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J. Krishnamurti – A different quality of life – Video

J. Krishnamurti – A different quality of life – Transcript

First of all I would like to remind you if I maythat this is not a lecture.A lecture is intended to informinstruct and bring about certain datafactual or imaginative and so on.So this is not a lecturebut a conversation between you and the speakera conversation in which you and the speaker are sharingwalking together through the whole field of existencenot only outwardly externally but also inwardly.And to understand each other we must think togethernot agree or disagree but to have the capacityto observe together think togetherexplore together and share what we have explorednot from any particular point of view either yours or that of the speaker.If this is very clear from the beginningthat we are together going to take a long journeyboth externally and in the whole psychological worldwhich is much more complex than the external world.And to explore both the outer and the inner requires a very clearobjective non-emotional non-romantic observation.I hope this is clear.Why do you come to listen?That’s an important question to ask.Is it merely to have some kind of religious emotional excitement?Or is it you want to discover for yourself a way of livingwhich must be totally different from the way we are living now?Because at present the world is in great troublegreat uncertaintythere is a great deal of insecurity for human beings.So if one may ask most respectfully why do you come?And why does the speaker have to make a speech? You understand?Why you come why the speaker has to say something.Please are you listening to what I am saying?Why you come and why I speak every year here in Bombay?Are you really interested concerned with the world as it isand to find out if possiblewhether a few of us or all of uscan bring about a way of living which is not monotonousboring routine all the ugliness of modern existence.If that is why you comebecause you want to find out from the speakerwho apparently has a certain reputation- and are you listening to the reputationthe image you have built about himor are you listening to him to what he has to say?And what has the speaker to say – you understand?The speaker has to say great many thingsboth obvious both logical rational sane.And also he has perhapsa way of looking at life totally different.A way of thinking observingthe whole complex process of life.And if you and the speaker meetthen we can go along together.You are sure why you comewhat your intention iswhether you are seriousor ready to be amused to be entertainedthen you and the speaker won’t meetyou will listen to a lot of wordsand those words will have very little meaning.But if we are together taking the journey togetherthen one discovers enormouslya great many things of life. Right?If this is clear that you have comenot merely out of curiositynot merely as a follower – and I hope you are not -or merely come to be entertainedamused to be told what to dothen I am afraid you and the speaker will not be able to meet.But if you have come with the intention with the urgewith that quality of seriousness to find out for yourselfa way of living which must be rationallogical sane in this mad world.And the speaker has certain responsibilityto make what he has to say clearlynot obscurely objectively.It has to be objective clear rational. Right?Do we understand each other now? I hope so.And also it’s important that you questionwhat the speaker is sayingdoubt be sceptical.Not say ‘Well I agree or disagree he is right or wrong’but scepticism questioning doubtnot only what the speaker is sayingwhat everybody is sayingso that your own brain operates at its highest qualitynot just go off to sleepbecause we are going to look togetherinto a very complex life.So you are not followers I am not your gurubecause you have followed too many people alreadyand we have made the world such a mess.So please we are walking togetherwe are concerned togetherperhaps we may have affection for each other.But the affection the rationalisationhas nothing whatsoever to dowith our observation so that you see clearlywhich means we see things together.Not I see and then tell you but together- you understand the meaning of that word?We hardly ever co-operate. We don’t know what co-operation is.We co-operate with a person who has authorityand you follow that authority or the authority of reputationor you follow an ideal.If you and I agree upon an ideal we then co-operateto do something together about that ideal. Right?If you and I have a common purpose then you will co-operate. Right?Because then it is profitable for us.But here the speaker is not offering anything.Right?He is offering you nothing.I wonder if you understand this.Most of us absorbwe are a sponge take everything inincluding what the speaker is going to say.And when you take something in absorbas this country is capable of doingwhen you absorbyou have nothing original in yourself – right?I wonder if you understand it.You absorb the Buddhayou absorb any kind of religious nonsense and so on.So gradually your brain which should be extraordinarily activebecomes gradually dull.So please as I have saidthe speaker is not offering you a thingnot how to behave what to think and so on.But together you and the speaker are taking a journey.It may be a slow journeyor a very fast journey – express -or you might go very slowly.So please listen first. Listen.You hear with the earbut also there is a hearing……listening is different from merely hearing. Right?You see the distinction?You can hear something that is pleasantthen you will accept itor if there is something unpleasantyou don’t actually listen.So there is an art in listening.What the speaker