another embraces all these facts. Then we proceed to create the idea, do we not? We do not directly experience the fact, the truth of it; but we look at it, and then create an idea of how to be free from dependency. We see the implications of psychological dependence, and then we create the idea of how to be free from it. We do not directly experience the truth, which is the liberating factor. But out of the experience of look ing at that fact, we create an idea. We are incapable of looking at it directly, without ideation. Then, having created the idea, we proceed to put that idea into action. Then we try to bridge the gap between idea and action - in which effort is involved.
Collected Works, Vol. VI - 355
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Daily Quote, Saturday February 14, 2009
Good morning everyone!
Here is today's quote. Hope you have a wonderful day. :-)
Best wishes
Robert
A truth is not perceived through any volition
Is it possible to understand anything without effort? Is it possible to see what is real, what is true, without introducing the action of will? - which is essentially based on the self, the 'me'. And if we do not make an effort, is there not a danger of deterioration, of going to sleep, of stagnation? Perhaps this evening, as I am talking, we can experiment with this individually, and see how far we can go through this question. For I feel the thing that brings happiness, quietness, tranquillity of the mind, does not come through any effort. A truth is not perceived through any volition, through any action of will. And if we can go into it very carefully and diligently, perhaps we shall find the answer.
Collected Works, Vol. VI - 354
Good morning everyone!
Here is today's quote. Hope you have a wonderful day. :-)
Best wishes
Robert
A truth is not perceived through any volition
Is it possible to understand anything without effort? Is it possible to see what is real, what is true, without introducing the action of will? - which is essentially based on the self, the 'me'. And if we do not make an effort, is there not a danger of deterioration, of going to sleep, of stagnation? Perhaps this evening, as I am talking, we can experiment with this individually, and see how far we can go through this question. For I feel the thing that brings happiness, quietness, tranquillity of the mind, does not come through any effort. A truth is not perceived through any volition, through any action of will. And if we can go into it very carefully and diligently, perhaps we shall find the answer.
Collected Works, Vol. VI - 354
Friday, February 13, 2009
Daily Quote, Friday Feb 13, 2009
The Krishnamurti Foundation puts out a daily quote by Krishnamurti. They follow a theme and so I thought I'd add this to the blog everyday as something else to work with in building an understanding of his teachings. I hope it proves to be useful. I'll be adding it every morning around 7am.
Once again, feel free to add your posting as you reflect on it and maybe relate it to something that came up in your reading and the study groups.
Best wishes
Robert
Here's today's:
Reaction breeds sorrow
So action which is born of reaction breeds sorrow. Most of our thoughts are the result of the past, of time. A mind that is not built on the past, that has totally understood this whole process of reaction, can act every minute totally, completely, wholly.
Please do listen. What I am going to say will probably be rather difficult. So, listen as though you are far away. I am going to talk about something which you will come to, if you have gone through all this sweetly, with pleasure. When you have gone through the whole process of action born of reaction, and denied it with enchantment, with joy - not with pain - then you will see that you will come naturally, easily, to a state of mind that is the very essence of beauty.
Collected Works, Vol. XIII - 143
The Krishnamurti Foundation puts out a daily quote by Krishnamurti. They follow a theme and so I thought I'd add this to the blog everyday as something else to work with in building an understanding of his teachings. I hope it proves to be useful. I'll be adding it every morning around 7am.
Once again, feel free to add your posting as you reflect on it and maybe relate it to something that came up in your reading and the study groups.
Best wishes
Robert
Here's today's:
Reaction breeds sorrow
So action which is born of reaction breeds sorrow. Most of our thoughts are the result of the past, of time. A mind that is not built on the past, that has totally understood this whole process of reaction, can act every minute totally, completely, wholly.
Please do listen. What I am going to say will probably be rather difficult. So, listen as though you are far away. I am going to talk about something which you will come to, if you have gone through all this sweetly, with pleasure. When you have gone through the whole process of action born of reaction, and denied it with enchantment, with joy - not with pain - then you will see that you will come naturally, easily, to a state of mind that is the very essence of beauty.
Collected Works, Vol. XIII - 143
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Adminstration note on Groups and Meeting Dates
Hi everyone,
This first post is just an administrative note. It’s quite important so please read all the way through.
As there are about 15 of us interested in studying Krishnamurti’s teachings, I thought it would be helpful to split our group into two.
About 8 people per group seems ideal and has the added benefit that there will now be a study group meeting every Sunday from 5:30-7:30pm. So if you are away for work or ill, you have an opportunity to drop into the other group and catch-up.
This makes the blog quite handy. If we all make regular postings it will keep us in touch with what the other group is looking at and might facilitate some cross-group dialogues which might be very interesting.
From time to time the two groups will meet up anyway, such as when we have a DVD evening to look at and discuss some of Krishnamurti’s talks and conversations.
