Emptiness

    In a world that is rapidly deteriorating into many forms of destruction, one feels it is necessary in this darkness to have places like Rajghat, Rishi Valley, Bangalore, and Madras, where there are a few people who are totally free from all national, political, and religious organizations with their absurdities. These groups are totally dedicated to being the centres of a new way of living. They are not concerned with their own personal salvation, but as they are the rest of humanity, they have to become both teachers and disciples of the teachings. They have to learn, understand, not intellectually but at great depth, what the teachings imply in daily life, be thoroughly soaked in it, and also become teachers of it.      This implies great responsibility. Where there is responsibility, there is no sense of egotistic fulfilment or expression, for that very responsibility wipes away self-centred activities. Responsibility implies cooperation, not for a cause ...

SEEING DIRECTLY WHAT WE ARE I think one of our major problems is to be sufficiently sensitive, not only to one’s own idiosyncrasies, fallacies and troubles, but also to be sensitive to others. Living in this mechanical world of job, success, competition, ambition, social status and prestige makes for insensitivity to the psychological dangers. One is aware, and naturally so, of the danger of physical insecurity—not having enough money, proper health, clothes and shelter, and so on—but we are hardly aware of our inward psychological structure. One feels that one lacks the finesse, sensitivity and intelligence necessary to deal with the inward problems.  Why is it that we are not as aware of the psychological dangers as we are of the physical ones? We are well aware of the outward dangers—a precipice, poison, snakes, wild animals, or the destructive nature of war. Why is it that we are not completely aware inwardly of the psychological dangers such as nationalism, conflict within one...

Questioner:  What is Jealousy? KRISHNAMURTI:  Jealousy implies dissatisfaction with what you are and envy of others, does it not?  To be discontented with what you are is the very beginning of envy.  You want to be like somebody else who has more knowledge, or is more beautiful, or who has a bigger house, more power, a better position than you have.  You want to be more virtuous, you want to know how to meditate better, you want to reach God, you want to be something different from what you are: therefore you are envious, jealous.  To understand what you are is immensely difficult, because it requires complete freedom from all desire to change what you are into something else.  The desire to change yourself breeds envy, jealousy; whereas, in the understanding of what you are, there is a transformation of what you are.  But, you see, your whole education urges you to try to be different from what you are.  When you are told: "Now, don't be jea...