Life 07 (Apr 10 - Jun 10)

[winston]

Discrimation

Mountain peaks are charming from a distance. When approached, they confront us with terrifying jungles. So too, the objective world appears charming when you have not delved into its meaning and value.

When discrimination is employed to explore its value, the truth is revealed that the ‘jungles’ of family or the world cannot give genuine happiness.

You should learn "the Knowledge of the Self" and become aware of your reality. By learning it and living it, you can quench your thirst and help to quench the thirst of all mankind.


Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

The act of listening

Q: Why is it so difficult to empty one's mind?

Krishnamurti : Now just listen to that question. Why is it so difficult to empty the mind? Listen to this. The speaker stated: meditation is the emptying of the mind of the activity of the self. You heard it. You have drawn a conclusion from it, saying, "How am I to do it?" - and in the very doing of it, it has become very difficult.

So you ask the question, "Why is it so difficult to empty the mind?" That is, you haven't listened to the statement at all. You have drawn a conclusion from that statement saying, "I'd like to do that, but by Jove, how difficult it is" - you have understood?

If you listen to it and not draw an abstraction from it, that is, "I must empty the mind", then "How am I to do it and how difficult it is", then you have an immense problem, you can't empty the mind, do what you will you can't empty it, because the desire to empty it is part of the activity of the self.

But if you listen to it, listen to the statement, knowing you can't do a thing about it, just listen to it - look sirs, I listen to that aeroplane, listen to it. Listen to it without any resistance; listen to it saying, "I am trying to understand what he is talking about, how can I listen to that aeroplane, I want to listen to him" - you follow?

Whereas if you just listen to that aeroplane without any resistance, then what takes place? You are just listening. There is no difficulty. But whereas if you listen to the statement that meditation is that, then you go into all kinds of tantrums, see all the difficulties, say, how can you do this living in this beastly world and so on and so on.

Whereas if you listened totally and completely then that very act of listening has produced in the mind a movement which is not the activity of the self. And that movement operates in daily life without any difficulty.

- Saanen 7th Public Talk 29th July 1973 Collected Works

Source: jkrishnamurthi.com

[winston]

What is the best time to worship the Divine ?

For establishing oneself in the contemplation of the Omnipresent Lord, there are no limitations of time or space. There is nothing like a special time or a holy place.

Wherever the mind revels in the contemplation of the Divine, that becomes the holy place. Whenever the mind meditates on the Divine, that becomes the most auspicious moment.

The world can achieve prosperity through disciplined souls whose hearts are pure and who represent the salt of the earth. Everyone, from this very moment, should pray for the advent of such holy souls, try to deserve the blessings of the great, endeavour to forget one’s sufferings and promote the welfare of the world.


Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

What is the special formula to attain spiritual victory?

You have to achieve many objectives during this life. The highest and the most valuable of these is winning the mercy and love of the Divine.

The love of the Divine will add unto you, the wisdom you need for attaining unshakeable inner peace. Everyone should endeavour to have an understanding of the true nature of the Divine.

If you want to succeed in this pursuit, you have to cultivate the spirit of Service and be engaged in good deeds which will earn you the gratitude of all people.

Thus, you not only accomplish the task of cleansing your consciousness, but also become a fit candidate for achieving spiritual victory.


Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Why is it important to pay attention to the possibilities in this life?

Acquisition of the Higher Knowledge alone can fulfil the main purpose of human life. Such knowledge makes one aware that one is not the inert, non-sentient body, but is really the consciousness itself manifesting as the embodiment of "Being-Awareness-Bliss".

When this truth dawns and is experienced, one is liberated; one is freed from the fog of ignorance even in this very life. One becomes a person liberated even while alive.


Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

Being aware of conditionning

Now, can the mind be aware of its own conditioning and not try to battle against it? When the mind is aware that it is conditioned and does not battle against it, only then is the mind free to give its complete attention to this conditioning.

The difficulty is to be aware of conditioning without the distraction of trying to do something about it. But if the mind is constantly aware of the known, that is, of the prejudices, the assumptions, the beliefs, the desires, the illusory thinking of our daily life, if it is aware of all this without trying to be free, then that very awareness brings its own freedom.

Then perhaps it is possible for the mind to be really still, not just still at a certain level of consciousness and frightfully agitated below. There can be total stillness of the mind only when the mind understands the whole problem of conditioning, how it is conditioned, which means watching, off and on, every movement of thought, being aware of the assumptions, the beliefs, the fears.

Then perhaps there is a total stillness of the mind in which something beyond the mind can come into being.