is going to say may be quite the oppositeof what you think or what you feel but since you are hereyou have to listen to what he has to saynot interpret what he has to say but listen.Have you ever listened to your wife? To your husband?Please answer that question to yourself.Listen to find out what she or he feelsthinks wants – sensitive enough to find out.So in listening to the speakerone has to be very sensitive naturally.So there is an art to listen.There is an art to learning.Most of us learn to acquire knowledge- when you go to school you learn about mathematics geographyhistory and later on you go to university collegeyou absorb all kinds of knowledge.And from childhood we are trained to memorise.Right?So that our brain is always accumulating knowledge.And that is what we call learning.You want to learn a language you spend some timestudying grammar and so onso gradually your brain is conditioned by knowledge.Right? See all this please.So your knowledge is the enemy of love.We will go into that presently.And to learn is like a river movingrenewing itself all the time.That is learning not memorising.And also\sthere is an art to observe to looknot only with the eyesoptical observation but to look at things without prejudicewithout some kind of conclusion you have come to.To observe without the wordwithout the image that you have built – you understand?So we are going to do all this together.The art of listening the art of learningand the art of observation.It is great fun if you do this becauseit makes the brain extraordinarily sensitive and alive.But if you keep on repeating the same old patternthen your brain goes dull as most brains perhaps have gone.So together – please don’t get bored by my repeating all thisit is important to repeat itso that you and the speaker understand each other.We have laid the foundation of a housewe are going to build together.Can we observe what is happening in the world?Not only the world of India but the world- world the global happenings that are taking place?There is a war threatening war nuclear war.Recently some scientists top scientists have metand issued certain statement sayingif there is a nuclear warthe whole earth – the whole earthnot just Europe or America or Russia -the whole earth will be covered with dust and smoke so thickthat the sun cannot get throughand the temperature will fall five degrees below zero.So nothing will exist.That is what they are all talking about preparing arguing.And also there are minor wars going on.And these wars have been going on for five to six thousand years.One started with an arrow or a clubnow we have got the extraordinary destructive nuclear bomb.What is the cause of all this? You understand?What is the cause why human beings are behaving like this?The intellectuals the philosophers the scientistsand the so-called religious people -who are not really religious at all -what is the cause of all this mess in the world?Don’t wait for me to answer ityou are asking that question yourself.Why is it that human beings who have lived on this earth- according to geneticists and biologistsforty five to fifty thousand yearswe have lived on this earth as Homo sapiens.And from the very beginning we have been in conflict with each otherkilling each other maiming each other hurting each othercompeting with each other. Right?Conflict struggle pain anxiety loneliness suffering.And we are so extraordinarily clever in the technological worlddeveloping most extraordinary instruments in surgerycommunication computers and so onand we have not solved our human behaviour- you understand? Why?Yes sir this is a very serious question.Why we human beings who are so capablegoing to the moonwith all the extraordinary technological world that is going onand yet we are primitive savagestribal gods and tribal instincts.What is wrong with us? You understand?I am not criticisingI am not blaming anybody.But it is a natural question every decent human being must ask:what is wrong with us? Right?Why are there wars?Pakistan and India Russia and America… Why?What are the causes of it?If you find the cause then it is easy to remove the effect.Right? You are following?If I have a disease and the cause is cancerand it causes a great deal of paineither it can be removed or I die.But where there is a cause… whose effect can be ended.Right? Is this clear?Where there is a cause the effect can be endedbecause the cause can be ended.Clear? Is this clear?What is the cause of these wars these appalling thingsthat are going on in the world?Probably most of you don’t know about it.They don’t print everything in the papers.The speaker has talked to a great many scientistsand we are not told what exactly is going on- chemical warfare – all the rest of it.Now what is the cause of all this?Is it division?National division religious divisionindividual against other individuals which is division separation.You are following all this? Or am I talking to myself?You understand what I am saying?One family is against another familyin the family itself there is division.There is division between the Arab and the Jewthere is division between the Catholic and the Protestantthere is division between you the Hindu and the Muslim. Right?The Christian the Buddhist the Zenthe whole world is fragmented broken up.Is that the cause of all this mess?You understand my question?That where there is divisionbetween communities between peoplebetween countries between various gurus various religionsthere must be conflict.Right? You understand this?Where there is division there must be conflict.That is a law. Right?Is that the cause of these terrible wars that are going onthe conflict that exists in each one of usthe competition against each other – division right?Economically racially socially so-called