Silence comes when thought has understood its own beginning

Meditation is to be aware of thought, of feeling, never to correct it, never to say it is right or wrong, never to justify it, but just to watch it and move with it. In that watching and moving with that thought, with that feeling, you begin to understand and to be aware of the whole nature of thought and feeling. Silence comes when thought has understood its own beginning, the nature of itself, how all thought is never free but always old. To see all this, to see the movement of every thought, to understand it, to be aware of it, is to come to that silence which is meditation, in which the `observer' never is.

J. Krishnamurti/Saanen 1967

What is this fear?

Why are you, why is anybody, afraid? Is it based on not wanting to be hurt? Or is it that one wants complete security, and not being able to find it - this sense of complete safety, of protection, physically, emotionally, psychologically - one becomes terribly anxious about living? - so there is this sense of uncertainty. Now why is there fear? You have been hurt, haven't you? And out of that hurt you do all kinds of things. We resist a great deal, we don't want to be disturbed; out of that feeling of hurt we cling to something which we hope will protect us. Therefore we become aggressive towards anything that attacks what we are holding on to for protection. As a human being sitting here, wanting to resolve this problem of fear what is it that you are frightened of?

J. Krishnamurti/Saanen, 7 August 1971

Is there such a thing as distraction?

Is there such a thing as distraction? Surely the so-called distraction is obviously the thing in which the mind is interested; otherwise, you would not go after it. So, why condemn a thing by calling it a distraction? Whereas, if the mind is capable of not calling it distraction, but is pursuing each thought, being alert and aware of every thought that arises -not as a practice, but being aware of every thought that it is thinking-then there is no distraction, then there is no resistance.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955,Talk 2

Problem

A problem exists only when the mind desires to get somewhere, to achieve, to become something.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955, Talk 2

The inward structure of your mind

You may have a separate body, a different face, a different name and family, but the inward structure of your mind is essentially conditioned by society; therefore, you are not an individual. Surely, only the mind that is not bound by the impositions of society, with all the implications involved, can be free to find out that which is true and that which is God. Otherwise, all we do is merely to repeat catastrophe; otherwise, there is no possibility of that revolution which will bring about a totally different kind of world. It seems to me that is the only important thing -not to what society, to what group, to what religion you should or should not belong, which has all become so infantile, immature, but for you to find out for yourself if the mind can be totally free from all the impositions of custom, tradition, and belief, and thereby be free to find out what is true. Then only can we be creative human beings.
J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955, Talk 2

A state of mind in which there is no repetition

I do not mean by creativeness merely self-expression -writing a poem or painting a picture. I mean by that word something entirely different. Creativeness, reality, God, or what you will, must be a state of mind in which there is no repetition, in which there is no continuity through memory as we know it. God, or truth, must be totally new, unexperienced before -something which is not the product of memory, of knowledge, of experience. Because if it is the product of knowledge, it is merely a projection, a desire, a wish, and obviously that cannot be what is true or what is real. Reality must surely be something unimagined, unexpressed, totally new; and the mind which would discover such a reality must be unconditioned so that it is truly individual.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955,Talk 2

Who is the analyzer?

The division between contradiction and complete integration cannot be drawn intellectually, verbally. Integration comes into being only when there is the total understanding of oneself. And that understanding of oneself does not come through analysis because the problem then arises: Who is the analyzer? The analyzer himself is conditioned, obviously, and therefore that which he analyzes is also the result of conditioning. So, what is important is not how to eradicate self-contradiction but to understand the whole process of the conditioning of the mind. That can only be understood in relationship, in our daily life-seeing how the mind reacts, observing, watching, being aware, without condemning. Then you will see how extraordinarily difficult it is to free the mind because the mind assumes so many things; it has deposited so many assertions, values, beliefs. When the mind is constantly aware, without judging, without condemning, without comparing, then such a mind can begin to understand the total process of itself and therefore become still. Only in that stillness of mind can that which is real come into being.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam, Talk 1

The problem itself, in its unfolding, reveals extraordinary things

If you are merely looking for an answer to the various problems, then you will never find it; you will only find a solution that is suitable to you, that you like or dislike, that you reject or accept; but that is not the answer -it is only your response to a particular like or dislike. But if one does not seek an answer but looks at the problem, really investigates it, then the answer is in the problem itself. But you see, we are so eager to find an answer. We suffer; our life is a confusion of conflict, and we want to put an end to that confusion; we want to find a solution, and so we are everlastingly seeking an answer. Probably there is no answer in the way we want it answered.
But if we do not seek an answer- which is extraordinarily difficult, and which means to investigate the whole problem patiently, without condemnation, without accepting or rejecting, just investigate and proceed patiently- then you will find the problem itself, in its unfolding, reveals extraordinary things. For that, the mind must be free; it must not take sides, choose.
J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955, Talk 1

