Thought-Provoking Jiddu Krishnamurti Quotes

[ichingcarpenter]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiddu_Krishnamurti#/media/File:Jiddu_Krishnamurti_1987_stamp_of_India.jpgEven though I've admired his writings Its taken me a long time to begin to understand Jiddu Krishnamurti. I find his work and writings almost Zen like in their complexity and wisdom. I especially liked his work and dialogues with David Bohm which you can find on youtube.

Here are a few
quotes



“In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.”



“The reality of truth is not to be bought, to be sold, to be repeated; it cannot be caught in books. It has to be found from moment to moment, in the smile, in the tear, under the dead leaf, in the vagrant thought, in the fullness of love.”



“The crisis is not out there in the world, it is within our own consciousness.”



“True education is to learn how to think, not what to think. If you know how to think, if you really have that capacity, then you are a free human being – free of dogmas, superstitions, ceremonies – and therefore you can find out what religion is.”



“To understand oneself requires patience, tolerant awareness; the self is a book of many volumes which you cannot read in a day, but when once you begin to read, you must read every word, every sentence, every paragraph for in them are the intimations of the whole. The beginning of it is the ending of it. If you know how to read, supreme wisdom is to be found.”



“Religion becomes a matter of belief, and belief acts as a limitation on the mind; and the mind then is never free. But it is only in freedom that you can find out what is true, what is God, not through any belief; because your belief projects what you think God ought to be, what you think ought to be true. If you believe God is love, God is good, God is this or that, your very belief prevents you from understanding what is God, what is true.”




“Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased.”



“Fear begins and ends with the desire to be secure; inward and outward security, with the desire to be certain, to have permanency. The continuity of permanence is sought in every direction, in virtue, in relationship, in action, in experience, in knowledge, in outward and inward things. To find security and be secure is the everlasting cry. It is this insistent demand that breeds fear.”


https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS04XTKvYmvTUsIWLBmZobUwlYnzvjvLoSICTDS1eAl36tWB83f

[ZenBaller]

More like thought-silencing :sun:

[Rich]

Interesting idea, just some hours ago I had the same idea to make a thread with thought provoking quotes.

[toppy]

The quotes are very deep.

[Olam]

Yes I love mister K!, I see him as one of my spiritual grandfathers.
Another great soul teaching the basic cosmic truths and messages that have influenced so many.
I enjoy his angle on it all.
It took me many years to understand him when he mentioned that " The observer becomes the observed".
It all fell into place my learning from another great teacher, Sri Ramana Maharshi.
We are lucky to have them recorded on video.
See below some of my favourites series with Dr A.W.Anderson...

AM_xR9JFYuU

[Bill Ryan]

Interesting idea, just some hours ago I had the same idea to make a thread with thought provoking quotes.

Here's one that we have already: :thumbsup:


The Great Quotes thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?72752-The-Great-Quotes-thread)

[gord]

I know nothing of Krishnamurti other than this quote:

“It is no sign of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

It's been one of my favorite quotes by anyone for a long time.

[ichingcarpenter]

I know nothing of Krishnamurti other than this quote:

“It is no sign of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

It's been one of my favorite quotes by anyone for a long time......... one of my favorites too

The dialogues with David Bohm are available online in pdf which might be better than the youtube discussions they have had which lets one digest what they say since they speak and think on such a high level

https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Ending-of-Time.pdf


David Joseph Bohm FRS[1] (/boʊm/; December 20, 1917 – October 27, 1992) was an American scientist who has been described as one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century[2] and who contributed unorthodox ideas to quantum theory, neuropsychology and the philosophy of mind.

Bohm advanced the view that quantum physics meant that the old Cartesian model of reality – that there are two kinds of substance, the mental and the physical, that somehow interact – was too limited. To complement it, he developed a mathematical and physical theory of "implicate" and "explicate" order.[3] He also believed that the brain, at the cellular level, works according to the mathematics of some quantum effects, and postulated that thought is distributed and non-localised just as quantum entities are.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bohm

[Anchor]

Thanks for these. I love Jiddu Krishnamurti and have learned much from this mans work.


“Religion becomes a matter of belief, and belief acts as a limitation on the mind; and the mind then is never free. But it is only in freedom that you can find out what is true, what is God, not through any belief; because your belief projects what you think God ought to be, what you think ought to be true. If you believe God is love, God is good, God is this or that, your very belief prevents you from understanding what is God, what is true.”

This one about mental freedom reminds me of "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free".

So... believe nothing

[Deux Corbeaux]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiddu_Krishnamurti#/media/File:Jiddu_Krishnamurti_1987_stamp_of_India.jpg

Even though I've admired his writings, it's taken me a long time to begin to understand Jiddu Krishnamurti. I find his work and writings almost Zen like in their complexity and wisdom........

Thank you carpenter for giving Krishnamurti and his Gift to the West the attention it deserves.

