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J. Krishnamurti – What is our brain – Video

J. Krishnamurti – What is our brain – Transcript

Krishnamurti: This is a dialogue between usa conversation between two friends.So this is not a lectureto instruct inform or guide.We are going to talk over togethermany thingscertainly not to convince you of anythingnot a propagandanot to inform you of new ideasor new concepts conclusions or ideals.We are going to together look at this whole world as it isnot only this part of the worldbut also what is happening in the rest of the world- togetherand the speaker means together.You and he are going to observewithout any bias without any prejudicewhat is happening globally.So pleasethis is a serious talknot an intellectual verbal or emotionalor devotionalbut one must exercise our brains.We must have scepticism doubt questionand not accept anything that anybody saysincluding all your gurus sacred books and all the rest of it.Because we have come to a crisis in the world.The crisis is not merely economic or warbut rather psychologicalbecause we have lived on this earthfor over 50000 years or a million yearsduring this long period of timewe have passed through every kind of catastropheevery kind of warcivilizations have disappeared culturesshaping the behaviour of human beings.There have been a great many leaders- political religiousand all the tricks they have played on human beings.And during this enormous evolutionof the human brainwe are what we have been – rather primitive barbarous crueland preparing always for war.Every nation now is storing up armaments.Probably you know all this.And we human beings are caught in thisin the wheel of time.And we have not changed very much.We are still barbariansbelieving all kinds of superstitionsall kinds of beliefsfollowing various leaders – political religiousand your own local gurus.And at the end of it all where are we?You may have money especially in this townmoney and power are the most important things.Please as we said we are talking over together.It is not the speaker is explaining all this- it is so obvious -but togetheryou and the speaker examinevery carefully diligentlyexamine what we have becomewhat we are.And one asks will time change us?Will timethat is another million yearsor 50000 yearswill time change the human mindhuman brain?Or time is not important at all.So we are going to talk about all these things.We are going to talk abouthuman beings are wounded psychologicallyhuman beings throughout the worldare caught in great sorrowpain suffering loneliness despair.And the brain has created the most extraordinary thingsboth ideologically technologically religiouslybuilt the most extraordinary beautiful monuments.The brain which is our brain yours and the speaker’s brainis extraordinarily capable.Right?And that capacity is very limitedbecausetechnologically we are advancing at an extraordinary speedand psychologically inwardly- if I may use the wordand one hopes you won’t mind that wordwhich I personally dislike:the word ‘spiritual’.I see a lot of you are herewith necklaces and all kinds of dresses.And inwardlypsychologicallywe are very primitivewe are barbarianscruel thoughtless carelessindifferent to what is happeningand indifferent to all the corruptionnot only environmentallybut the corruption that goes on in the name of religionin the name of politics and business and so on.Corruption is not passing money under the tableor smuggling goods into this country.Corruption begins where there is self-interest.Right?Where there is self-interest that is the origin of corruption.Are we thinking together?Or you are merely listening to the speaker.Do we together as two friendstake a long journeya journey into the global worlda journey into ourselvesinto what we are what we have becomewhy we have become like us what we are.And this requires to take this journey togethernot the speaker takes it and points the map out to youthe road and the waybut rather togetherand the speaker means togetherbecause he is not a guru.One should not follow anybody in the world of thoughtin the world of the psyche.We have depended so much on othersto help us.There it is.And we are not helping you.Let’s be very clear on that point.The speaker is not helping youbecause you have had helpers galoreand we have not been able to stand alonethink out things for ourselveslook at the world and our relationship to the worldwhether we are individuals at allor part of a great humanity.We have not exercised our brainwhich is so extraordinarily capable.And we have expended our energyour capacitiesour intellectual understanding in one direction onlythat is the technological worldbut we have never understood human behaviourwhy we are as we are after this long period of evolution.And as the speaker said just nowhe is not helping- we are together looking understanding.Because help implies- we are talking about the psycheof course you need help to go to a doctor or a surgeonyou depend on governments however rotten they areyou depend on your postman and the milkman and so onbut to ask helpthrough prayer through meditationseems so utterly futile.You have had such help.You have had thousands of gurusand thousands of booksso-called religious and non-religiouspsychological and so onand in spite of them all we are helpless.You may earn lot