A real regeneration

It is important not to merely listen to what is being said and accept or reject it but to observe the process of our own thinking in all our relationships. For in relationship, which is the mirror, we see ourselves as we actually are. And if we do not condemn or compare, then it is possible to penetrate deeper into the whole process of consciousness. And it is only then that there can be a fundamental revolution -not the revolution of the communist or what you will, but a real regeneration in the deepest sense of that word. The man who is freeing himself from all conditioning, who is fully aware-such a man is a spiritual man, not the man who merely believes. And it is only such a spiritual man who is capable of producing a revolution in the world. Surely, that is the fundamental issue for all of us- not to substitute one belief for another belief, to join this group or that, to go from one religion to another, one cage to another. As individuals we are confronted with enormous problems, which can only be answered in the process of understanding ourselves. It is only such spiritual human beings-who are free, unconditioned-who can create a new world.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955,Talk 1

What I am is the fact

Any society that does not respond to the new challenge of a group or an individual obviously decays. And it seems to me that if we would create a new world, a new society, we must have a free mind. And that mind cannot come about without real self-knowledge. Do not say, 'All this has been said by so-and-so in the past. We can never find out the totality of our whole self.' On the contrary, I think one can. To find out, the mind must surely be in a state in which there is no condemnation. Because what I am is the fact. Whatever I am -jealous, envious, haughty, ambitious, whatever it be -can we not just observe it without condemnation? Because the very process of condemnation is another form of conditioning what is. If one would understand the whole process of the self, there must be no identification, condemnation, or judgment, but an awareness in which there is no choice- just observation. If you attempt it, you will see how extraordinarily difficult it is. Because all our morality, our social and educational training, leads us to compare and to condemn, to judge. And the moment you judge, you have stopped the process of inquiry, insight. Thus, in the process of relationship, one begins to discover what the ways of the self are.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955,Talk 1

The mind is frightened to let go of all authority

Self-knowledge, then, is the beginning of the freedom of the mind. There cannot be understanding of oneself, fundamentally, deeply, if there is any form of assumption, any authority, either of the past or of the present. But the mind is frightened to let go of all authority and investigate because it is afraid of not arriving at a particular result. So the mind is concerned with achieving a result, but not with the investigation to find out, to understand. That is why we cling to authority -religious, psychological, or philosophical. Being afraid, we demand guides, authorities, scriptures, saviors, inspiration in various forms, and so the mind is made incapable of standing alone and trying to find out. But one must stand alone, completely, totally alone, to find out what is true.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955,Talk 1

Investigation into myself is not possible if I assume anything

The mere rejection of a belief, of a particular church or a particular religion or other conditioning is not freedom. But to understand the whole process of it, go into it deeply, consciously, that requires a certain alertness of mind, the nonacceptance of all authority. To have self-knowledge, knowledge of myself as a total human being -the conscious as well as the unconscious, not just one fragment of myself- I must investigate, proceed to understand the whole nature of myself, find out step by step -but not according to any pattern or any philosophy, not according to any particular leader. Investigation into myself is not possible if I assume anything.

J. Krishnamurti/Amsterdam 1955,Talk 1

The new freedom from opposites

We should not use the word individual at all, nor the words mine and yours because they have no meaning, fundamentally. I am the result of my father and my mother and the environmental influence of the country and society. If I put myself in opposition, there is no understanding; the combination of opposites does not produce understanding. But if I become aware and observe the ways of duality, then I will begin to feel the new freedom from opposites. The world is divided into the opposites, the white and the dark, the good and the bad, mine and yours, and so on. In duality there is no understanding, each antithesis contains its own opposite. Our difficulty lies in thinking of these problems anew, to think of the world and yourself from a different point of view altogether, observing silently, without identifying and comparing. The ideas which you think are the result of what others have thought in combination with the present. Real uniqueness lies in the discovery of what is true and being in that discovery. This uniqueness, joy, and liberation which comes from this discovery is not to be found in the pride of possessions, of name, physical attributes, and tendencies. True freedom comes through self-knowledge which brings about right thinking; through self-knowledge there is the discovery of the true, which alone puts an end to our ignorance and sorrow.

Through self-awareness and self-knowledge peace is found, and in that serenity there is immortality.

J. Krishnamurti/Ojai 1944,Talk 1

Do you think competitive religion will bring peace, unity, and happiness to mankind?

