681 Krishnamurti and beliefs of others
Following my blog 678 last week about
the Ten Commandments - which have been made rather more digestible by George
Carlin, who whittles them down to two or three - I had another quote from Krishnamurti in my inbox.
K, as eloquent as ever (if you’re
not used to his language, bear with him … try a few more quotes) makes
the point that we only too freely submit to other’s ideas and concepts of truth and
belief ... a circumstance at the base of all religions.
The primary cause of disorder in ourselves
The world accepts and follows the traditional approach. The primary cause of disorder in ourselves is the seeking of reality promised by another; we mechanically follow somebody who will assure us a comfortable spiritual life. It is a most extraordinary thing that although most of us are opposed to political tyranny and dictatorship, we inwardly accept the authority, the tyranny, of another to twist our minds and our way of life. So we completely reject, not intellectually but actually, all so-called spiritual authority, all ceremonies, rituals and dogmas, it means that we stand alone and are already in conflict with society; we cease to be respectable human beings. A respectable human being cannot possibly come near to that infinite, immeasurable, reality.
Krishnamurti, Freedom from the Known
This subject matter is dealt with in a well known quote drawn from a 1929 speech, where K renounced the Order of the Star and indeed the Theosophical Society entirely. (Here's a link to an interesting opinion piece about that incident.)
“I maintain that Truth is a pathless
land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by
any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and
unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any
path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to
lead or to coerce people along any particular path. If you first understand
that, then you will see how impossible it is to organize a belief. A belief is
purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you
do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to
be imposed on others. This is what everyone throughout the world is attempting
to do. Truth is narrowed down and made a plaything for those who are weak, for
those who are only momentarily discontented. Truth cannot be brought down,
rather the individual must make the effort to ascend to it. You cannot bring
the mountain-top to the valley. If you would attain to the mountain-top you
must pass through the valley, climb the steeps, unafraid of the dangerous
precipices.”
My fascination with Krishnamurti is based entirely on the principles expressed in these two quotes; hence - as you would expect - I fully concur with the above,
and I’ve said as much in my essay BELIEF from my book with no title, instead three definitions for the term en.light.en.ment