Creative Emptiness

Creative emptiness is not possible so long as there is the thinker who is waiting, watching, observing in order to gather experience, in order to strengthen himself. Can the mind ever be empty of all symbols, of all words with their sensations, so that there is no experiencer who is accumulating? Is it possible for the mind to put aside completely all the reasonings, the experiences, the impositions, authorities, so that it is in a state of emptiness? You will not be able to answer this question, naturally; it is an impossible question for you to answer, because you do not know, you have never tried. But, if I may suggest, listen to it, let the question be put to you, let the seed be sown; and it will bear fruit if you really listen to it, if you do not resist it.
It is only the new that can transform, not the old. If you pursue the pattern of the old, any change is a modified continuity of the old; there is nothing new in that, there is nothing creative. The creative can come into being only when the mind itself is new; and the mind can renew itself only when it is capable of seeing all its own activities, not only at the superficial level, but deep down. When the mind sees its own activities, is aware of its own desires, demands, urges, pursuits, the creation of its own authorities, fears; when it sees in itself the resistance created by discipline, by control, and the hope which projects beliefs, ideals - when the mind sees through, is aware of this whole process, can it put aside all these things and be new, creatively empty? You will find out whether it can or cannot only if you experiment without having an opinion about it, without wanting to experience that creative state. If you want to experience it, you will; but what you experience is not creative emptiness, it is only a projection of desire. If you desire to experience the new, you are merely indulging in illusion; but if you begin to observe, to be aware of your own activities from day to day, from moment to moment, watching the whole process of yourself as in a mirror, then, as you go deeper and deeper, you will come to the ultimate question of this emptiness in which alone there can be the new.
J. Krishnamurti

The First and Last Freedom

Perhaps, in coming to this point, we have used the conscious mind; we have followed the argument, we have opposed or accepted it, we have seen it clearly or dimly. To go further and experience more deeply requires a mind that is quiet and alert to find out, does it not? It is no longer pursuing ideas because, if you pursue an idea, there is the thinker following what is being said and so you immediately create duality. If you want to go further into this matter of fundamental change, is it not necessary for the active mind to be quiet? Surely it is only when the mind is quiet that it can understand the enormous difficulty, the complex implications of the thinker and the thought as two separate processes, the experiencer and the experienced, the observer and the observed. Revolution, this psychological, creative revolution in which the 'me' is not, comes only when the thinker and the thought are one, when there is no duality such as the thinker controlling thought; and I suggest it is this experience alone that releases the creative energy which in turn brings about a fundamental revolution, the breaking up of the psychological 'me'.
We know the way of power - power through domination, power through discipline, power through compulsion. Through political power we hope to change fundamentally; but such power only breeds further darkness, disintegration evil, the strengthening of the 'me'. We are familiar with the various forms of acquisition, both individually and as groups, but we have never tried the way of love, and we don't even know what it means. Love is not possible so long as there is the thinker, the centre of the 'me'.
(to be continued)
J. Krishnamurti

On Loving Fiercely

The day will come when, after harnessing the winds, the tides and gravitation, we shall harness for God the energies of love. And on that day, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.

 Teilhard de Chardin

A cat in repose

Dignified, loyal, brave, graceful, peaceful, affectionate, intelligent, funny, entertaining – these are just some of the adjectives that cats possess.When you see a cat in repose, in what appears for all the world to be a state of meditation, there is a sense of wisdom there, a sense that he or she knows some kind of secret to life that only they are able to perceive and fully understand. There is a feeling of mystery in the feline existence, in the feline nature, which seems to be different from what you find in any other species or group of species. Possession of this knowledge seems to be the explanation for their unflappable, meditative nature, the one he/she shows when he/she is in the company of humans they know they can trust.

Your worst enemy

We are trained to fear, resist, and fixate upon external enemies and to see ourselves as our most faithful and loyal friend. This is an inversion—most people never experience an external enemy that even begins to match the power of the opponent within. Although you may not know it, one of the greatest blessings that you can experience is a single moment of your life in which you are not your own worst enemy. 

- Paul Richards

Eye of the Hurricane

We join spokes together in a wheel
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move

We shape clay into pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want

We hammer wood for a house,
but it is inner space
that makes it livable

We work with being
but non-being is what we use

- Laozi in Tao Te Ching

Fall Fitness and Friends

As Summer transitions into Fall gracefully, it was time to make the most of warm afternoons filled with sunny warmth and gentle cooling breeze. I took my mat and headed outdoors for an afternoon of yoga. Recently, I had the good fortune of assisting my mentor and her class on the lawns of a beautiful winery near my house. The icing on the top being live music by a really talented musician, who does not believe in recording his music.
Being in nature really makes your yoga practice special. Like, in twisted chair, as I gazed skyward, I saw an eagle gliding and just like that, I wanted to do a bird pose and fly with that majestic creature.

Quick tips to remember while heading outdoors,
- Bring a thick mat especially while doing your practice on uneven surfaces
- Stay hydrated, apply sunscreen
- Dress in layers, have a jacket handy for savasana
- Be prepared to be stared at by curious onlookers
- Watch for bugs
- Bring along a friend and make it a really special practice