Kinfonet Editorial - July2005
Since I have been visiting too many web sites, I thought it's better to classify and clarify ( to myself) what I have been browsing. Hence this philosophy blog.
In the first blog, I m posting, the Kinfonet newsletter editorial about K's ' negative approach' teaching and it's positive side effects !! :)
Kinfonet Editorial - Has anyone supposed it lucky to be born ...?
Kinfonet Editorial - Has anyone supposed it lucky to be born ...?Krishnamurti does not mince words when it comes to describing the sorry state of human consciousness. To some his writings are refreshingly honest, while to others his candid descriptions of human nature are somewhat oppressive. This candor, along with the fact that he offers no clear-cut way out, may be partly responsible for Krishnamurti's lack of mainstream appeal. Krishnamurti's works depict our lives as a series of doomed attempts to find happiness. One of his main concerns is to expose psychological delusion, particularly in regard to the pursuit of personal fulfillment.
"Surely beauty is when the self is not." Even though there is a common acknowledgement as to the grave nature of human problems, the prevailing view is that life is not entirely bad, that there are at least some commendable human qualities - qualities like the ability to appreciate nature, friendship, love and moments of carefree enjoyment. Even though Krishnamurti does talk about beauty, love and compassion, he casts these qualities in a light that is far removed from our everyday experience.
One does find passages in Krishnamurti's writings in which he expresses an unbridled sense of jubilation, celebrating life in all its manifold manifestations. "I'm in love with life", he exclaims in his early days around the time he rejected the role of "world teacher". He speaks of the truth he has come upon as "much too lovely to be rejected and much too great to be accepted without thought." He soon realized, though, that this nuanced type of description, intended to awaken the "desire for freedom", was proving to be a corrupt form of spiritual enticement in that it was leading to blind acceptance. Rather than serving as a catalyst to uncover for oneself "where happiness lurks" his positive descriptions were being fossilized into beliefs that would then shape further inquiry.
"That which is real shall not bind." Observing this, Krishnamurti became increasingly reticent in describing his own experiences in this direct manner, and instead developed his "negative approach". That is, he turned his attention to what is preventing the free flow of life through us. To Krishnamurti, it is prejudice that binds life. Our ideas and convictions pervert our understanding and constrict life by forcing it into a predictable pattern. Bias cuts us ultimately off from reality, leaving us isolated and locked into ourselves. Unlike the self-purifying free flow of life, thoughts and ideas operate in a very narrow and stagnant environment, ultimately causing a multitude of conflicts and compounded neuroses. Becoming aware of that which lies between us and life may well be the first step in setting that life free in ourselves.
"To find out for oneself what is true, all influence must cease. There is no 'good' conditioning or 'bad' conditioning, there is only freedom from all conditioning."Of course the serious-minded reader who isn't immediately rebuffed by this "perceived negativism" on the part of Krishnamurti will discover the careful reasoning behind his ideas. One is soon able to recognize the "pain of pleasure" and becomes quite adept at unearthing self-interest in the most unsuspected circumstances. The lack of real relationship and the virtual impossibility of uncontaminated happiness soon become painfully evident. Unfortunately though, a not too uncommon consequence of this discovery is that some inadvertently become overbearing and judgmental. It's difficult not to point out that almost everything in our (and another's) behavior is based on conditioning or merely an escape from life. However, such emotionally charged pessimism does not accurately reflect the vital energy that is so apparent in Krishnamurti's own discourses and writings.
It is apparent that Krishnamurti's careful and precise elaborations on the nature and workings of the human mind are susceptible to ending up as a solidified understanding. Given human nature, even the teaching can be turned into a rigid morality, an ordered conglomeration of dos and don'ts. Moreover, due to the sophistication and subtlety of the teaching, the adoption of Krishnamurti's ideas is not something that is easily recognized as a belief-system.
"You have to understand yourself and you have to play with it a little bit every day. A man who plays with the understanding of himself will perceive far more than he who preaches to others." Throughout the teaching, Krishnamurti stresses the need to understand for oneself what he is saying rather than merely agreeing with it. In the same way that we make poor representatives of Krishnamurti by repeating his findings, Krishnamurti's very own words can become lifeless, specter-like. Not only because the word is not the thing described, but also because reconstructing the facts from his words cannot fully capture the living spirit of understanding from which those words flow.