of moneybig houses cars and so onbut psychologicallyinwardly subjectivelyof which we are going to talk about most of the timewe are almost helplessbecause we have depended on other people to tell us what to dowhat to think.So pleasethe speaker is saying this most respectfullyseriously earnestlyhe is not trying to help you.On the contrarywe are togetherand the speaker means together – you and henot only observe impartiallywhat is going on in the worldbut also why after all this long period of timewe still remain cruelbrutal indifferent callousfrightened seeking securityhoping our roots will not be disturbed.And togetheryou and the speaker exercising their braininvestigate all this.As we said not only our relationship to the worldwhich is becoming more and more complexour relationship to various nationsour relationship to each otherhowever intimate it might beour relationship to an idealour relationship to so-called Godour relationship to our guru- if you have one I hope you haven’t.And enquire seriously deeplyinto the quality of the brainthat comprehends or has an insight a graspof the whole outward and psychological worldin which we live.If this is clearthat we are not trying to point out a waya method a systemor in any way trying to help you.On the contrarywe are independent human beings.This is not a cruel statement or indifferent statement.It is like two friends talking over togetherboth of them trying to understand not only the worldthat is the environmentand all the complications of the economic worldthe separate religions separate nationalitiesbut also together as two friends talking over their problems.If we can start from there:two friends.Friendship means that they are not trying to persuade each othernot trying to coerceor trying to impress each other – they are friendsand therefore there is a certain quality of affectionunderstanding exchange.We are in that position.So we will first begin:what our brain is.The speaker is not a brain specialistbut he has talked with the brain specialists.And the brain which is inside the skullis a most extraordinary instrument.It has acquired tremendous knowledgeabout almost everything.It has invented the most incredible thingslike the computerlike quick communicationinstruments of war.And it is free there to investigate to invent to search out researchit is entirely free.And it starts with knowledgeaccumulating more and more knowledgeif a certain theory doesn’t work they drop it and go onadding more and more and more knowledge.And it is not equally free to enquire into oneself.It is conditioned shaped programmed.Right?It is programmed to be a Hinduto be a Muslimto be a Christian Buddhist and so on.Like a computer the human brain is programmed:that you must have warthat you belong to a certain groupyour roots are in this part of the world and so on.This is correct this is not exaggeration.All of us are programmedby traditionby constant repetition of newspapers magazines gurusand the thousands of years of pressure impressions.Our brain free in one directionin the world of technologybut that very brain which is so extraordinarily capableis limited by its own self-interest.Are we together or am I talking Greek?Would you kindly find out for yourselfif you are really like two friends understanding each other.Or is only one man talkingand the other fellow doesn’t talk at all?Or is there an observation of one’s reactionsto all that is being saidone’s responseto this truth that you are programmedto be a Jew to be a Muslim to be a Hindu to be a Buddhist.So our brain being programmedbeing conditionedin one direction it is amazingly freepsychologically it is a cripple.And is it possiblefor the human brain to be entirely freeso that it has tremendous energy.Not to do more mischiefnot to have more money power and all that rot- though you must have money -but to be free to enter enquire find outa way of life in which there is no fearno lonelinessno sorrowand enquire into the nature of death and meditation and truth.Is it possible for the human brainwhich has been conditioned for thousands of yearsto be entirely free?Or must human beings everlastingly be slavesnever knowing what freedom is?Not abstract freedombut freedom from conflictbecause we live in conflictfrom childhood till we diethat is one fact for all human beings:this constant struggleboth religiouslyseeking security and therefore never finding insecurityor being insecure wanting security.So we are going together to find out for ourselves- for ourselves not depend on othersto tell you how to live without conflict -whether it is possible for human beingsliving in the modern worldwith all the complexities of the societyto live without a shadow of conflict.Because conflictdistorts the brainlessens its capacityits energyit soon wears itself out.You can observe it in yourself as you grow olderthis perpetual conflict.And why do we have conflict?Please ask yourself don’t just listen.Find out for yourself why we live in conflictnot only with our wives and husbandsbut with our gurusbecause you want to be like themand therefore that is a conflict.Why this conflictwhich becomes more and more intensewhich is warwhy human beings you live in conflict.What is conflict?Please don’t wait for me to answer itthat is no fun at all.But if you ask yourself that questionand give your mind to find out.What is