If we are in a building and want to go up to the next floor, we walk over to the elevator, enter, make our request (push the “up” button), and the door closes, safely taking us up. It would be insane to stand in the middle of the lobby and make a request (nothing would or could happen). It’s the same with the inner life: we must make an effort to change our inner location if we want to truly go ‘up’. Mr Krishnamurti addresses this idea and takes it even further. Blunt? Yes, but oh so very sweet.
Soul Searching
(from The Years of Fulfillment)
Is it that you are not serious? Is it that you don’t care? Is it that you have so many problems that you are caught up in them, no time, no leisure to stop, so that you never look at that flower? … Sir, you have not given your life to it. We are talking about life — not about ideas, not about theories, practices, technologies — but looking at the whole of life which is your life. You have a very short time to live, maybe ten, maybe fifty years, but don’t waste it, look at it, give your life to understand it.
***
Inner Life Exercise
Just like a temperature gauge can be periodically viewed to see what the temperature is, you have an inner trouble gauge which, if viewed (seen), will tell you all about you. It will keep you out of trouble by reminding you to change your inner location if you are somewhere you should not be. About ready to get angry at someone? Catching your own irritability, or that you said something mindlessly dumb –these unpleasant states and actions can be seen — which is the first step towards their dismissal. For the next week, monitor your inner trouble gauge. It’s better to be happy than sad. No brainer! Use your God given gauge.
***
It is so kind that the Creator gave us Now, and only Now, to determine the quality of our existence. Sadly, we are most often in the habit of complicating our lives with thoughts of future and past. But that can change right now! No one knows how long we have to learn this vital lesson. When death knocks on our door, have we developed the ability to be here right now? Nothing could be more important!
Wow – ‘Give your life to understand Life’.
Life with a small L is the external, mostly superficial life we have
been living. We are able to understand Life with a capital L when
we loosen our identification with life’s trappings – house, car, job,
our high standing in the community, and so on.
Instead of identifying in this way, we can engage our ‘inner trouble gauge’.
This will help us move away from our strong external identification
to a powerful inner awareness that connects us with Higher Understanding.
That inner force will soon begin to guide us in all things.
Let’s invite this freedom into our lives with all our hearts!
What great and inspirational words from Mr Krishnamurti. Thank you for this blog. So easily I fall asleep and waste my life in problems, I’m just so glad to know life isn’t about me and my problems.
We can’t just sit and wait for a better life to come our way, we must go into action, that is the asking. Or to say it another way: we must leave the old to find the new, both imply moment. Observing myself and others, I can see clearly one of the biggest barriers is our belief in our own sincerity. Catch yourself telling others what you really want from life. Question that trick and Truth will lead you out.