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J. Krishnamurti – The art of living and dying – Video

J. Krishnamurti – The art of living and dying – Transcript

May we continue with what we were talking aboutlast time that we met here?We were talking about conflict whether it is possibleto live in this world without problems and conflict.We shall go on talking about that because for most of uslife the daily living is a series of strugglesconflicts pain and varieties of anxieties.And we were asking whether it is possibleliving in this crazy world to live a lifein which every kind of problem and conflict doesn’t exist.It may sound rather absurd or even crazyto think about such thingto live without a single conflict.As we were saying the other daythe enquiry into this questionrequires considerable intelligenceconsiderable energy application.Merely to discuss or have a dialogue between you and the speakerverbally theoretically has very little meaning.So if we could together this evening- in spite of the crows -could think togethergo into this problemwhether there is an art of livingin which one can live in daily life- not in a theoretical world in daily life -to live without psychologically inwardlywithout all the turmoilthe pain of changeand the anxiety involved in that changewhether it is possible to live such a life.To ask such a question may seem quite incrediblebecause our life from the moment we are born till we dieis a series of conflicts strugglesambition trying to fulfil itselfand all the pain of existencewith sorrow pleasure and so on.So if we could go into this questionthe art of living. In daily life.We have many arts\s: the art of paintingthe art of making a marvellous shoe first-class shoeand the art of painting the art of engineeringthe art of communication – there are many many arts.But for most of us probably for the rest of the world toowe have never asked this question the art of living.To find that out… – this is a terrible…Bombay is rather dirty country it makes one’s eyes waterI am not crying.It requires investigation how to live.Because the art of living is the greatest artand the most important art greater than any other artgreater than the art of governmentsthe art of communicationin spite of all that we have never enquired very deeplywhat is the art of living our daily lifewhich requires such subtletysensitivity and a great deal of freedom.Because without freedom you cannot find out what is the art of living.The art of living isn’t a method a systemor ask another how to find the art of livingbut requires considerable intellectual activityand also a deep abiding honesty.Very few of us are honest.It is getting worse and worse in the world.We are not honest people.We say one thing do anotherwe talk about philosophy Godall the theories that the ancient Indians have inventedand we are rather good at all that kind of stuffbut the word the descriptionthe explanation is not the deed the action.And that’s why there is a great deal of dishonesty.And to enquire into the art of living there must bea fundamental unshakeable immutable honesty.Honesty which is not corruptiblewhich doesn’t adjust itself to environmentto demands to various forms of challenges.It requires a great integrity to find outbecause we are dealing with a very very complex problem.It isn’t just easy to live a life which is perfectly orderlywithout dissipating energywithout living in any kind of illusion or tradition.Tradition however old however modernis merely carrying on the old pattern.And the old pattern cannot possibly adjust itself to the new.So together and we mean togetherit is not that the speaker is saying somethingto which you agree or disagreebut together exercising your intellect your reasonyour sanity if you have sanityand togetherlooking at this very complex problem.As we said the other day this is not a lecturethis is not a lecture to give you information factsinstruct you to persuade youto slightly delicately direct you in a particular direction.Not doing any kind of propagandato inseminate a new set of ideasit is not anything of that kind.That would be dishonourable on the part of the speakerwhen he says it is not that and he means that.So you are exercising your own brainyour own sense of urgency demandto find out if there is a way of livingwhich is totally orderly.So please if you will be serious for this evening.You may not be serious for the rest of the year or the rest of the weekbut at least for once in one’s life to be totally earnestto be completely honest with oneself.Then we can together go into this question :what is the art of living.How are we going to find out? The art.To put everything in its right placenot exaggerating one or the othernot giving one’s instinct one’s urges in one directionand neglecting totally the other.Not trying to fulfil in a particular directionbut together you and the speakerare going to find out – for ourselvesnot that you will be told by the speakerthis is important to understand.I am sorry the crows are having fun !They are saying good night to each other.They will quieten down when it gets a little darker.So please for this evening at leastsee how important it isto find out a way of livingin which conflict problems don’t exist.Because conflict and problems waste our energy.One has to find out why problems exist.There are mathematical problemsgeographical problems and so on – academic problemswe are not talking about those problems.We are talking about the problems of human beings.They are first human beings afterwards they are scientistsengineers businessmen – all the rest of it.First we are human beings.But