culturallyeverything brings about a division. Right?Now we cannot do anything with governments.They are set they have been unfortunately electedyou can’t deal with them.The speaker has tried various… met various people but there they are.So what can we do you and I?You understand my question?You cannot deal with the most powerful peoplelike the presidents. You cannot deal with them they are at that level.They have their responsibilities they want power- you know all the rest of that.So we are asking you as a human being living on this earthseeing all this is happening what can you do?Please ask this question. What’s your action?Not your theories – the Indians are pretty good at theories.Right?You are very good in explanations analysisin finding out the cause and there you leave itwhich has nothing whatsoever to do with your daily life. Right?You believe in God or you believe in some guruor you believe in some philosopher.But that belief has no actuality in life.Right?This is a fact. I am not saying something abnormal. It is a fact.So we are asking what is your responsibilityas a human being facing all this?What’s your action?Most of us want to escape from it.Most of us feel we cannot solve it.Therefore we escape escape into tribal gods -you know all that is happening in this country or in Europe -drugs religious entertainmentsand the entertainment industry is enormously powerfulthe cinemas the magazines the gods their rituals – right?Is it two gods marrying each other in this country?So there is either escapeor you face actualities face facts.When you face facts what’s your action?Now together we are going to find out – right?Together not I tell you and you listen or disagree or agreethat is too silly it becomes childish.But if you and I observe the same thinglive the same thing dailythen it has a tremendous power- not power in the sense political powerpower of doing the right thing.Right? Are we together in this so far?We are asking what is the cause of wars?One of the factors of war is nationalism- right? – which is tribalism.You may not agree please quietly listen.Tribalism – right? – which has become glorified nationalismwith its flags and so onthe British the French the Hindu the Indiansyou follow divided divided divided.We are saying one of the causes of war is nationalism.That is obvious.Other cause is economic divisioneach country concerned with its own economyand with its own culture.The British with their… and the French and so on.And the other cause is the division in religion:the Christian the Buddhist the Hindu Islam.And they all talk about God right ?So these and perhaps others are the causes of war.And you as a Hindu or a Christian or whatever it isare responsible for the war. Right?Because in yourself you are divided.Agree? Do you see this fact?As long as I am a Hindu committed to certain traditionand following some – if you will excuse me -some silly gods playing with toys called godsI as a Hindu am responsiblefor creating conflict amongst human beings.Right? Is this a fact or not?It is a fact.You may not agree you may not see the factbut this is what is really causing wars.Now what is your responsibility?To be free of nationalism. Right?To be free to look at the world as a whole humanitynot as Indian and American we are human beings right ?To look at the world globally with……as human beings.I will make it more complex for you.When you travel around when you look at people all over the worldin this country and France and Switzerland and America- the world – in Japan and so on you find that all human beingspsychologically share psychologically they all suffer.They all cry they are all lonelythey have shed tears like you have shed tears.They are uncertain confused unhappy.They are like you\syou are unhappylonely suffering putting up with all kinds of brutalitiesfrom your husband from your wife and so on.In the world over it is shared by all human beings.Right? That is a fact.So your consciousness is the consciousness of entire humanity.Right? Do you see that?Do you want… Shall I go more into it?We have been conditioned from childhoodboth religiously socially economically and nationallythat we are separate individuals separate souls.Right? Right? This is a fact.And we never examine whether we are actually individuals- you are separate… you are a man and a womanthat doesn’t constitute individuality.Your tendency your idiosyncrasyyour particular character your bank accountall that makes you think you are a separate human being.You may be tall I may be short I may be pink you may be blackall that conditions the human brain to acceptthat we are separate individuals.Right?The speaker is questioning that.Don’t accept it doubt it question it.Because he says our consciousness – which is what you feelwhat you think your reactions beliefs your pain your anxietyyour loneliness your sorrow your lack of love affection -is shared by all human beings.Right? Right sirs?So your consciousness is not yoursit is human consciousness.If you kill another you are killing yourself.You understand this?If you hurt another you are hurting yourself.I wonder if you realise this.If you are in sorrow it is not only your sorrowit’s the sorrow of mankind.So you are humanity – you understand?You are the rest of mankindnot a little man working in a little backyardthinking about himself his problems his anxietiesbut when you actually realise this factin your guts in your blood not theorythen your whole outlook on life changes.Then you have a different… love compassion comes into being.So what is your responsibility?When you have seen thisnot intellectuallybut actually with your heart with your eyeswith your ears with all your senses see this.It’s a global problem not a particular individual problem.Take for example this country has