And let´s also thank Helena Blavatsky and her pupils Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater for finding, adopting and bringing him to Europe when he was still a boy of 13 years old.

https://www.age-of-the-sage.org/theosophy/krishnamurti.html



“Fear begins and ends with the desire to be secure; inward and outward security, with the desire to be certain, to have permanency. The continuity of permanence is sought in every direction, in virtue, in relationship, in action, in experience, in knowledge, in outward and inward things. To find security and be secure is the everlasting cry. It is this insistent demand that breeds fear.”


This is what Buddhists call Attachment to Continuity of Permanency.


"Freedom from fear", by Jiddu Krishnamurti

"Is it possible for the mind to empty itself totally of fear? Fear of any kind breeds illusion; it makes the mind dull, shallow. Where there is fear there is obviously no freedom, and without freedom there is no love at all.
And most of us have some form of fear; fear of darkness, fear of public opinion, fear of snakes, fear of physical pain, fear of old age, fear of death. We have literally dozens of fears. And is it possible to be completely free of fear?

We can see what fear does to each one of us. It makes one tell lies; it corrupts one in various ways; it makes the mind empty, shallow. There are dark corners in the mind which can never be investigated and exposed as long as one is afraid. Physical self-protection, the instinctive urge to keep away from the venomous snake, to draw back from the precipice, to avoid falling under the tramcar, and so on, is sane, normal, healthy. But I am asking about the psychological self-protectiveness which makes one afraid of disease, of death, of an enemy. When we seek fulfillment in any form, whether through painting, through music, through relationship, or what you will, there is always fear.

So, what is important is to be aware of this whole process of oneself, to observe, to learn about it, and not ask how to get rid of fear. When you merely want to get rid of fear, you will find ways and means of escaping from it, and so there can never be freedom from fear."

The Book of Life, March 22, HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

[Deux Corbeaux]

The dialogues with David Bohm are available online in pdf which might be better than the youtube discussions they have had which lets one digest what they say since they speak and think on such a high level

https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Ending-of-Time.pdf



Thank you for the pdf of The Ending of Time dialogues.

In this case it’s (for me) easier to read the text than listening to the conversation between the two men. Most of the time it’s the other way round.

Here’s the first part of the YouTube series on the dialogues. “The roots of psychological conflict”. 1980


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqYCFRzqNoA

[Caliban]

I hesitate to post this since I don't want to rain on the parade (or do I?) but thought I'd throw it out -

I agree the guy was a sage for sure, or else sure seemed like one. When younger, I devoured his books.

Then I read about how he treated people -- was awful to his closest assistant and had a long term affair with the guy's wife, appearing to the world as a celibate ascetic. In a David Bohm biography they talk about how crappy K. treated Bohm, I forget the details. Just careless in what he'd say and how he'd act and seemingly oblivious of it.

When I look at him now I see a briliant dude who tried to get a message across but often came out sounding garbled and convoluted. Plus he's humorless, never saw the guy laugh or loosen up. I think he would have been better off with the Theosophists. At least he would have had some fun now and then. The terminology alone can put you in stitches...

[Anchor]

Plus he's humorless, never saw the guy laugh or loosen up. I think he would have been better off with the Theosophists. At least he would have had some fun now and then. The terminology alone can put you in stitches...

This doesnt gell with me. He often got the giggles
https://youtu.be/UWxVT-z8MBo?t=1074

Another example that comes to mind was a story he was telling about a dying man wanting to look at his bank book, he was cracking up at the absurdity. Pretty sure I posted it years ago as it was funny, but I cant find it right now.

Not trying to split hairs with you though - I can quite easily believe he could be an arrogant curmudgeonly grump, but I forgive him - lol.

PS: Silly fact, it seems you got my 10,000th thankyou!

[Caliban]

https://youtu.be/UWxVT-z8MBo?t=1074[/url]

Another example that comes to mind was a story he was telling about a dying man wanting to look at his bank book, he was cracking up at the absurdity. Pretty sure I posted it years ago as it was funny, but I cant find it right now.

Not trying to split hairs with you though - I can quite easily believe he could be an arrogant curmudgeonly grump, but I forgive him - lol.

PS: Silly fact, it seems you got my 10,000th thankyou!

Alright, you got me there Anchorman... He giggled sometimes. I have to give him that. He did succumb to laughter on occasion.

I'm fascinated by the public/private dichotomies of the gurus of our time. We all have public and private masks but with the sages we expect...something different. Books can be written on this, and they have, but to discuss this would derail the thread herein which I don't want to do. Just thought it's good to remind ourselves of the other side of the mirror.

I'm honored to receive your 10,000th thank you. Thank you for that.

[Pam]

I hesitate to post this since I don't want to rain on the parade (or do I?) but thought I'd throw it out -

I agree the guy was a sage for sure, or else sure seemed like one. When younger, I devoured his books.