when you give importance to other thingsyou forget that you are a human being.So please together let’s find out.The art of living doesn’t it mean to lead a life a daily lifewith tremendous precision accuracy of order.Order does not mean conformityfollowing a pattern set and adjusting yourself to that pattern.We will go into this slowly.Does it not mean to become fully consciousaware of one’s own disorder?Are we aware of that?Or do we think that is merely an environmental difficultybut inwardly we are perfectly orderly.We are pointing out togetherthat inwardly we live in disorder in contradiction.That’s a fact.Even the greatest saints- they are generally slightly neurotic -even the greatest saints live in disorderbecause they are trying to become something all the time.The very becoming – you understand?I hope we are following each other.Becoming : I am this I will become that.In that endeavour to change ‘what is’ to ‘what should be’there is an interval a gap in which conflict takes place.And that conflict is the essence of disorder.Right?You have understood?Where there is division – different classes of peopleraces religions and in ourselves a contradiction a division’I am this I must become that’ in that there is a division.That very division is the root of disorder.Because in that there is a contradiction- right? – I am this I want to be orderly.When I say ‘I want to be orderly’ I recognise I am in confusionso I attempt to bring about orderso I make a diagram a sketch of what is orderand then I try to follow that.We are saying if you will kindly listen togetherthat that very fact is the cause of disorder.Right? Have you understood?Are we together in this a little bit slightly?Not too much but just enough.So where there is division in us psychologicallythere must be conflict and therefore disorder.Now as long as there is disordertrying to find order is still disorder.Right? You understand what I mean?I am confusedmy life is in disorderI am fragmented broken up insideand being confused out of that confusion I create a patternan ideal a schemeand I say I am going to live according to that scheme.But the origin of that scheme is born out of my confusion.Right? Clear?So what I have to understand iswhy am I confused why am I disorderly.If I can understand that then out of that comprehension perceptionorder naturally comes without a single effort.That is if I can find the causation of my confusionthen confusion doesn’t exist then there is order.I wonder if you see this.Are we together in this a little bit?Are we? Good.When you say ‘Yes sir’ do you really mean it?Or it is just verbal assertion – ‘let’s get on with it’.That is dishonesty !If we don’t see things clearly don’t say yes – say ‘I don’t see it’then we can together have a dialogue.But if you say yesyour concern is then : let’s go on.So please look at it carefully.We have got a whole hour.And this awareness of confusion- not we should not be confused -but the very awareness of confusionbrings about the cause of it the causation.So what is the cause?Do you understand?If I am ill and I go to the doctorand the doctor – if he is fairly good -says you are eating or doing certain thingsthat upset your whole organismso he says don’t do this and don’t do that.So I change I eat properly.In the same way if we can find the causethen the effect is changed.And if there is a change in the effect there is change in the cause.Do you understand?Are we together or you are asleep?Let’s proceed.So order is only possiblewhen we understand the nature of disorder.And the nature of disorder can be totally wiped out.If I am quarrelling with my wifeor the wife is quarrelling with meI find out why we are quarrelling.If we like to quarrel that’s a different matterbut if want to stop quarrellingwe say ‘Let’s talk about it let’s see why we quarrel.’And then we find we are quarrelling about opinionsI want this and you want something different.And thereby we begin to communicate with each otherand ultimately come to some point where we both of us agree.So similarly together to live a lifethe art of living so that it is completely orderly.That is the art of living.Then the art of living implies that there should be no fear.Right? Shall we go into it? Are you interested in it?We are saying that the art of living demandsthat there should be no fear at all- fear of psychological securityfear of deathfear of not becoming somethingfear of losing gaining – you know the whole problem of fear.Shall we talk about it together?Whether it is possible to be free completely of fearbecause a brain that is frighteneda brain that is frightened is a dull minda mind that is not capable of observing living.Aren’t you all frightened?Be a little honest with it.We are all frightened inwardly.We will first examine the inner then we’ll look at the outernot the other way round. You understand?We all want physical security that’s what everybody demands- money position safety security physically.But we never enquireinto the security certainty inwardly.Because the inward activity shapes the outer controls the outer.Right? You understand it?So we are asking the art of living consistsnot only having complete orderbut also to be totally psychologicallyinwardly free of fear.Is that possible?Because we have lived with fear from childhood.Fear of the husband fear of the wife fear of not achievingfear of not fulfilling fear of not being satisfied- you know the nature of fear I am sure all of you.So we are asking what is the nature and the structure of fear.Ask yourself the question first.What is fear how does it arisewhat is the cause of it the root cause of