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Observe first. Why should I have a concept about you, first I must observe, mustn't I? I must look at you.
(Inaudible) You just throw up a lot of words, you don't see how and why these conclusions arise. If you don't have a concept you don't know there is an observer. I give it up!
I really do. You are not experimenting, you are not digging into yourself, you are just throwing up ideas. First, sir, look, may I talk a little?
I know you are used to being talked to, but let me talk a little. You see, we want to find out what it means to be aware, whether it is possible to be aware with a prejudice, with conclusions, with series of ideas and if you have them will they prevent awareness, and what does it mean to be totally aware. That is what we are discussing.
That is, what does it mean to be totally aware, and is it possible to be aware without any conclusion, and what does it mean to be partially aware even? You see. Now let's what does it mean to be partially aware?
I come into this tent because I want to find the best place. Right? And I rush in and sit at the best place.
I am not aware of all the people around me, of the environment. I am concerned with having the best seat in the place. So that is a partial awareness, isn't it?
Right? No? Because I have a motive, because I want the best place, therefore that prevents me from observing the whole thing.
That's simple, isn't it? No? So can I come in - listen to it, listen to it first - without a motive, observe everything around me and sit where I can?
That observation is entirely different from the awareness of coming in, wanting the best place and sitting down. You see the difference? Do you see the difference?
Yes, sir, but how is it possible... Wait, sir, wait, sir, a moment. So what happens?
I come rushing in, wanting a place, sit down, I am not aware what is going on around me. And there is another who says, 'I'll find a place where I can but I am awfully interested to see all those flowers, what marvellous colours they are, lovely with the light on it, how beautiful they are', and I find a place. I am observing the environment, watching everything, and find a place I can.
But the place is irrelevant; I'll find the best place I can, but that is not relevant. What is relevant is to observe. Right?
You are listening to all this? So, the partial awareness is when I am concerned with having the best place in the tent, and an awareness which observes everything and finds a place where it can. You see the difference?
So the mind that is watching everything may find a best place. You follow? But that is irrelevant.
So the mind observes, but it is incapable of observing all round if there is a motive. That's clear? Now have you a motive when you look around?
Find out, sir. When you look at somebody, have you a motive, have you a prejudice? If you are a Muslim will you look at a Hindu without a prejudice?
If you have prejudice then you look partially. Right? If you have no prejudice then you can look.
Right? Find out whether you have a prejudice. So from that we begin to find out that it is possible to be aware without a motive.
Right? Right? Aware, observe, without saying, 'I must have the best place' and forget everything and get a better place.
Whereas if you were aware of all this you may find a best place but that becomes irrelevant. So the mind can observe without motive. Right?
Yes sir? If I come into a place at different occasions, the first time I may look around and I may take in all the information and I establish in my mind a picture... Yes, sir, yes, sir.
...according to my view. And then the second time I don't observe so much and the third time I take it for granted. What happens then?
You see what that gentleman said? First time I come here I observe, I take in everything, I make a picture of it, record it in my mind and there they are - the flowers are there on the right hand side, or on the left hand side and all the rest of it. Then the second time I don't observe so clearly, the third time I take it for granted.
Right? See what has happened. Just see what has happened.
I have formed a habit which prevents me from observing. Right? Right?
So conclusions become habits. Right? Ideas.
The first time I observe all this, how nice, or not nice, I observe, then the second time I observe a little less, the third time I take it for granted, which is a habit. So habits prevent observation. Right, sir?
Yes, sir. No, please, sir, do. So have I habits?
Find out, sir. Have you habits, which are conclusions, which are prejudices, which are a series of ideas? And these habits prevent you from observing.
So a person who is burdened with habits is not capable of being aware. Full stop. Have you got that?
If I think in terms of a Hindu, or as a professor, or as a scientist, and that's my habit, then I observe very casually everything around me. Right? So have I and you a series of habits which prevent you or me from observing?
I have to find out, haven't I? So be aware of the habits. Forget the environment for the moment, be aware of your habits.
Are you aware of your habits? Not merely physical habits. If I am angry, if I am aware of my anger, the anger doesn't dissolve.
Wait, sir, we haven't... The anger gets suppressed... Sir, we'll... ...it will again go back to the... (inaudible) And after it comes back, the anger comes again. If I am aware again it gets suppressed.
As long as the anger is suppressed it cannot be released or it cannot be dissolved... Sir, we are coming to that. It is all related to anger... (inaudible) Sit down sir, we haven't come to that point yet, sir. We will come to it, sir.