Here are the groups and the dates for the meetings so you can refer back to them as needed.
Group A, which is meeting at Uncommon Grounds (5:30-7:30pm).
Pauline
Jackie
Jeff
Karen
Maureen
Jacob
Angela
Melissa
Group B, which is meeting at the Second Cup (5:30-7:30pm).
Amanda
Dorothy
Laureen
Scott
Ted
Dates:
Feb 8 – A
Feb 15 – B
Feb 22 – A
March 1 – B
March 8 – A
March 15 – B
March 22 – A
March 29 - B
April 5 – A
April 12 – B
April 19 – A
April 26 – B
May 3 – A
May 10 – B
May 17 – A
May 24 – B
May 31 – A
June 7 – B
June 14 – A
June 21 – B
June 28 – A
July 5 – B
I’m actually going to be out of town from July 7 – August 16.
It’s very exciting for me as I’m going to the Krishnamurti Foundation in the Ojai Valley in California. I’ll be taking two courses on Krishnamurti’s teachings and two courses on Krishnamurti’s approach to education and teaching.
My fifth week will be spent doing research for myself in the Foundation’s Education Center where they have a vast archive and library of Krishnamurti’s teachings.
I’m hoping that you’ll be able to keep the study groups going while I’m away. Maybe one person from each can step into the facilitator role if that position is still needed by then.
We can keep in touch via email of course and now we have the blog too. I will make every effort to make a daily posting while I’m there, even if it’s just a short one, so you’ll have an idea of what I’m working on.
I’ll be ready to rejoin the weekly schedule from Sunday August 23. It might be nice if I give a short report on my experiences for part of the first two meetings.
You might be wondering what we’ll do after we’ve finished reading and talking about The Awakening of Intelligence?
I’d like us to view all or part of a DVD of Krishnamurti in conversation with Dr. Allan Anderson. This was recorded a short while after The Awakening of Intelligence was published. It’s referred to now and then throughout the conversations, and so it’s a nice compliment to reading the book.
We could view the DVDs over a couple of weeks. We would need a place to view them, so if anyone is able to volunteer to be host at their home please let me know. I’m guessing that we’ll be ready for this on April 19 and April 26.
After that I’m thinking that it would be interesting to read The Ending of Time. This is a series of conversations between Krishnamurti and the physicist David Bohm.
I’m open to everyone’s suggestions for reading after that.
The First and Last Freedom is quite famous. So is a Whole New Way of Living, and the series of writings on education are very interesting too. I’d like get to the latter before the summer if we can.
If we make our book orders as a group we could support one of our local independent bookstores, The Bookmark, with a special order.
The cost of The Ending of Time is about $15.00 per copy. If we want it for May 3, we should probably put our order in by March 15. Let me know if you want to do this and I can take cash for the order.
For the use of the blog, you are all authors on the blog, which means you can make postings yourself whenever you like.
I will make a blog posting after every meeting, just drawing attention to what were the most interesting and useful points that came out the meeting for me. I hope you’ll do the same and that we’ll reply to each other. Please don’t wait for me to post something! J
Finally, just a short note on what I guess we could call protocol.
Please don’t feel like you can’t come to the study group if you don’t get all the reading done. That’s ok. It is important to keep up with the reading though. I always make short notes as I go through a book. If it’s a first read, I usually read all of it straight through and then go back and make notes.
The notes helps to create a thread on the page in front of me and it often makes me pause and really take what he is saying and look at it my myself, which is the whole idea of course.
I would definitely suggest that you look at each book we read as something to read again 5 or 6 times. Not necessarily during the time we have to focus on it but over a year or two for sure. I promise that you’ll keep seeing new things every time. It’s a good way to deepen your understanding.
At the same time if you feel like you are getting confused with what Krishnamurti is saying please bring this up at the study group or on the blog. Other people might be able to clarify things. Sometimes just hearing something put in a different way can make a huge difference.
You might also find that watching the DVDs will help. Remember that you can find a lot of Krishnamurti videos YouTube but don’t let this become a substitute for reading and thinking for yourself. Watching and listening is far too passive a medium to ever be a truly effective learning tool. Reading, thinking it through for yourself and conversation with others is far better. J
Last of all, I want to say thank you to all of you for responding so enthusiastically to the study group.
There are a lot of possibilities ahead in terms of what we can do as a study group if you are really taken by what Krishnamurti has to say and want to keep pursuing it. I’ll start to outline these as we go along.
Best wishes to everyone.
Robert
Hi everyone,
This first post is just an administrative note. It’s quite important so please read all the way through.
As there are about 15 of us interested in studying Krishnamurti’s teachings, I thought it would be helpful to split our group into two.
About 8 people per group seems ideal and has the added benefit that there will now be a study group meeting every Sunday from 5:30-7:30pm. So if you are away for work or ill, you have an opportunity to drop into the other group and catch-up.