it?I may be afraid of darknessI may be afraid of public opinionI may be afraid of somebody who is going to beat me up.There are various forms of fear.So shall we deal with the various forms one by one -your particular fear her particular fear or my particular fear -or shall we go together and find out the root of it the cause of it?Right? Which do you want?The various branches of fear or the very hidden roothidden nature of fear?You understand? What is the root of fear?The speaker is asking you this questionand if you will kindly be honest this evening- you can be dishonest afterwardsthat’s your nature that’s what you want -but for this evening find out for yourself what is the root of itwhat brings all this fear about.Because fear is most destructive.In it one lives in an enclosed…a sense of physical nervous tensionfeeling small frightened you know the feeling of fearand where there is fear every kind of neurotic action takes placeirrational pretending to be rational.So it is important to find out for yourself what is the root of it.Or are there many roots of it or only one single root?Probably you have not thought about thisyou are too busy earning moneyyou are too busy worrying about your statesyou haven’t probably ever given thought or enquiryto find out if you can live without fear.Change from ‘what is’ to ‘what should be’is one of the causes of fear.I may not ever arrive there so I am frightened of that too.I am also frightened of what is going on.I am also frightened of the past. Right?So we are trying together – not acceptingwhat the speaker is saying – to find out.That requires honesty scepticismnot accepting a thing that the speaker is sayingbut to see for ourselvesthe essence and the structure of fear.Right? What is fear?Not what we are afraid about.I am afraid about death – suppose -because I am getting old and I am getting frightened.We are not asking what you are afraid ofbut what is fear ‘per se’ in itself.You understand?Are you getting tired?All right. So what is fear itself?How does it come about?We will go together into the investigation of itbut you must together share it not verbally accept it.Then if you verbally accept it theoretically or intellectuallyat the end of it you are still frightened.And that’s a waste of time your time and the speaker’s time.But if you and the speaker can walk togetherjourney together into the whole nature of fearand you yourselfcapture the truth of the cause of fear then you are free.Unless you want to be frightened for the rest of your life- you may like it because people do love some kind of fearbecause that makes them feelat least they have something to hold on to.What is the past?Please listen we are talking about fear.What is the past what is the present and what is the future?The past is all that you have accumulated as memorythe remembrance of things goneand the present is the pastmodifying itself to the future.Right? This is the actual fact.So you are the past memoriespast remembrances past accidentsthe whole accumulation of the past. You are that.You are the bundle of memories. That’s a fact.If you had no memories you don’t exist.So you are that.The past – please listen – is time isn’t it?The past has been gathered through time.I have had an experience a week agothat experience has left a memoryand that memory is born from the past experiencewhich is when I use the word ‘past’ it’s already time.Right? Agreed?So it is time. The past is time.And also the past is memory knowledge experience.Right sirs?The past is experience knowledgestored in the brain as memoryand from memory thought arises.This is a fact.So time which is the pastand also memory which is the pastso time and thought are the samethey are not separate.Are you understanding this?Are we together? A little bit?So we are asking fear is both time and thought.I did something a week ago which caused fearI remember that fearand I want to prevent that happening again.So there is the past incident which caused fearand it is recorded in the brain as memory.That recording is time. Right?This speech this talk is being recordedthis recording is timebetween the word and the thing that is time.I hope you understand all this.And thought is also timebecause thought comes into being through memorythrough knowledge through experienceso thought and time are similar togetherthey are not separate. Right?And we are asking is that the root of fear?Time and thought time-thought?That is I am afraid of death. Right?I am still young old whatever I am healthybut death is waiting for me and I am afraid of death.That is I have put it away from mebut I am still afraid of that.Aren’t you all afraid of death? Yes? No?You must be strange people if you are not afraid of death.So fear the root of fear is thought-time.Don’t say ‘How am I to stop time and thought?’If you say ‘how’ then you demand a system a methodthen you will practise that method which means time.Right? So you are back again in the same old pattern.Have you understood?But if you understand grasphave an insight into the nature of fear and the causation of fearwhich is thought and time if you really grasp thatthen hold it don’t run away from it !Look…I don’t know why I should explain all these thingsthey are all so simple.But you are all very complicated people too intellectualtoo learned too experienced you can never meet anything simply.We’ll go into it.Fear arises from something that has happened before.I have had a toothache go to the dentist he heals itbut it has been recordedthe pain has been recorded.Where there is a recording there must be the memory and saying’I hope it will not happen again