Many thinkers feel
J.K’s teaching seems essentially negative, a potent but bitter medicine for
those imprisoned by institutional cults. He breaks the student’s bonds, but
then leads him to a vast desert where he abandons him. The ultimate state of
consciousness he describes is that of the traditional sage or fully enlightened
being, but he does not show us the process leading to the realization of this
state. He describes marvellously the goal, but does not indicate the steps to
be taken: his recurring phrases "unified consciousness" and "let
go" are not a roadmap.
J.K asks us to
“see” our condition clearly, and thus achieve the leap into absolute, the
unconditioned, liberating us once and for all from the prison of ego. He seems
to have forgotten that we all are creatures of desire, attached to vicious
circle of pleasure and pain. Its cessation comes for most of us only at the end
of a long process of inner work, over one or more life times. Indeed pleasure
and pain are entirely culturally conditioned; animals to seek pleasure and try
to avoid pain. These unconscious tendencies surviving in the seed form from one
incarnation to the next, animating creatures as they were puppets; their complete
elimination is generally the outcome of a very long discipline are inborn,
whether embedded in our genetic code or inherited from previous lives. To
expect the radical detachment from our tendencies by an instantaneous
metamorphosis seems a bit utopian despite rare instances of sudden grace.
What J.K describes
to perfection is the awakening to Reality—the realization that pure
Consciousness alone is, that the perpetually fluctuating and evanescent
contents of the mind derive from it. This awakening effectively happens in an
instant. But in order for the lightning flash to take place, resulting in a
firm and unshakable certitude, a long labour is necessary, which he seems to
underestimate. “Truth is a pathless land” is his answer.
J Krishnamurti's approach
was more practical, and he stuck with the reality of the world, he took it as
real.
Resting in choiceless awareness is both the 'path' and the goal.
ReplyDeleteI always feel so special about Krishnamurti teachings. I was drawn to him by my life long depression. But strangely, I didn't go to psychologist or religious anchor. Intuitively, I chose to read and patiently study his teachings without knowing him before.
ReplyDeleteSo in my very experience, I saw that he led me straight to the darkness, satisfy all of the animal instinct urge or potent that I didn't dare to allow inside, but always always watch how i felt on the ride. Yes, a lot of extreme pleasure and acute pain, a lot of super ups and super downs. Sometimes , I hated him so much for taking me to "the hell on earth" and I didn't know why I had to endure all those until I realized I already dropped many many of toxic old beliefs in my head and finished some exploration.
I really really feel thankful to my intution that I picked his book and study him. He is like a light of my intelligence which I never can escape, the hurtful truth that I could never run away from. And really, it's a flame that cuts all the false inside me, eventhough it hurts so so much.
I love your writing, especially the second paragraph : "Indeed pleasure and pain are entirely culturally conditioned; animals to seek pleasure and try to avoid pain. These unconscious tendencies surviving in the seed form from one incarnation to the next, animating creatures as they were puppets". Their complete elimination is really really necessary, but only achieved when we see, feel the necessity in our heart, like Krishnamurti always say "you know a snake is dangerous, so you naturally you don't play with it". The elimination immediately happen when we see the truth ourself. That "knowing" (or awareness) happen in a second or less, but the preparation for it is surely a long time (and maybe painful) of studying and experimenting. But if we deny the painful process and follow a master, we will be much delayed. And Krishnamurti only helps us to see that we can't reach to that "knowing" by just following some rules, some descipline or study it from a sutra. We have to jump on a lake to learn how to swim ourself. That's from my experience.
Thank you for a very insightful post! :)
And there is one very important thing i learn from Krishnamurti is that, he asked me why I cared about enlightment, truthfully, honestly why I cared about that. Why do I care about meditation? To reach some sudden state of mind, to experience the vastness, to never feel suffering again. He shows me that it's not a right start, that's why I would never go anywhere.
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