a great deal of poverty.Right? Enormous poverty.Go round the streets of Bombay they are sleeping on pavements.Go to any village which is not too near a townthere is poverty.Since independence you may have a little morebut there is still poverty.And this poverty cannot be solved by one governmentbecause there is poverty in America poverty in France.In England four million people are unemployed. Do you understand?So what is your responsibility?Will you still remain as an individualfighting for yourselffighting for your own illumination enlightenment?Or – you understand my next question? -or will you look at the world as a wholenot as a Christian Buddhist Hindu and so on.Unless we do this we are going to destroy each other.It is so obvious that’s what is going on.We want security – we must have securityotherwise you and I wouldn’t be here.Security food clothes and all that.That is denied because each country says’I must solve my own problems.’ Right?There is no global outlook at all.And all the problems that we havewe reduce it to communal socialyou follow make it very small.So after hearing this is your brain freefrom nationalism racialism religious nonsenseso that you have a global outlook global feeling.You understand sir?Or you say it is marvellous a lovely ideamake it into a lovely theoryspeculate about it and kill it.Right? So that’s the first thing.That demands a brain that is free to look.But our brains are now so conditioned with problems.Right? You have problems haven’t you?Haven’t you? Please say yes or no – yes?You have problems which is sexual problem religious problemseconomic problem – problems problems problems right?I can’t get on with my wifemy wife bullies me and so on and on and on.What are problems?What is the etymological meaning of that word?The etymological meaning is ‘something thrown at yousome challenge is thrown at you’ right?That is the meaning of that word ‘problem’.Now how do we meet problems?We will go into it together.I am not telling you please bear in mind I am not teaching youbut we are learning observing together.The speaker may have observed it long ago and seen all thisbut he is sharing this he is walking with younot sentimentallynot romantically he says face all this!Our brains have been conditioned from childhood to solve problems.The child goes to school learning becomes a problemmathematics becomes a problem – problems.Then college more problems. University still more problems.So his brain – please listen to this -is conditioned to solve problems.Right? You are following this?Are we following this or am I…Our brain is conditioned to solve problems.So what has happened to the brain?It is a machine now to solve problems. Right?So problems are increasingbecause it is mechanically dealing with problems.You follow this sir? See what is happening.There are many political problems in this countryand these politicians who are trying to solve their problemin the solution of that problem they have increased other problems.You see this don’t you?Don’t you know all this?So our brain is conditioned from childhood to solve problems.And you can only solve problems if the brain is freeto look at problems afresh.But if it has been trained it acts mechanicallyand is always seeking solutions not understanding the problems.Because solution lies in the problem.I wonder if you see all this.Right sir? Can I talk to you?So is this possible to have a brainthat is free so as to solve problemsnot having problems then it tries to solve problems.You see the difference? Right?So what we are talking about – you and I – is thatwe are the rest of mankind psychologically inwardly.Right? That is a fact.It is not a theory it is not my conclusion.It is a fact because all human beings go through terrible timesand we too go through all kinds of turmoil travail.So we are one humanity you are entire humanity.That is one.Second: wars exist because you have divided yourselfinto nationalities races religionsand if you don’t change that you’ll have no security physicallybecause wars are coming.Third: we have many problemsand to solve those problems the brain must be free to look at it.But if the brain is conditioned to solve the problemit is not able to look at the problem.You understand? Now can you do this?Can you listening to what the speaker is saying -if you are listening at all – can you do this?Don’t call yourself a Hindu at any priceall the superstitions all the rest of it.Do not belong to any religion to any guru.Yes sir. Or to any book.Have you ever wondered…Religions based on books -the Bible Christianity is based on the BibleKoran is the bible of Islam -have you ever observed what religions based on books become?Here in this country you have dozens of books about religionyou can choose them all one of them play with them.Do you understand what I am saying?Don’t go to sleep.That is in India there are several religious booksthe Upanishads the Gita and so on so on so on.Therefore you are able to choose one or the otherand play with one or the other;you have dozens of gods you can choosefor your own amusement for your own entertainment.But if you have only one Godaccording to the Koran or according to the Bible then you’re stuck.And you become bigoted narrow and therefore brutal.This is what is happening.So can you please seriously the speaker is askingcan you put away all this from you and be grown-up?No nationality no belief in godsbecause belief faith is another form which is destroying.If you have faith and therefore no doubt – you understand?The whole Christian world is based on faith. Right?And they never talk about doubt scepticism question.It is banished.And in the Islamic world too it is banished.And the ancient Indians had this doubt: ‘Questiondon’t accept find out!’Will you do all that ?Or slink