tomorrow.’So the pain of yesterday is recorded then the memorywhich is the recording says ‘I hope I won’t have it’- the whole process of that is fear. Right?If you understand the principle of itthe fundamental nature of fearthen you can deal with it but if you are escaping from feartrying to rationalise it trying to say ‘How am I tell mehelp me to escape from it’ then at the end of it as you arefor the rest of your life you are frightened. Right?So the root of fear is time-thought.If you understand that – see the beauty of it the subtlety of it.And the other thing is :people are afraid – as you are -most human beings throughout the world are afraid of death.That’s one of the fundamental fears of life.And we all know death is for everybodyfor you and the speaker.That’s an absolute certainty. Right?You can’t escape from that.You might live longer by not wasting your energyby leading a simple sane rational lifebut however way you live death is inevitable.Would you accept that?Not accept – it is a fact.Would you face that fact?You are going to die ! So is the speaker.You – who are you?Who are you sirs and ladies – who are you?Your money your positionyour capacity your dishonestyyour confusion your anxietyyour loneliness your bank account- you are all that aren’t you?Be simple and honest. It is so !And we are askingwhat is the art of living when we are going to die?It is there whether you like it or not.What is the art of living so that one is not afraid of death?You understand?Let’s go into it.Let’s go into it not verbally not intellectually not theoreticallybut actually so that you know what death means.We are not advocating suicide.There are certain philosophers the existentialists and otherswho say life is a perpetual going up the hill and coming down the hillpushing up the hill and after you reach a certain height coming down.And life such a life has no meaning therefore commit suicide.Do you understand?We are not saying that is the way to livethat’s not the art of living.But we are asking ourselves why are we afraid of death.Whether we are young old and so onwhy is there this torment of which we are so…- it may be conscious or unconscious.And the fear of death is also suffering. Right?Suffering in leaving my family suffering- you know all the things I have accumulatedand I am leaving all that.So the art of living is not only to find out how to live our daily lifebut also to find outwhat the significance of death is while living. Right?What is death?There is the biological organic ending through diseasethrough old age through accident through some misfortune- I go down the street a brick may fall on me by chance and I am killed.So what do we mean by dying?If we can understand thatthen life and death can live together.You understand?Not death at the end of one’s whole…when the organism ends but to live togetherto live with death and life.Have you ever asked this question?Probably not. You ask that question.Put it to yourself this question whether it is possible to live- which is the art of living – living and living with death.Then to find that out you must find out what is living. Right?Which is more importantdying or living? Before or after?You understand my question?Most people are concerned with afterwhether there is reincarnation all that kind of stuff.But they never askwhich is more important the living which is an art…If there is right livingperhaps death is also part of right living- you understand – not at the end of one’s stupid life !So one must enquire first what is living.You answer it sir.We will discuss it have a dialogue about itbut you have to answer that question for yourself.Which means what is your life?What’s your daily life which is what your life isa long series of daily lives.What are those long series of lives?Pain anxiety insecurity uncertainty. Right?Some kind of illusory devotion to some entity which you have inventedsome kind of fanciful illusory existence a make-believe lifehaving faith having belief – all that is what you are. Right?You are attached to your house to your money to your bankto your wife children. Right?You are attached hold right? This is your life.Would you contradict that?Would you contradict that?The description which the speaker has pointed outthat you live a constant struggleconstant effort comfort painloneliness sorrow – that’s your life.And you are afraid to let that go.And death says ‘My friend you can’t take it with you.You can’t take your money your family your knowledge your beliefs.’Death says you have to leave all that behind.Right? Would you agree to that?Or do you deny that?Face it sirs.So the art of living is- need I answer it?You see you are waiting for me to answer it.Look sir I am attached to my wifeor to a certain conclusionI am tremendously attached to it.Now death says to me’You can’t. When I’ll come you’ll have to let go.’Now is it possible for me living to let go?Yes sir ! Will you? Will you let go?Absolute silence.I am attached to my furnitureI have polished it I have looked after itit’s an old piece of furnitureI won’t give it away it’s mine.I have lived with it for years eighty years. It’s part of me.When I am attached to that piece of furniture that furniture is me.I know you laughbut you won’t let that furniture go.So death says to you’My friend you can’t take that desk with you.’So can you be totally freetotally free of that attachment to that piece of furniture?You live with that furniturebut totally free of attachment to that.That is death. You understand?So that you are living living and dying all the time.Oh you don’t see the beauty of it !You don’t see the freedom that it