by winston » Wed May 27, 2009 11:34 am
The mind uses suffering…to enrich itself
A mind that is suffering obviously becomes insensitive because suffering is its occupation; the mind uses suffering as a means for its own protection.
My son dies, or my husband dies, and I am left alone; I have no companion, and I feel my life has been blotted out. So I keep on suffering, and my mind is not concerned with freedom from suffering, but I make suffering into another means of my existence.
The mind uses suffering, as it uses joy, to enrich itself because the mind thinks that without being occupied it is poor, it is empty, dull. This very occupation of the mind creates its own destruction.
Sorrow is not a thing to be occupied with, any more than joy. The mind must understand why there is sorrow, and not keep on being occupied with sorrow. The mind wants security, whether it is in suffering or in joy. So sorrow becomes the way of security.
This is not a harsh thing I am saying; for, if you think about it, if you look into it, you will see how the mind plays a trick on itself. It is only the unoccupied mind that is intelligent, that is sensitive.
The Collected Works vol VIII, pp 104-105
Source: jkrishnamurthi.com
It's all about "how much you made when you were right" & "how little you lost when you were wrong"