The gentleman says, anger can only be emptied in the mind when you yield to anger completely. We will come to that presently if there is time. We see that there is no awareness as long as there is a series of well-established habits.
Right? Have you established habits? We have, haven't we?
We are bound to have them. So the next question is - just go to be aware of those habits and can those habits be dissolved, put aside? You understand?
I have a habit - if I have - of what? Of getting irritated. (Laughter) I have a habit of getting irritated.
Right. Right. Now is it irritation?
I don't accept first of all, when you say I am irritated, I don't accept it, I want to find out. I don't say I am not, or I am, I want to find out. Am I irritated?
When you ask the same question over and over and over and over again, not listening, and you ask... somebody asks irrelevant question, am I irritated? Or I say, 'Look, please stop, we are sticking to this point'. So suppose if I am irritated, can I observe that irritation - please listen to this carefully - can I observe that irritation without any conclusion?
You understand? Without saying 'I must get rid of it', or I must not get rid of it. Can I observe that irritation?
You cannot. Wait, sir. Wait, sir.
Find out, don't say 'We cannot'. You see, would that be called an irritation? I said, please wait, we asked you a second time - you follow?
- how you translate and I translate. What appears to you as an irritation I don't consider as a irritation. So I am - suppose I am irritated.
First of all I am aware of it, I say, 'By Jove, yes, I was angry, I was irritated, they are too stupid, they can't think clearly', I am irritated. Then I say, 'Why am I irritated?' I don't want to be free of irritation, I don't know why.
Is it that I didn't have proper sleep? Go into it, sir. Proper sleep, lack of food, not enough rest?
You follow? All these are contributory factors to irritation. Are you following all this?
Or do you not examine this irritation with the knowledge of what... (inaudible) I have to go through the analytical process just to show, but I don't analyse. You see... So what happens?
Then I say to myself, 'How is it possible for me to be free of this irritation?' Right? I have found out I am irritated, not because you tell me, I want to know.
You understand? I want to know why I am irritated. I have found out why I am irritated and I say to myself, now is it possible to be free of irritation altogether?
Right? You understand my question? Now, how?
I am aware that I am irritated or angry or envious, being aware of that fact, my next questions is it possible to be free of that fact? (Inaudible) Yes, sir. If you thought by - wait sir, wait sir, wait sir - by slapping me, it is necessary by slapping me you can get your material wants.
It may be necessary sometimes. Maybe - just don't speculate, sir. By hitting me you think you will gain your material want, but then I call the policeman, if there is one nearby.
(Inaudible) ...of the capitalist mode of production. You see, now we are off. I just want to know, sir - please just listen - don't call capitalist or communist, these terms are the most dangerous terms.
We are talking of the necessity of not getting angry. Right? I realise I am angry or irritable or envious and I say to myself, I am aware of it, I know I am irritated, angry, jealous, envious, or ambitious, or stupid, and how am I to be not these things?
Don't you ask that question? Why is it necessary? If anger if an essential element of... (inaudible) I don't, sir.
Will anger produce - first find out - will anger produce your necessary wants, physical wants. Sometimes... (inaudible) So you are saying, anger, two people angry with each other... (Inaudible) No, sir - why? Isn't yours also a very hypothetical case?
Anger is a necessary quality for living in this society... You assert that anger is necessary to live in this society. In a complicated society. In a complicated society.
No, wait, I have understood it. Anger is not necessary in a communist society. Do you know, sir, how angry people are in the communist world?
(Inaudible) That's it, now we are back, you see! Therefore... (laughs) You are had, sir - sorry. (Laughter) (Inaudible) Look what you are saying, sir, you are not observing the facts, what is actually going on.
Why do you want to discuss anger? Wait, sir. When you say, anger is necessary... (Inaudible) No, no, no (laughs) Sir, sir, please.
We are not here to lecture, if you don't mind... Sir, we talked about the other day that society needs changing, and society is a structure created by human beings, by you and me - we are part of the world, whether the communist world or the capitalist world, or a world that is supposed to come - utopian world. We create all these patterns ourselves. And we are saying, as human beings living in this world, is it possible to change so as to bring about a different society altogether?
- not communist society or the capitalist society, quite a different kind of society. So to find that out I have to enquire as a human being, myself who is part of the world and the world is me - not as an idea but an actuality - is it possible for me to change. And is it possible for me to change radically?
Is it possible for me to change my habits, as a Hindu, as a Muslim, as a communist, as a capitalist, as a Catholic and so on, so on - is it possible radically to change? Sir, anger is the beginning to that. I understand all this, sir, please we have been through all this!