the nature of conflict?Conflict exists surely when there is duality- when there is me and you.Right?When there is my wife separate from mewhen there is this division between the meditator and meditation.Are you following all this?I hope all this interests you does it?So as long as there is divisionbetween nationalitiesbetween religionsbetween peoplebetween the ideal and the factbetween ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’there must be conflict.That is a law.Wherever there is separationthe sense of division as the Arab and the Jewthe Hindu and the Muslim- you know all that division that goes onnot only in the world but also between familiesbetween the son and the father.You know all this don’t you?So wherever there is division there must be conflict.That is a fact.That division is the ‘more’.You understand?One does not know but give me a few years I will know.I hope you understand all this.Nous sommes d’accord?Who has created this divisionbetween ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’between the Arab and the Jewbetween the Hindu and the Muslimbetween the guru and the disciple?There is this division between so-called God- if there is such an entity -and yourself.Wanting peace and being in conflict.This is the actual reality of our daily life.And the speaker is asking as you must be asking toowho has created this divisionnot only externally but inwardly?Please ask yourself this question.Who is responsible for all this messfor all this endless struggleendless pain loneliness despaira sense of sorrow from which man seems to have never escaped- who is responsible for all this?Who is responsible for the society in which we live?The society modern societywith all it is complexities.There is this immense poverty in this countryimmenseand there are all the social workers.You understand all this?Or we have never thought about it at all.Or we are so occupied with our own meditationswith our own gods with our own problemsthat we have never looked at all this never asked.There are several things involved in all this.Man has always sought- those who are fairly intelligent fairly aware sensitive -can there be egalitarian society ever?You understand?No class differenceequal opportunityso that there is no division between the worker and the managerthe carpenter and the politicianthere are differences technologicallybut as human beings.And one of the problems too is is there justice in the world?One hopes you hear clearly now.We are asking: is there justice in the world?And there have been revolutions- Frenchrecent communist revolution Bolshevik revolutiontrying to establish a societywhere there was equalitywhere there was justicewhere there was goodnessand they have not succeeded at all. On the contrarythey have gone back to the old pattern in a different setting.So we have to enquirenot only why human beings live in perpetual conflict and sorrowand the search for securitybut also we should enquire togetherinto the nature of justiceif there is any justice at all in the world.Is there?You are clever another is not.You have got all the privilegesand another has none whatsoever.You live in palatial housesanother lives in a hut hardly having one meal a day.And if you are rich you can hire lawyersand you know that business very well.And so is there justice at all?And isn’t it important to find out for oneselfand therefore help humanity- I am sorry I don’t mean help I withdraw that word.And so when one understands the nature of justiceis there any justice at all?To find that outone must enquire very very deeply into the nature of sorrowwhether there can be no self-interest at all.And also we should enquire – as we shall during these talksduring these conversations rather -what is freedomand what is goodness.So who has created this extraordinarily complex societythe division among religionsthe division of nationsdivisions betweenthe intimate and those who are not intimate and so on.Right?Who has created all this?If the speaker can go into itnot as an informernot as an instructornot someone who is telling you it is so therefore accept itbut you and the speaker are exercising their brainstheir intelligencetheir capacity to find out.The question is: who has created all this?One can understand the society is created by every human beingthe society in which we live is created by every human beingthrough their greedthrough their envythrough their aggressionthrough their search for security.We have created this society in which we liveand then we become slaves to that society.Right?Are you following all this?Not following – do you understand all this?No?What am I to do if you don’t understandthe very simple fact that we human beingshave created our cultureour society our religions our gods- all that.We human beings out of fearout of our lonelinessin our search for securitynever understanding what is insecuritybut always wanting securitywe have never gone into the question of what is religionwhether it is possible to break away from traditionand find out.So to come back who has created this division?Because where there is division there is conflict.Right?That is an absolute certainty.So is it not thought?Think it out put your brains into it.Is it not thoughtthat has divided the worldas the Christians the Buddhiststhe Jews and the Arabs the Hindu Muslim?Is it not thought?Then one