back to your old pattern?See the danger if you see the truth and go back to something not truethat very truth will poison you.You understand?I wonder if you understand all this!If you see danger you keep away from that.If you see a cobra or tiger you keep away.But we don’t see how dangerous psychologicallythis division is bringing about.If you once see the danger of itnot only theoretically but actuallywith all your heart with all your senseswith your intellect with your love – if you have love -then you will not belong to anything- no nation no religionwhich doesn’t mean you are scepticalit doesn’t mean you are anti God- you don’t know what God is you all pretend.So could you all put away all thisso as to have a free mindfree brain that can look at the world and change.May I also point out something?We said presently that knowledge is the enemy of love.Does it mean anything to you?You understand my question?Knowledge book knowledge knowledge of experienceknowledge of your wife or your husbandthe knowledge of your childrenthis whole tremendous accumulation of knowledge through experience all that.The speaker is saying all that knowledge is the enemy of love.Now look at it closely.In one’s relationship with another wife or husbandeach one has knowledge of the other right?I know how my wife behaves and so on.I know and she knows. Right?What happens when I say ‘I know my wife’and the woman says ‘I know my husband’what is the quality of that knowing?Knowledge obviously which means what?The image I have built about her and the image she has built about me- the picture. Right?So knowledge is that picture. I wonder if you understand?Right? Do you understand this?So knowledge between a man and a womanof each other destroys love.Do you accept that?The women accept that very quickly. I see that.And the men sit back and look.You are a crazy crowd all right.So what happens in our relationship?Relationship is the most important thing isn’t it in life. No?Because without relationship you cannot existlife is relationshipwhether it is my wife or husband relationship with a neighbourrelationship with governments – relationshipis a tremendously important thing in life.And are we related at all?When I have an image about you and you have an image about mehow can we be related? You understand?Images are meeting that is not relationship.Relationship means to be wholenot broken up as a woman and a manwith all the ugly problems that arise.Therefore knowledge destroys love.For God’s sake understand this!Not how to get rid of knowledge – you can’t.But if you understand that in relationshipknowledge is an elementthat brings about all kinds of quarrels etc.Knowledge is necessary otherwise you can’t get home right?If you have no knowledge of Englishyou and I wouldn’t understand each other.If you have no knowledge about how to drive a car- you follow? – knowledge is necessary.But psychological knowledge is dangerous.Please understand this.And that very knowledge is destroying love.Now I would like to ask you a serious questiondo you love anybody?Answer in your heart not me.Do you love anybody?Do you love your wife?Do you love your husband do you love your children?You understand this? See the implication of that word.You can’t answer can you?And that is what is destroying the worldbecause you have lost all that if you ever had it.So listening to all this has either meaning or no meaning.We have taken a journey together.And the speaker means actually together.I hold your hand and say ‘Let’s walk together’.If you want to walk fast let’s walk fast.If you want to run let’s run.If you want to go very very very slowly all rightbut you must walk not theorise!So the speaker has put all this before youeither you share itlike you share a good meal togethershare a beautiful view of a mountain togethersee the beauty of a sunset togetheror the beauty of a single star in the sky together.But it must be togethernot that you have reached there and I am following you.Together we are building a new worldone person can’t do it.Do all of you really see this?That together you can change the world.And the world needs complete change.And no group or one or two can do thisit must be done together.A baby is produced by a man and a woman.And this global outlook this feeling that we are onethat you are humanity!Do you understand what it does to you when you feel that?It will change your whole outlook on life.And separation then ends therefore conflict ends.We will talk about tomorrow the nature of conflictand see if conflict can end not outwardly only but first inwardly.Do you understand?Whether conflict can ever… has no place.Whether it is possible to live in this worldin the modern world without a single conflict.That requires intelligence you understandinvestigation a mind that is active to find out.The speaker says it is possible.The speaker says there is living without conflict.You may not believe it you must question it doubt it.And if you doubt it then we will go into it.But merely say ‘Yes I would like to get that statetell me how to get there’ then that becomes too childish.So can we please walk togetherlisten together learn togetherso that you have a different quality of a braina different quality of life?\s

J. Krishnamurti – A different quality of life – Notes

Please note that this video titled J. Krishnamurti – A different quality of life is from J Krishnamurti’s Youtube channel. More information about J Krishnamurti is available on his website at www.jkrishnamurti.org. The transcriptions on this page are automated transcriptions. In case you find any errors please leave a comment below. If you would like to watch this video on the Youtube channel of Jiddu Krishnamurti then please search for J. Krishnamurti – A different quality of life on Youtube