awareness of oneself

Post attributed to J.Krishnamurti on Awareness

Have you ever looked at yourself? Have you ever looked at yourself for any length of time, as you look at yourself in a mirror when you are shaving, or brushing your hair, or when you make-up? Have you ever spent ten minutes, as you do at a mirror, watching yourself, without any choice, without any sense of judgment or evaluation, just watching yourself?

Look, I want to see what is in the cupboard of my mind, what is stored up there; I want to read all the things it contains because the content of the mind is the mind. I want to see what I am during the waking hours, walking, talking, making gestures, when I am at the office, when I am angry, in the fleeting moments of pleasure and sex, and the delight of seeing the hills, the streams, the trees, the birds and the clouds. But I also want to see myself when I am asleep, be aware of what is going on. Don't you want to see yourself, awake and asleep? You think you do. Do you know what it means to learn about yourself? It means hard work, daily observation, watching, watching, watching, but not self-centred watching, just watching, like you watch a bird, or the movement of a cloud; you can't change the movement of the cloud, so just watch in the same way. Enough for the day!!!

Violence and ideals

Yes, Virginia tech was a tragedy but I guess for that we all human beings around the world are responsible when we see from a higher perspective considering wars happening all around. Riots in India, burning effigies of cricketers, iraq catastrophe etc. Since the world is a reflection of each individual. It is highly important that we as individuals clear ourselves of greed, malice, hatred, jealousy, ambition, wanting to become, power, control and truly learn to live with “what is”. Understanding human conditioning, one needs to throw all ideals ,religion, what Krishna said,Buddha said etc and focus on “what is “
Its funny that in nature we are violent and with out understanding violence we create the ideal of nonviolence which is not factual. Whats is factual is say for eg “I am greedy or a liar:. The very awareness of what u r will free u from that quality. Instead we try to live according to ideals that are nonexistent and we wrestle with ourselves. Don’t worry about who is saying this( speaker here) instead if we can reflect on the truth of what is being said and if we are earnest enough to enquire into the truth then we would live life completely and not superficially. Self knowledge is the basis for true freedom. Don’t take my word as a mantha but do see the truth of it without judgment or prejudice.

Inward Flowering

"Why havent human beings flowered inwardly" is the basic premise of this blog. Human beings have made great advancements in the field of technology, building monsterous sites, war machines, internet, cars, fuel etc etc. but what about inward flowering. being inwardly rich. being in tune in with our real selves . yes what I mean here is listening ( not just to human beings , the rivers, being aware of the beauty, being sensistive to the agony of a beggar, listeing to a river stream, sensitivity to a balde of gras etc. As innocnet children , with "Me"( ego) not developed everything was enjoyable, cooperation came naturally. loved making sand castles. where a shell was ,valuable than a watch. Now we have discussions about Co-Operation like Co-operation for what? Where is the joy, the fun in growing? I am sure it is there. Is it Covered up or is it gone? Why havent we let that feeling grow and instead give importance to superfluous things? Is it " fear"? Do we feel less respectable? Do we measure?? I agree with the importance of measurement while buying a car or comparing clothes but why measure ourselves psychologically against another human being? being psychologically superior or inferior. I feel this is where though has crossed its limit. Thought in buying things, at work, is great. But thought in realtionships is just plain bad. enough zen for the day!!!