asks: what is thought?Thought is the action by which we live.Thought is our central factor of action.Thoughtby which we live to make moneythoughtto separate me and youmy husband and my wifethe ideal and ‘what is’- is it not thought?Then what is thought what is thinking?Is not thinkingthe activity of memory?Please sirs don’t accept a thing that the speaker is saying.One must have this quality of doubt.Doubt your own experiencesyour own ideaswhy you put on these garlandswhy you do certain things – doubt questionand not just merely accept.So pleasedo not under any circumstancesaccept what the speaker is saying.He is saying as a friend- to whom you can listen or not listen as you please -he is saying thought has created this divisionthought has been responsible for wars.Thought has been responsiblebetween all the gods man has invented.Thought has been responsibleto put man on the moon to create a computer.Thought has been responsible for all the extraordinary thingsthat they are doing in the technological worldwhich we won’t go into now.And thought is responsiblefor this division between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’.And thought is responsible for that conflictbetween ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’.’What should be’ is the idealsomething to be achievedsomething to be gainedaway from ‘what is’.For examplehuman beings are violent.That is an obvious fact.And during the long period of timeman is not free of violencebut he has invented non-violence.Right?He has invented it and is pursuing that.He acknowledges that he is violent- if he is at all honest -he is violentand he is in the pursuit of a so-called ideal called non-violence.And therefore in that pursuit in that achieving non-violencehe is sowing the seeds of violence all the time.Naturally.This is a fact.This country has talked a great deal about non-violencewhich is rather shamefulbecause we are all violent people.Violence is not merely physical.Violence is a form of imitation conformityaway from ‘what is’.So violence can only end completelyin the human mind in the human heartwhen there is no opposite.The opposite is the non-violence which is not realwhich is another escape from violence.If you don’t escape then there is only violence.Right?And we have not been able to face that factand we are always running away from this factfinding excuses finding economic reasonsfinding innumerable methods to overcome violencebut still violence.The very overcoming is a part of violence.So to face violence you must give attention to itnot run away from it.See what it is.See the violence between man and woman- both sexually in different ways.Is there not violence when you are seeking more and more and morebecoming more and more?To look at violence and remain with itnot run away from itnot try to suppress it or transcend it- all that implies conflict -but to live with it look at itin fact treasure itnot translate it according to your want and dislike or likejust to look and observewith great attention.We won’t go into what is attention for the momentthat is very simple though it sounds complex.When one gives attention to something completelyit is like turning on a bright lightand then you see all the qualities the subtletiesthe implications the whole world of violence.When you see something very clearlythen it is gone- because we refuse to see things clearly.So we are asking who has createdthis complex conflict of human beingswith each other with the environmentwith gods with everything.We are saying thought has done this.Have you ever consideredwhy you think you are an individual?Are you an individual?Or you have been programmed to think you are an individual.Your consciousness is like every other human being’s consciousness.You suffer you are lonely you are afraidyou are seeking pleasure avoiding painit is so with every human being on earth.That is a fact psychological fact.You may be tall you may be dark you may be light- those are all external frills of climate food and so on.And culture is too external.But psychologically subjectivelyour consciousness is similar to commonone with all other human beings.You might not like itbut that is a fact.So psychologicallyyou are not separate from the rest of humanity.You are humanity.Don’t say ‘Yes.’- then it has no meaningmerely accept it as an idea.But it is such a tremendous factthat you are the rest of mankindnot somebody separate.You may have a better brainmore wealth cunningbetter lookingbut put aside all thatthose are surface things they are frills.But inwardlyevery human being on this earthis one in sorrow with you.Do you know when you realise that what it means?No you wouldn’t.You would make it into an idea or an ideal and pursue it.It requires it impliesand when you say you are the rest of humanityit means you have tremendous responsibility.It implies great affection love compassionnot some silly idea that you are one.So we are sayingas two friends talking things overthat thought has been responsible.Thought has created the most extraordinary thingsoutwardly.In the world of action in the world of daily lifethought has brought about great conveniencesanity and also insanityand also the means of war and so on.So we must enquire together what is thinkingand why has thinking become so extraordinarily important.Thinking cannot exist without