gives youthe energy the capacity.Where you are attached there is fearthere is anxiety uncertainty.Uncertainty fear causes sorrow.And to go into the question of sorrow – that’s part of life.Everyone on earth has suffered has shed tears.Haven’t you shed tears?Your husband doesn’t care for youhe uses you and you use him.And you suddenly realise how ugly that isand you suffer.Man has killed man throughout history in the name of religionin the name of God in the name of nationality… Right?So man has suffered immensely.And they have never been able to solve that problemnever suffer.Because where there is suffering there is no love.In suffering there is not only self-pitythere is also fear of loneliness of separation of divisiona remorse guilt – all that is contained in that word.And we have never solved this problem.We put up with it we shed tearsand carry the memory of the sonor the brother or the wife or the husband for the rest of your life.Is there an end to sorrow?Or must man forever and ever carry this burden?To find that out is also the art of living.The art of living is to have no fear.And also the art of living is to have no sorrow.So to enquire into that complex problemwhy man not only has been inhumanbut also cruel to other peoplebrutal violent killing by the millions thousands.And how many people have shed tears over their sonsor their husbands or their relations and so on?And we are still carrying on the same old rottenfilthy brutal game killing each other.You are going to have I believe I saw as we came downa naval show here.Right? Yes sir.And you are very proud of your army and your navy and all that rot !And every country is proud of its own military instrumentsto kill thousands of people.And you agree that we should not and you carry on the next daynever enquiring whether you can stop in yourself violencewhy wars exist.Do you realise sirs there have been wars for six thousand years- man killing man.The filthiness the ugliness of it all.And you don’t mind.It is happening far away somewhere and you don’t mind.But you are preparing for it too.So that is one of the problems of lifewhether it is possible to live without sorrow.What is sorrow?Why when my son dies- my son not yours that’s your affair -when my son dies something has broken in meespecially if I am a woman.I have born him in my womb give birth and I have nursed himlooked after himand the pain of all that and the pleasure the joy of the motherand then he ends up being killed- for your country.Your honour demands that he’ll be killed.You understand all this don’t you?Why do you allow it?So what is sorrow?Is it that my son – gone can never returnthough I think we’ll meet next life or in heaven or in hell -he is gone that’s a fact.But I carry the memoryI keep his picture round my heart.I live on that memory shedding tears.I can’t forget.It is part of my burden.Don’t you know all this?Or is the speaker saying something irrelevant?And you have never asked why we suffer.And we have never enquired into sorrow into sufferingand asked whether it can ever endnot at the end of one’s lifebut now today.If you begin to enquire into it – as we are doing now I hope -what is the cause?Is it self-pity?Is it that he was young fresh alive – and gone?Is it that I am attached to him?Face all this sirs !Is it I am attached to him?And that attachment what is that attachment?To whom am I attached? To my son?What do I mean by my son?- be rational logical -what is my son?I have a picture of him I have an image of himI want him to be something. Right?I want him to be something and he is my son.And I am attached desperatelybecause he will carry on my businesshe will be better at getting more money.You know you are all playing this game you know it very well.And that’s one side.And also I have a certain affection for him.We won’t call it lovebut we’ll call it a certain kind of affection.If you loved your sonyou would have a different kind of educationa different kind of upbringingnot just follow your footsteps.He is the new generationand a new generation may be totally different from yoursI hope he is.I want him to be a new generationof a different type of person than me.Not follow what I have been doing- engineer businessman and all that business.But I want him to inherit my moneymy possessions my house- you know the game you are all playing.And when he dies everything is broken.That is my picture of him my wanting him to be this and thatthat just comes to an end and I am shocked.And I turn to my nephew my nieceto someone to carry on the same patternbecause I have lots of money or a single room.Don’t you know all this?How cruel all this is.And this is one of the causes of great sorrow.And death of course is the final sorrow.But if you are living with death and life togetherthen there is no change.You are incarnating every day afresh – not youa new thing is incarnating every day afresh.And in that there is great beauty.That is creation.Not merely painting a picture building a house and architecturebut living with this : death and life.And in that there is tremendous freedom.And freedom implies alsothe root meaning of that word ‘freedom’ is also love.Living the art of living and the art of dying together.That brings about great love.And love has its own intelligencenot the intelligence of a cunning mind.Intelligence is something outside of the brain.We will talk about that tomorrow.\s

J. Krishnamurti – The art of living and dying – Notes

Please note that this video titled J. Krishnamurti – The art of living and dying 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 – The art of living and dying on Youtube