Interviews > Previews

The notion that “we are not who or what we think we are” provides a bridge between Krishnamurti’s so-called teachings and Tibetan Buddhism. The whole question of enlightenment, self-realization, seeing the truth or the nature of illusion, along with the hundreds of hours of talks and dialogues I had experienced of Krishnamurti, seemed to focus on the images and beliefs we have of ourselves and others; in a word, identity. We begin by exploring the Self as we know it. Themes: The Self As We Know, Misconception, Emptiness, Direct Perception, Enchantment, Language Divides, What Is It That Reincarnates? and Different Realms, Dimensions and Realities.

We continue in 2012 by exploring the role of mental images and the self as we think of it as heart or center of Krishnamurti’s basic insight. We discuss the many layers and categories of mental images. Krishnamurti was referring to the limitation and also the trickiness of the thought process. Buddhism also talks about the thought process, thought as a concept, and direct perception, which are two different levels of mind that are always operating. Themes: The Self As Image, What’s in a Name?, Relative and Absolute Realities, Tibetan Monastic Training: Understanding the Mind, Identification and Confusion, Karma Is Like a Hangover, Spiritual Kindergarten and Levels and With or Without Methods.

We continue by digging deeper into the nature of Self. There are no different kinds of self. Self is the self. But there are so many different ways of grasping the self, how we conceive of the self. What we usually conceive of or what our thought imagines about the self does not really exist. The actual self is entirely different from what we imagine. If you are a believer in reincarnation, birth and rebirth, you identify as an individual, a person. But who or what will take the next life? Who are you? What we generally call a person, a self, is absolutely misconceived, misunderstood. No one knows who I am. Themes include: The Self Is the Self, One Soul or Many, Masters or No Masters, Distortion, Converting the Unknown into the Known, Telepathy, Gestures, and Words, Resonate Subtle Consciousness, If You Understand Reality Completely Everything Fits, Rituals, Krishnamurti, and the Theosophical Society.

We begin this interview by exploring "magic" and "occult" powers. Magic or black magic is simply creating illusions in the mind of the watcher or seer. In reality there’s nothing there, but the watcher can see horses or elephants or whatever it may be. In the Tibetan language, we call it migthrul. That means creating an illusion in the eye or in the ear. We call this magic. Occult powers are completely different and cannot be achieved without some spiritual background. Magic may be used in many different ways and can be used as black magic to do harm; it may even come in a violent way. But occult power, by its nature, has to be used appropriately, for positive things, for helping others. I don’t think there’s any possibility of misuse. Themes include: Magic and Black Magic, If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him, Transformation That Is Not Dependent on Knowledge or Time, Transcendent Insight, Changing World-Changing Traditions, The Monastic Experience, The Eight-Fold Path and Krishnamurti, Are the Masters Relevant?, Why Do You Remain a Buddhist?, Krishnamurti’s Mission Is to Challenge, Confusion Leads to Inquiry and Has Tibet Gone Public with Its Secrets?

Two yers have passed. We meet again at Rinpoche's home in Dharamsala, India. We use the word consciousness. What does that mean? Can you define what Krishnamurti means by truth? We have beliefs about Jesus or the Maitreya. We have beliefs about reincarnation. What is the difference between truth and a belief? Is Buddhism a religion? The Dalai Lama said, “Buddhism is a very intellectual non-emotional religion.” What’s the difference between an emotional religion and an intellectual one? Let’s start with the word consciousness.

We continue by exploring the place and value of methods, so called spiritual practices and why Krishnamurti negates all this, why he insists that our repeated practices and rituals do not contribute to the liberation of the mind. Themes include: Ritual Conditioning, The Method Is Not the End, Removing Misconceptions, Truth and the Absolute, Fragmentation Leads to Conflict, Two Types of Virtues, and Samsara Is the Result of Ignorance.

We continue by exploring happiness, conditioning and freedom, how simple and obvious so called enlightenment or realization is if you know how to look, the synergy of attention, compassion and energy, there is no path, identity, name and fame, brain-mind duality, reincarnation and past lives, mediums, oracles, and celestial realms, the Theosophists’ idea of a vehicle and more.

We continue, Day Four by exploring how tTheosophical Society based many of its ideas and systems on the Tibetan culture. Other topics include: Krishnamurti Was Able to Stand on His Own, Krishnamurti Is Talking About the Human Mind, The Entire Process Becomes Distorted, The Ego Says, “I Have Done This,” Ignorance Cannot Be Removed by Ignorance, and others.