memory.Right?If there is no memory there is no thought.Our brainwhich is one with all the rest of humanitynot separate little brains which is such rotour brains are conditioned by knowledgeby memory.And knowledge memory are based on experienceboth in the scientific world and the subjective world.Right?Our experiences however subtlehowever so-called spiritual and all that businessboth scientific personal experienceare always limited.And so our knowledgewhich is the outcome of experienceis also limited.We are adding both scientificallyin this world of science more and more and more.Right?Where there is additionthat which is being added to is limited.Right?I am sorry if you are bored. Are you?You are yawning.Good Godwhat kind of people are you?Sir pleasewe are saying something very serious.If you are bored go to sleepgo to sleep here.If you are tired lean on somebody and go to sleep.But this requires a great deal of energythought enquiry doubt.So we are saying thatexperience being limitedand therefore knowledge is always limitedeither now or in the past or in the future.And knowledge means memoryeither the memory which is held in the computeror the memory held inside our brainso our brain is memory.And that memory directs thought.This is a fact.So thought is always limited.Right?Please this is logicalrationalnothing invented – this is so.Experience is limitedtherefore knowledge is limitedand knowledge is memoryand memory is the activity of thought.Thought cannot exist without memory.Don’t yawn sir if you are tired go to sleep.Yes sir.I wonder if it is worth talking at allhaving a conversation with youwhen you are not really serious.Well it is up to you.You know you can take the horse to the poolbut the horse has to drink.So thought being limitedhas created the world and divided the worldbecause it is limited it has broken up the worldas the Arab and the Jew the Hindu Muslimthe Christian the Buddhist the Hindu and so on the Sikhit is the activity of thoughtwhich is in itself always limitedmust create division and therefore conflict.Right?Then you will sayis there any other activity which is not divisivewhich is not fragmentary which doesn’t break up?Right?Are you asking that question or am I putting that question to you?Is there a holistic activitythat can never break upas a Hindu me you?It is the division which creates conflict.Right?Now how are you going to find out?How are you going to find out for yourselfseeing that thought is divisivethought creates conflictthought has created the society and you apart from the societywhich you have createdand so on and on and on.That is the only instrument we have had so far.You may say there is another instrument which is intuitionwhich can be desirethat can be modified explained irrational too.I can believe I have an intuitionor one has an intuition that one is Napoleonor a guru?You can invent anythinglive in any illusion.So we are asking very seriouslyif one has understood the nature of thought.Is there any other actionor way of living which is never fragmentarynever broken up as the world and meand the ‘me’ and the world.You understand?Is there such a state of brainor a state of non-brainwhich is so completely holistic whole?Right?We are going to find out if you are serious.If you throw away everything that you have accumulated- not physical things pleasedon’t throw away your bank account you won’t anyhow -but psychologically put away everything that you have collected.That is going to be very difficult.That means there must be freedom.Freedom- you know the word ‘freedom’etymologically also means ‘love’.When there is freedom at such enormous depthand boundlessthere is also love.And to find that outor to come upon that holistic way of livingin which there is no self-interest.Self-interest is divisive.Right?I wonder if you understand all this.As we said at the beginningself-interest is the origin the beginning of corruptionwhether that self-interest be in the name of Godin the name of meditation or prayerseeking powerwhere there is self-interest there is corruptionthere is something dreadful that is going on.So to find that out or to come upon itthere must be freedom from the frictionthe conflict in relationship.Right?We live by relationship.You may live in the Himalayas or in a monasteryor live by yourself in a little hut or in a palace.You cannot live without relationship.Relationship implies to be related toto be in contact withnot physically only not sexually onlybut to be completely in contact with another.You understand?Oh my God!But we are never completely related to anothereven with the most intimate relationshipman and womaneach is pursuing his own particular ambitionhis own particular fulfilmenthis own way of living opposed to the otherand so on.In this relationship there is always conflictlike two parallel lines never meeting.Face the fact.And what creates conflict between two human beings?In your relationship with your wifewith your husband with your children- which is the most intimate relationship -what is it that creates conflict?Ask yourself sir.What creates conflict between you and your guru?Is it not that you have an image about your wifeand she has an image about you.Right?That image has been built very very carefullyduring a short period or a very long period.So the image the picture the conceptas your wife and your husbandguru