Do you think competitive religion will bring peace, unity, and happiness to mankind? Do you think any specialized religion, whether it be Hinduism, Buddhism, or Christianity, will bring peace? Or must we set aside all specialized religions and discover reality for ourselves? When we see the world blasted by bombs and feel the horrors that are going on in it; when the world is broken up by separate religions, nationalities, races, ideologies, what is the answer to all this? We may not just go on living briefly and dying and hope some good will come out of it. We cannot leave it to others to bring happiness and peace to mankind; for mankind is ourselves, each one of us. Where does the solution lie, except in ourselves? To discover the real answer requires deep thought-feeling, and few of us are willing to solve this misery. If each one of us considers this problem as springing from within and is not merely driven helplessly along in this appalling confusion and misery, then we shall find a simple and direct answer.

J. Krishnamurti'Ojai 1944,Talk 1

The beginning and the end is in us

The discovery that lies in self-knowledge is arduous, for the beginning and the end is in us. To seek happiness, love, hope outside of us leads to illusion, to sorrow; to find happiness, peace, joy within requires self-knowledge. We are slaves to the immediate pressures and demands of the world, and we are drawn away by all that and dissipate our energies in all that, and so we have little time to study ourselves. To be deeply cognizant of our motives, of our desires to achieve, to become, demands constant, inward awareness. Without understanding ourselves, superficial devices of economic and social reform, however necessary and beneficial, will not produce unity in the world but only greater confusion and misery.

J. Krishnamurti/Ojai 1944,Talk 1

A voyage of self-discovery, which brings joy

To bring about in each one of us the capacity to discover what is true becomes essential, for what is discovered is liberating, creative. For what is discovered is true. That is, if we merely conform to a pattern of what we ought to be or yield to a craving, it does produce certain results which are conflicting, confusing, but in the process of our study of ourselves, we are on a voyage of self-discovery, which brings joy.

J. Krishnurti/Ojai 1944,Talk 1

Our body, our feelings, our thoughts

To understand ourselves requires objective, kindly, dispassionate study of ourselves, ourselves being the organism as a whole -our body, our feelings, our thoughts. They are not separate, they are interrelated. It is only when we understand the organism as a whole that we can go beyond and discover still further, greater, vaster things. But without this primary understanding, without laying right foundation for right thinking, we cannot proceed to greater heights.

J. KrishnamurtiOjai 1944,Talk 1

What am I?

What am I? I am a result; I am the result of the past, of innumerable layers of the past, of a series of causes-effects. And how can I be opposed to the whole, the past, when I am the result of all that? If I, who am the mass, the whole, if I do not understand myself, not only what is outside my skin, objectively, but subjectively, inside the skin, how can I understand another, the world? To understand oneself requires kindly and tolerant detachment. If you do not understand yourself, you will not understand anything else; you may have great ideals, beliefs, and formulations, but they will have no reality. They will be delusions. So you must know yourself to understand the present and through the present, the past. From the known present, the hidden layers of the past are discovered and this discovery is liberating and creative.

J. Krishnamueti/Ojai 1944,Talk 1

A new and happier culture

Amidst so much confusion and sorrow it is essential to find creative understanding of ourselves, for without it no relationship is possible. Only through right thinking can there be understanding. Neither leaders nor a new set of values nor a blueprint can bring about this creative understanding; only through our own right effort can there be right understanding.
How is it possible then to find this essential understanding? From where shall we start to discover what is real, what is true, in all this conflagration, confusion, and misery? Is it not important to find out for ourselves how to think rightly about war and peace, about economic and social conditions, about our relationship to our fellow men? Surely there is a difference between right thinking and right or conditioned thought. We may be able to produce in ourselves imitatively right thought, but such thought is not right thinking. Right or conditioned thought is uncreative. But when we know how to think rightly for ourselves, which is to be living, dynamic, then it is possible to bring about a new and happier culture.

J. Krishnamurti/Ojai 1944,Talk 1

It reveals itself in every relationship

The immeasurable is not of this world; it is not put together by the mind because what the mind has put together, the mind can undo. To understand the immeasurable, which is to enter into a different world altogether, we must understand this world in which we live, this world which we have created and of which we are a part -the world of ambition, greed, envy, hatred, the world of separation, fear, and lust. That means we must understand ourselves, the unconscious as well as the conscious, and this is not very difficult if you set your mind to it. If you really want to know the totality of your own being, you can easily discover it. It reveals itself in every relationship, at every moment, when you are entering the bus, getting a taxi, or talking to someone.

But most of us are not concerned with that because it requires serious endeavor, persistent inquiry. Most of us are very superficial; we are easily satisfied with such words as God, love, beauty. We call ourselves Christians, Buddhists, or Hindus and think we have solved the whole problem. We must shed all that, let it drop away completely, and it will drop away only when we begin to know ourselves deeply. It is only through understanding ourselves that we shall find something which is beyond all measure.

J. Krishnamurti/Hamburg 1956,Talk 6