THE TEACHINGS ARE ABOUT AWARENESS

When I went to Ojai, California for the first time to listen to Krishnamurti in 1977, I met a man who said – ” I made a mistake in reading and listening to Krishnamurti. I understand what he says to be true but I do not know how to be free from my problems. He does not give any method or system or belief to follow. Now I am not able to sleep well at night. Now there are more conflicts in my life because the desire to be free is strong but there is no release or breakthrough.”

Many years ago, Krishnamurti was giving a talk in New York. During that talk, a lady got up from the audience and started shouting – ” Do not listen to this man (Krishnamurti). He is dangerous. ” Krishnamurti was quiet and allowed her to leave. After she left, K said to the audience – ” What she said is true !”

In Mahabharat, Duryodhana says – ” I know what is Dharma and what is Adharma. But I cannot live a life of Dharma ( goodness and love).” People who smoke cigarettes know that smoking is harmful to the body but they cannot give up smoking. The same is true for people who get angry very quickly. We do many things harmful to our body and mind even though we know that it is harmful.

Intellectual understanding of concepts is not enough to free us from the problems created by habitual way of living. Even our thinking and talking become habitual. We react too fast when our ways of living or beliefs are challenged. The more intellectual a person is, quicker he responds out of previous knowledge or conditioning. In such a way of responding or reacting, nothing new can be learned.

When a person becomes very curious about his own thinking and when he is able to observe thoughts from a different dimension called awareness, there is a possibility of seeing how problems like fear, anger, conflicts in relationship are born. Then only there is a possibility of freedom from all psychological problems. Love, beauty, happiness come from within as space is created within the mind to observe itself in silence.

Krishnamurti’s teachings are about this choiceless awareness which is blocked by habitual ways of our thinking and living. People who are ambitious to become rich, famous, powerful in society, even ambitious to become famous spiritual teachers will find it difficult to understand and appreciate his teachings.

Dr Harshad Parekh taught in various Krishnamurti schools in India for 28 years.