This makes the blog quite handy. If we all make regular postings it will keep us in touch with what the other group is looking at and might facilitate some cross-group dialogues which might be very interesting.
From time to time the two groups will meet up anyway, such as when we have a DVD evening to look at and discuss some of Krishnamurti’s talks and conversations.
Here are the groups and the dates for the meetings so you can refer back to them as needed.
Group A, which is meeting at Uncommon Grounds (5:30-7:30pm).
Pauline
Jackie
Jeff
Karen
Maureen
Jacob
Angela
Melissa
Group B, which is meeting at the Second Cup (5:30-7:30pm).
Amanda
Dorothy
Laureen
Scott
Ted
Dates:
Feb 8 – A
Feb 15 – B
Feb 22 – A
March 1 – B
March 8 – A
March 15 – B
March 22 – A
March 29 - B
April 5 – A
April 12 – B
April 19 – A
April 26 – B
May 3 – A
May 10 – B
May 17 – A
May 24 – B
May 31 – A
June 7 – B
June 14 – A
June 21 – B
June 28 – A
July 5 – B
I’m actually going to be out of town from July 7 – August 16.
It’s very exciting for me as I’m going to the Krishnamurti Foundation in the Ojai Valley in California. I’ll be taking two courses on Krishnamurti’s teachings and two courses on Krishnamurti’s approach to education and teaching.
My fifth week will be spent doing research for myself in the Foundation’s Education Center where they have a vast archive and library of Krishnamurti’s teachings.
I’m hoping that you’ll be able to keep the study groups going while I’m away. Maybe one person from each can step into the facilitator role if that position is still needed by then.
We can keep in touch via email of course and now we have the blog too. I will make every effort to make a daily posting while I’m there, even if it’s just a short one, so you’ll have an idea of what I’m working on.
I’ll be ready to rejoin the weekly schedule from Sunday August 23. It might be nice if I give a short report on my experiences for part of the first two meetings.
You might be wondering what we’ll do after we’ve finished reading and talking about The Awakening of Intelligence?
I’d like us to view all or part of a DVD of Krishnamurti in conversation with Dr. Allan Anderson. This was recorded a short while after The Awakening of Intelligence was published. It’s referred to now and then throughout the conversations, and so it’s a nice compliment to reading the book.
We could view the DVDs over a couple of weeks. We would need a place to view them, so if anyone is able to volunteer to be host at their home please let me know. I’m guessing that we’ll be ready for this on April 19 and April 26.
After that I’m thinking that it would be interesting to read The Ending of Time. This is a series of conversations between Krishnamurti and the physicist David Bohm.
I’m open to everyone’s suggestions for reading after that.
The First and Last Freedom is quite famous. So is a Whole New Way of Living, and the series of writings on education are very interesting too. I’d like get to the latter before the summer if we can.
If we make our book orders as a group we could support one of our local independent bookstores, The Bookmark, with a special order.
The cost of The Ending of Time is about $15.00 per copy. If we want it for May 3, we should probably put our order in by March 15. Let me know if you want to do this and I can take cash for the order.
For the use of the blog, you are all authors on the blog, which means you can make postings yourself whenever you like.
I will make a blog posting after every meeting, just drawing attention to what were the most interesting and useful points that came out the meeting for me. I hope you’ll do the same and that we’ll reply to each other. Please don’t wait for me to post something! J
Finally, just a short note on what I guess we could call protocol.
Please don’t feel like you can’t come to the study group if you don’t get all the reading done. That’s ok. It is important to keep up with the reading though. I always make short notes as I go through a book. If it’s a first read, I usually read all of it straight through and then go back and make notes.
The notes helps to create a thread on the page in front of me and it often makes me pause and really take what he is saying and look at it my myself, which is the whole idea of course.
I would definitely suggest that you look at each book we read as something to read again 5 or 6 times. Not necessarily during the time we have to focus on it but over a year or two for sure. I promise that you’ll keep seeing new things every time. It’s a good way to deepen your understanding.
At the same time if you feel like you are getting confused with what Krishnamurti is saying please bring this up at the study group or on the blog. Other people might be able to clarify things. Sometimes just hearing something put in a different way can make a huge difference.
You might also find that watching the DVDs will help. Remember that you can find a lot of Krishnamurti videos YouTube but don’t let this become a substitute for reading and thinking for yourself. Watching and listening is far too passive a medium to ever be a truly effective learning tool. Reading, thinking it through for yourself and conversation with others is far better. J
Last of all, I want to say thank you to all of you for responding so enthusiastically to the study group.
There are a lot of possibilities ahead in terms of what we can do as a study group if you are really taken by what Krishnamurti has to say and want to keep pursuing it. I’ll start to outline these as we go along.
Best wishes to everyone.
Robert
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