(Inaudible) No, sir, no please, sir. This is the well-known pattern repeated all over the world. First establish the perfect world around you, materially arrange everything, then human beings change.
Right? That is the good old communist or dialectical concept of life - change the environment and everything will come in order. Now who is going to change the environment?
The bosses? The politburo? The theoretician of a particular theory?
And you see what has happened throughout the world - they don't change, on the contrary they suppress, they deny freedom. So to change the world you have to change yourself, not apart from the world because you are the world. So you have to change yourself.
So you have to observe yourself, you have to empty your mind of habits, as a Christian, as a Hindu, as a Buddhist - you follow? - or as a communist, because that is necessary. That's why we are saying, is it possible becoming aware of my envy - let's take envy, because all our society whether in the communist world or in this world is based on envy, different degrees of success.
Now is it possible being envious to free the mind of envy? Because if I have envy I am going to create the same kind of society, a hierarchical society, a society of authoritarianism - more and less - the man who is a great artist gets everything he wants, and the poor labourer doesn't get it, even in the most communist world. So is it possible for the mind, becoming aware that it is envious, to be free of that envy?
Right, sir? Right? (Inaudible) That's what I mean.
(Inaudible) I am going into that, sir, I am coming to that. One has many, many, many habits, not only envy but physical habits, not only physical habits but habits of fear, habits of... sexual habits, you know, habits, dozens and dozens of them. Unless the mind is free from these habits you cannot possibly create a new society.
Full stop. Obviously. So is it possible for the mind to be free of habits?
- not just one habit but the entire gamut of habits. You understand? My habit is to consider myself as a Muslim, or as a communist, that's my habit, with all the other habits involved in it, and as long as I have that habit I will regard the rest of the world as, I don't know, infidels or god knows what else.
So I'll fight, I'll be angry because I am going to defend my habit. So if one is really deeply serious about this matter then one is it possible, being aware of these habits, to empty the mind totally of all habit? Go on, sir.
Habit being a repetition, saying, I am, I am not, I am, I am not - you know, repeating, repeating, repeating. Now can the mind be empty of it? Sir, a child has no habit.
A child has no habit. But it soon gets a habit. Sir, do watch yourself, you have habits, haven't you?
Now how you will free the mind of the habits? You understand, sir, how difficult this question is? If I consider myself as a capitalist or a communist or a religious person, or this or that, I have established and I live in that habit, that habit is me.
And that becomes an enormous weight on the mind. I can't see clearly. Therefore I am asking, is it possible for the mind to put aside this habit?
Now how is this to be done? Right? That's the next question.
Not form another habit - you follow? - drop capitalism and become a communist then become a Mao, then become - I don't know - Mao, Mao, Mao (laughter), and so on, so on, so on. Don't laugh, please - this is what is happening in the world.
I move from one theory to another, hoping thereby to create a different environment, establishing a Utopia in the distance and working for it. It's all in the same pattern. So the next question is, I am asking is it possible for the mind to free itself?
Now having put the question let's investigate it. Right? First of all, if there is an action of will against habit it breeds conflict, doesn't it?
If I say, 'I will have no habits' - you follow? - that's impossible. You understand, sir?
That is, if I exercise will against habit, habit doesn't end. Haven't you noticed it? Right?
Therefore you say, now I won't exercise will, I will put it aside because will is not the answer. Right? So have I really put any action of will altogether away from me?
Find out, sir. Because I know will will not answer this question. We have tried it.
Will implies suppression, conflict, denial, running away from it, every form of escape through the action of will. Right? So there will be no exercise of will at all.
That's one point. Then analytically will not solve the problem either. You understand, analytically, what is implied?
Need I go into that? You know what one is saying - analytically? That is, examine it, the cause, why the habits have existed, trace it, go very, very deeply into the cause and effect.
Right? You follow? Cause and effect.
Now watch it, watch it carefully. We think cause is fixed and the effect is also fixed. Isn't it?
The cause is one thing and the effect is habit, and we think these two are fixed, unchangeable. But if you observe, cause becomes effect. Right?
And the effect becomes the cause for a future effect. With modifications. With modifications.
So there is a chain process, it is not a fixed thing, it is a movement - cause, effect, effect becoming cause and so on and on and on and on. In that we are caught. You follow?
So there is no way out of that either. Right? So analysis is not the way out.
Will is not the way out. Are you following all this? Then what is the way out?