- Sydney 5th Public Talk 23rd November, 1955 The Collected Works


Source: jkrishnamurthi.com

[winston]

I want to understand myself

Questioner: I want to understand myself, I want to put an end to my stupid struggles and make a definite effort to live fully and truly.

Krishnamurti: What do you mean when you use the term 'myself'? As you are many and ever changing is there an enduring moment when you can say that this is the ever me? It is the multiple entity, the bundle of memories that must be understood and not seemingly the one entity that calls itself the me.

We are everchanging contradictory thoughts-feelings: love and hate, peace and passion, intelligence and ignorance. Now which is the me in all of this? Shall I choose what is most pleasing and discard the rest?

Who is it that must understand these contradictory and conflicting selves? Is there a permanent self, a spiritual entity apart from these? Is not that self also the continuing result of the conflict of many entities?

Is there a self that is above and beyond all contradictory selves? The truth of it can be experienced only when the contradictory selves are understood and transcended. All the conflicting entities which make up the me have also brought into being the other me, the observer, the analyser.

To understand myself I must understand the many parts of myself including the I who has become the watcher, the I who understands. The thinker must not only understand his many contradictory thoughts but he must understand himself as the creator of these many entities.

The I, the thinker, the observer watches his opposing and conflicting thoughts-feelings as though he were not part of them, as though he were above and beyond them, controlling, guiding, shaping. But is not the I, the thinker, also these conflicts?

Has he not created them? Whatever the level, is the thinker separate from his thoughts? The thinker is the creator of opposing urges, assuming different roles at different times according to his pleasure and pain.

To comprehend himself the thinker must come upon himself through his many aspects. A tree is not just the flower and the fruit but is the total process. Similarly to understand myself I must without identification and choice be aware of the total process that is the me.

- The Collected Works Ojai California 3rd Public Talk 1945

Source: jkrishnamurthi.com

[winston]

What is the role of a monk in the society?

The role of a monk can be likened to a species of fish. The fish moves around in the depth of the lake; it does not stay at one spot. And while moving around, it eats up worms and the eggs of pests, thus cleansing the water.

So too, the monk should always be on the move, journeying into the far corners of the land. His duty is to cleanse the society of evil by his example and precept. He must transform it by his teachings into a society free from vice and wickedness.


Source: radiosai.org

[winston]

To live differently

QUESTION: The whole world of nature is a competition to survive. Is it not innate in humans to struggle for the same reason? And are we not struggling against our basic nature in seeking to change?

Krishnamurti: Don't change. It's very simple. If you want to remain as you are, carry on, nobody is going to prevent you. Religions have tried to civilize man. But they haven't succeeded. On the contrary.

Some religions, like Christianity, have killed more people than anybody on earth. Right? I don't know if you have watched this. They have had two appalling wars, and they have killed millions. Not only Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung, these wars have destroyed. Right?

And if we carry on this way, not wanting to change, it's all right. But the question is: nature struggles to achieve light, like in a forest, for example. And it is a struggle. Right? The big, the stronger kills the weaker in nature. The tiger kills the deer, the lion kills some other thing, this goes on, this is part of nature.

And the questioner says, if it is part of nature, why should we change at all? Because it's intrinsic. Why do we say it's intrinsic? Why do we say, there it's all right, and therefore it's all right with us too; and so why bother to change. It's part of us, part of nature, part of our existence, intrinsically this is what we are.

And if that is so, that it is instinct, that it's innate in us, which one questions very deeply, then I can't change anything. But why should we accept that it's innate in us? Is it my indolence that says, "For God's sake, leave it all alone."

Is it my sense of exhaustion? Or we are supposed to be as human beings a little more intelligent, little more reasonable, little more sane, and we are supposed to use our sanity, our intelligence, our experience to live differently? Right?

To live differently. Perhaps that difference may be total; and not just remain as a mediocre person which is now being encouraged for human beings to remain mediocre, through their education and all the rest of it.

- Ojai 6th Public Talk 21st July 1955


Source: jkrishnamurthi.com

[winston]

What is the purpose of the incarnations of the Divine ?

People believe that incarnations of the Divine happen only for two reasons - the punishment of the wicked and the protection of the righteous. These represent only one aspect.

The Avatar or the Divine Incarnation is really the concretisation of the yearning of the seekers of the Divine. It is the solidified sweetness of the devotion of godly aspirants. The granting of peace and joy, and sense of fulfilment to seekers who have striven long... this too is His task.

The primary reason for the formless Divine to assume the Form is for the sake of the aspirants and the seekers.


Source: radiosai.org