and non-guruall that businessthis constant recording- you are following all this? -constant recording of the brainin relationship with anotherthis recording is the picture of your wife or your husbandor the politician or your guru.It is the picture that you have created about himas you are creating a picture about the speaker.And therefore that picture divides.Therefore there is no relationship between you and the speaker.It is very simple.And especially so when you are living in the same houseand all the turmoiland to escape from all thatyou become a monk or whatever it is.But you have your own problems there too.You have your own conflicts your own desiresyour own pursuitswhich again becomes conflict.Right?So can one live – please listen to thisgive your attention a little bit at least -can you live without a single imagebetween you and another?No image at all.Have you ever tried it?Not try it – see the logic of it the sanity of itthat as long as there is a picture-making machine going onwhich is recording the insultthe flatterysaying what a marvellous person you are and so onall that is creating the image about anotherand that image is the divisive factor.Right?That image is created by thought:she hurt me she wasn’t kind this morningand so on and on.So is it possible to live without a single imagenot only the image made out of stonebut also the image of your wifeof your guruof nobody.Then you will find out what true relationship isbecause then there is no conflict at all in relationship.That is absolutely necessaryif the brain can understand the limitation of thoughtand enquiry into a holistic way of livingthat is completely non-fragmented not broken up.Another factor in our life isfrom childhood we have been hurt psychologicallywe have been wounded.From childhood we are trained to have problems.Right?Do you understand all this?We have talked for nearly an hour.Shall I go on?You want me to go on with this?The speaker is capable of talking serious mattersas we did with a punditji for hours.But if you are really seriousand you have not talked about these thingsyou must be tired your brain must be sayingwell that is enough. I’ll take it up next day.But let’s finish this.From childhoodwhen we are sent to schoolthere you have to learn how to write how to readand all the rest of it.How to write becomes a problem to the child.Please follow this carefully you will see in a minute.It becomes a problem.Mathematics becomes a problemhistory becomes a problem chemistry.So he is educated from childhood to live with problems.Right?Problem of God problem of a dozen things.So our brains are conditioned trained educatedto live with problems.From childhood we have done this.So what happens when a brain is educated in problems?Please enquire.It can never solve problems.It can create more problems.You understand?Questioner: (Inaudible)K: Please sir I am sure there is going to bea question and answer meeting on Tuesday morning.I don’t know where but there is going to be.Then you can bombard me with all your questions.This is very important to understandbecause we are asking whether the braincan live a daily life in the modern worldwithout a single problem.It is only then it can solve problems.Not a brain trained to have problemsto live with problemsthen when it solves one problemin the very solution of that problem it creates more problemsas they are doing politically.Right?I mean for you for example if you meditate- I don’t know why you meditate if you do -it becomes a problem.How to keep your mind quiet control it practice disciplineyou know all the rest of that rubbish.That is not meditation.So please listen:from childhood we are trainededucated to live with problemsand therefore being centred in problemsit can never solve any problem completely.It is only the free brain that is not conditioned to problemsthat can solve problems.Vous avez compris?You understand this or not?Sir this is one of our constant burdensto have problems all the timeand therefore our brain is never quietfree to observe to look.So we are askingis it possible not to have a single problembut to face problemsbecause you are going to have plenty of problems.But to understand those problemsand totally resolve them the brain must be free.Right?See the logic of itbecause logic is necessaryreason is necessaryand only then you can go beyond reasonbeyond logic.But if you are not logical step by step by stepthen you may deceive yourself all alongand end up in some kind of illusion.So to find outa way of living that can face problemsresolve them and not be caught in problems.Yes sir this requires a great deal of observation attentionawareness to see that never a second you deceive yourself.First there must be order.And order begins only when there is no problemwhen there is freedom.Not to do what you like – that is not freedom at all.Or to choose between this guru and that guruor between this book and that book- that is merely another form of confusion.No?Where there is choice there is no freedom.And choice only exists when the brain is confused.When the brain is clearthen there is no choiceonly direct perception and right action.\s

J. Krishnamurti – What is our brain – Notes

Please note that this video titled J. Krishnamurti – What is our brain 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 – What is our brain on Youtube