Then I read about how he treated people -- was awful to his closest assistant and had a long term affair with the guy's wife, appearing to the world as a celibate ascetic. In a David Bohm biography they talk about how crappy K. treated Bohm, I forget the details. Just careless in what he'd say and how he'd act and seemingly oblivious of it.

When I look at him now I see a briliant dude who tried to get a message across but often came out sounding garbled and convoluted. Plus he's humorless, never saw the guy laugh or loosen up. I think he would have been better off with the Theosophists. At least he would have had some fun now and then. The terminology alone can put you in stitches...

Good point about the affair, which has a lot of documentation. It's really pretty easy to spout a bunch of wisdom, but the proof lies in it's implementation. How many "spiritual" experts actually walk the talk? It kind of reminds me of a parent telling his child "do as I say, not as I do".

[holistic1]

Who is the who in whovill? For 40 years "I" have asked the question "who wants to know" to the thought process in my head, and the answer is always the same. My ego. (thank you Krishnamurti) Until the mind learns to accept the answer (if you burn your finger on a hot stove, you will soon avoid repeating the process). The mind doesn't like looking foolish.
"I" just found this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfqLdOgoB98
upon reflection, it was Rumi who said the whoville thing.

[TomKat]

Then I read about how he treated people -- was awful to his closest assistant and had a long term affair with the guy's wife, appearing to the world as a celibate ascetic. In a David Bohm biography they talk about how crappy K. treated Bohm, I forget the details. Just careless in what he'd say and how he'd act and seemingly oblivious of it.


Well, maybe Bohm was of a lower caste? :-)

Seriously, I love his writings.

[silvanelf]

When I look at him now I see a briliant dude who tried to get a message across but often came out sounding garbled and convoluted. Plus he's humorless, never saw the guy laugh or loosen up. I think he would have been better off with the Theosophists. At least he would have had some fun now and then. The terminology alone can put you in stitches...

Here is the amazing story about the relation between Jidda Krishnamurti and the Theosophical Society. They intended to announce Krishnamurti as the new "Buddha Maitreya" ...

This kind of "intense training" is somewhat suspicious to me. If he had an advanced spritual awareness, why was it necessary to mold him by all that intense training? Take a look at the Dalai Lama.

In my view there may be a "mismatch between form and content" -- so to speak. I prefer someone like Sri Ramana Maharshi, he is free of any brainwashing attempts.


In 1909 at Adyar, India, Leadbeater discovered a boy whose aura he judged to be completely free of selfishness. This was Jiddu Krishnamurti, who was 13 years old. Adopted by Besant and Leadbeater, he received intensive training, then 10 years of schooling in England. People in many countries were informed of his future role. At the age of 27, Krishnamurti had a personal vision which convinced him that the consciousness of Maitreya was beginning to overshadow him. Theosophists throughout the world had been waiting for this development.

But when he was 34, Krishnamurti renounced his association with the Theosophical Society, declaring: "I do not want followers. My only concern is to set men absolutely, unconditionally free." He spent the rest of his years teaching humanity how to achieve that freedom.


https://www.share-international.org/archives/Krishnamurti/k_bs-pathlessjourney.htm

[Robert deTree]

Great quotes ichingcarpenter. Read Krishnamurti's notebook and you get the whole of his teaching through how he lives and perceives. His "process" is the process of being beyond thought. Turning his back on those who would idolize him was the best thing he ever did but he was never completely free of somebodyness.

It's also worth trying to understand him through his nemesis U Krishnamurti. ;-)

And while I believe that both were great teachers, I also agree with Silvanelf - Ramana Maharshi was the superior teacher.

[greybeard]

Certainly the teaching of KM is well worth looking at and I agree that having followers/devotees is not helpful.

The enlightened teacher starts his/her career saying there is only One, Im just like you, and then the devotees make the teacher special (different) titles are bestowed--Sri--Baba etc.

KM I think was not in favour of homosexuality--not exactly treading the middle path of acceptance.
Most Self realized have a sense of humour--even Nasargaatta who was known for fiery out bursts had a keen sense of humour.
KM seemed to lack humour and did not seem to be particularly loving.
For sure you are "safe" with the teaching of Ramana Marharshi.

Different strokes for different folks--whatever works for you.

Chris

[Caliban]

That grooming by the Theosophists probably screwed K. up and distorted his whole image of himself. Who knows what happened between him and Leadbetter who was known for violating children. Not that I read or heard anything concrete, but you never know.

Anyway, here's a K. quote I just plucked off the web - (Edited to get back to original Thread intention)

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.

Interesting how lately the ill-adjusted--gays, feminists, trans, leftists, even artists--have become the very society they were pointing out as being sick.

So who's "radical" now? Maybe just the ordinary joes who won't bend to either/any direction the wind is blowing.