When engaged with Krishnamurti's teaching, be it through a book, participating in a dialogue group or silently contemplating alone, it's not unusual to have insights that strike one as genuine and real. There is a feeling that we have listened intently and critically, nobody has persuaded us, we didn't just agree without careful examination. Hence our sense of understanding is not merely based on a logical conclusion, but is accompanied by an emotional feeling of certainty.
It is also a common experience that in trying to recall those insights later on, our lack of clarity and the vagueness of our understanding proves rather daunting. Concepts like the "observer is the observed", "you are the world" or "thought is time" crisscross our minds in a parade of jumbled confusion. Alongside all this there is a pressure to hold these ideas in one's brain, to juggle them and order them in some useable fashion. Remarkably, though, if it is acute enough, this tension can spark a sudden awareness of the simplicity and immediacy of life and how it lies in sharp contrast to this complex juxtaposition of ideas.
"The totality of our conditioning can be broken, not bit by bit, which takes time, but immediately, by directly perceiving the truth of the matter. It is the truth that liberates, not time or your intention to be free."This may be what Krishnamurti means by a firsthand "understanding" that is considerably more important than arriving at an intellectual or emotional finding. Understanding in his parlance seems to imply an immediate perception of the underlying disturbance and tension that is invariably associated with any conclusion. Because conclusions are necessarily limited, continual effort must be exerted, consciously or unconsciously, to force reality into their mold and prevent the inconsistencies from seeping through. This fact, that conflict is inherent in conclusion, if indeed it is a fact, is something each one would have to discover for himself. Such a discovery would simultaneously trigger a thirst for freedom from the ongoing conflict one has now become aware of, would it not?What Do You Think?It is the opinion of the editorial writers that Krishnamurti is a modern-day example of a truly free human being. These editorials reflect our interest in this most extraordinary man and what he has to say. The intention here is neither to represent nor to re-present Krishnamurti, but simply to foster engagement with his works. Needless to say, the fascinating and intricate nature of Krishnamurti's writings demand that they be read carefully and at first hand.
In the first blog, I m posting, the Kinfonet newsletter editorial about K's ' negative approach' teaching and it's positive side effects !! :)
Kinfonet Editorial - Has anyone supposed it lucky to be born ...?
Kinfonet Editorial - Has anyone supposed it lucky to be born ...?Krishnamurti does not mince words when it comes to describing the sorry state of human consciousness. To some his writings are refreshingly honest, while to others his candid descriptions of human nature are somewhat oppressive. This candor, along with the fact that he offers no clear-cut way out, may be partly responsible for Krishnamurti's lack of mainstream appeal. Krishnamurti's works depict our lives as a series of doomed attempts to find happiness. One of his main concerns is to expose psychological delusion, particularly in regard to the pursuit of personal fulfillment.
"Surely beauty is when the self is not." Even though there is a common acknowledgement as to the grave nature of human problems, the prevailing view is that life is not entirely bad, that there are at least some commendable human qualities - qualities like the ability to appreciate nature, friendship, love and moments of carefree enjoyment. Even though Krishnamurti does talk about beauty, love and compassion, he casts these qualities in a light that is far removed from our everyday experience.
One does find passages in Krishnamurti's writings in which he expresses an unbridled sense of jubilation, celebrating life in all its manifold manifestations. "I'm in love with life", he exclaims in his early days around the time he rejected the role of "world teacher". He speaks of the truth he has come upon as "much too lovely to be rejected and much too great to be accepted without thought." He soon realized, though, that this nuanced type of description, intended to awaken the "desire for freedom", was proving to be a corrupt form of spiritual enticement in that it was leading to blind acceptance. Rather than serving as a catalyst to uncover for oneself "where happiness lurks" his positive descriptions were being fossilized into beliefs that would then shape further inquiry.
