Observing clearly

 

Clarity can exist only when there is freedom to observe, when one is capable of looking, observing, watching.

That is only possible when there is complete, total freedom, otherwise there is always distortion in our observation. 

I think that is fairly simple: simple in words but, in action, it becomes terribly difficult. 

So, is it possible to be free of all the distorting factors in our outlook?

When you observe yourself or another, society, the politicians, the environment, the whole cultural, religious movement that is going on in the world - so-called religious movement - can you observe without any prejudice, without taking any sides, without projecting our own personal conclusions, your beliefs, your dogmas, your experience and knowledge,  and therefore, be totally free of all that, to observe clearly ?

That is one problem / That is the second problem.

The third problem is compassion.

The word is not the thing. 

One may describe what is compassion in a most eloquent, poetic manner, but whatever is expressed in words, is not the thing.
So we are ongoing to find out these three things: what is compassion, because without compassion, there's no clarity, without clarity there's no skill. - they are totally interrelated with each other.

So, we are going to investigate these three problems: whether human beings, as we are now, can have this extraordinary sense of compassion in our daily life, not a theory, not an ideal, not something to be achieved, to be practiced and all the rest of it, to have it totally, completely, at the very root of our being. 

That is one question. Then, from that arises: can there be clarity?

Because one can be very clear in our thinking, objectively, rationally, sanely.
But reason, however logical, however objective, is very limited - obviously, Right?

I hope we are travelling together, moving together, 

And clear thinking has not solved our problems.

The philosophers, the scientists, the so-called religious people have thought very clearly about certain things, but in our daily life, clear thinking has not resolved our issues.

Right ?

One may think, very clearly, why one is envious or violent but the ending of violence cannot be brought about through clear thinking. 

Clear thinking implies a limitation because thought itself is limited, thought itself is conditioned, thought itself has its own boundaries. 
And thought may try to go beyond its boundaries and invent a logos, a deity, a Utopian State and so on but it is still limited because thought is the movement of memory, which is experience, knowledge and that is always from the past, therefore, thought is time-bound.
Can I go on with all this ?
You are following somewhat?

Please, I'm not preaching. I'm not doing any propaganda. We are not trying to convince you of anything.

And we really mean that - at least, I mean it.  Absolutely no sense of authority, no sense of trying to persuade you to think in a particular direction, doing any kind of propaganda, or trying to make you join something - nothing.

So, is it possible to see the limitations of thought and give it its right place, and therefore giving the right place to thought brings about clarity. 
Right?

We mean by right place - the art of that intelligence which comes through investigation, through exploration, that art - the very meaning of that word is to put everything where it belongs, put everything in our life where it belongs and to find out where it belongs, you need tremendous intelligence.  

And that intelligence can only come about when there is compassion, not direction by will, not following a certain pattern of thought, but in the process of investigating what is compassion, in that movement, or out of that movement, comes an intelligence which is not personal or individual, it is intelligence. That's what we're going to find out. 
Right?

Is it possible to awaken that intelligence which will bring about order in our daily life, and therefore socially, politically, in every direction ?
Because we are the center of society. Right ?
We make what society is. So, we are essentially the product of the past, and whatever we do is limited by the past, by time and any revolution, whether physical or psychological, brought about by thought, is limited.