"That which is real shall not bind." Observing this, Krishnamurti became increasingly reticent in describing his own experiences in this direct manner, and instead developed his "negative approach". That is, he turned his attention to what is preventing the free flow of life through us. To Krishnamurti, it is prejudice that binds life. Our ideas and convictions pervert our understanding and constrict life by forcing it into a predictable pattern. Bias cuts us ultimately off from reality, leaving us isolated and locked into ourselves. Unlike the self-purifying free flow of life, thoughts and ideas operate in a very narrow and stagnant environment, ultimately causing a multitude of conflicts and compounded neuroses. Becoming aware of that which lies between us and life may well be the first step in setting that life free in ourselves.
"To find out for oneself what is true, all influence must cease. There is no 'good' conditioning or 'bad' conditioning, there is only freedom from all conditioning."Of course the serious-minded reader who isn't immediately rebuffed by this "perceived negativism" on the part of Krishnamurti will discover the careful reasoning behind his ideas. One is soon able to recognize the "pain of pleasure" and becomes quite adept at unearthing self-interest in the most unsuspected circumstances. The lack of real relationship and the virtual impossibility of uncontaminated happiness soon become painfully evident. Unfortunately though, a not too uncommon consequence of this discovery is that some inadvertently become overbearing and judgmental. It's difficult not to point out that almost everything in our (and another's) behavior is based on conditioning or merely an escape from life. However, such emotionally charged pessimism does not accurately reflect the vital energy that is so apparent in Krishnamurti's own discourses and writings.
It is apparent that Krishnamurti's careful and precise elaborations on the nature and workings of the human mind are susceptible to ending up as a solidified understanding. Given human nature, even the teaching can be turned into a rigid morality, an ordered conglomeration of dos and don'ts. Moreover, due to the sophistication and subtlety of the teaching, the adoption of Krishnamurti's ideas is not something that is easily recognized as a belief-system.
"You have to understand yourself and you have to play with it a little bit every day. A man who plays with the understanding of himself will perceive far more than he who preaches to others." Throughout the teaching, Krishnamurti stresses the need to understand for oneself what he is saying rather than merely agreeing with it. In the same way that we make poor representatives of Krishnamurti by repeating his findings, Krishnamurti's very own words can become lifeless, specter-like. Not only because the word is not the thing described, but also because reconstructing the facts from his words cannot fully capture the living spirit of understanding from which those words flow.
When engaged with Krishnamurti's teaching, be it through a book, participating in a dialogue group or silently contemplating alone, it's not unusual to have insights that strike one as genuine and real. There is a feeling that we have listened intently and critically, nobody has persuaded us, we didn't just agree without careful examination. Hence our sense of understanding is not merely based on a logical conclusion, but is accompanied by an emotional feeling of certainty.
It is also a common experience that in trying to recall those insights later on, our lack of clarity and the vagueness of our understanding proves rather daunting. Concepts like the "observer is the observed", "you are the world" or "thought is time" crisscross our minds in a parade of jumbled confusion. Alongside all this there is a pressure to hold these ideas in one's brain, to juggle them and order them in some useable fashion. Remarkably, though, if it is acute enough, this tension can spark a sudden awareness of the simplicity and immediacy of life and how it lies in sharp contrast to this complex juxtaposition of ideas.
"The totality of our conditioning can be broken, not bit by bit, which takes time, but immediately, by directly perceiving the truth of the matter. It is the truth that liberates, not time or your intention to be free."This may be what Krishnamurti means by a firsthand "understanding" that is considerably more important than arriving at an intellectual or emotional finding. Understanding in his parlance seems to imply an immediate perception of the underlying disturbance and tension that is invariably associated with any conclusion. Because conclusions are necessarily limited, continual effort must be exerted, consciously or unconsciously, to force reality into their mold and prevent the inconsistencies from seeping through. This fact, that conflict is inherent in conclusion, if indeed it is a fact, is something each one would have to discover for himself. Such a discovery would simultaneously trigger a thirst for freedom from the ongoing conflict one has now become aware of, would it not?What Do You Think?It is the opinion of the editorial writers that Krishnamurti is a modern-day example of a truly free human being. These editorials reflect our interest in this most extraordinary man and what he has to say. The intention here is neither to represent nor to re-present Krishnamurti, but simply to foster engagement with his works. Needless to say, the fascinating and intricate nature of Krishnamurti's writings demand that they be read carefully and at first hand.
posted by Borrowed Wisdom at 2:12 AM
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