3. Starting from the Core

Krishnamurti considered his career as a speaker to have begun in July 1933 in Italy, where he delivered seven talks in nine days.

In his first talk, he expressed the hope that listeners would not be satisfied with his descriptions of facts, but would discover for themselves the fullness and sheer joy of seeing reality directly.

K did not want to describe reality, but rather hoped that everyone would look at everything around them with fresh eyes. He said that we don't see the beauty around us or experience the deep joy of life because we have dulled our minds by relying on the descriptions of others.

We look to books and the wise for descriptions, settling for something that seems plausible enough. In doing so, we lose touch with living reality and become imitative machines. We cherish the platitudes that we have learned from others and are satisfied with substitutes, even when the real thing is right in front of us.

In the turmoil of life, we seem to be unable to face adversity. We seek immediate relief from our anxiety. Our broken minds are unable to help themselves and instead seek refuge in others. In such an emotional state, we will rely on anything that eases our distress.

If no help is found, the search continues. If we find help and our inner pain remains within our tolerance level, we stagger away with no concern for tomorrow.

However, when it comes to spiritual matters, relying on others makes us slaves to illusions, as all our helpers are themselves under the spell of their own beliefs and can only offer us temporary relief.

Of course, being able to temporarily avoid or postpone pain is not enough. For Krishnamurti, at least, it was not enough. He wanted everyone to understand what causes our pain and discomfort. This insight must be first-hand and genuine; it cannot be based on explanations learned from others and fluently quoted.

We will never reach this realisation unless we don't face ourselves as we really are. But we neither want nor dare to do this because the truth often hurts. We try to run away from ourselves at all costs.

When consumed by self-pity, we seek temporary relief in anything that makes us feel better. We escape into beliefs, without realising that we are only treating the symptoms and not addressing the real cause of our inner conflict.

Self-made Problems

Krishnamurti argues that most of our problems are self-made. When we encounter something unpleasant, we try to fight it by inventing its opposite. In doing so, we create a problem that would not otherwise exist.

We have grown up with this mindset and cherish it, even though the consequences are dire. There is an easy solution to most internal and external problems that anyone could apply immediately, but we don't do so because our minds are wired to maintain contradictions.

K sums up the core of our problems simply. We live in two worlds: the real world and the world created by our minds. We don't realise that only one of these worlds is real.

Our inner world is a construct of our own perceptions, which do not exist in the real world. We live in a world of dreams and daydreams because we are afraid to face life as it is.

The contradiction arises when these two worlds collide. When our dreams don't come true, we become anxious and try to escape reality by immersing ourselves in pleasant fantasies.

We create a comforting yet painful world of illusions.

Krishnamurti offers another option. Awareness of the world may be a rather crude remedy, but it works for all the problems we create for ourselves. We must stop blaming the world for our problems because the root of all evil lies within us.

Dreaming Is Not Seeing

At the beginning of his talk at the University of Oslo in September 1933, K stated that there is a living, and eternal reality that will never be revealed to those who are held back by their fears and beliefs.

We have adopted a way of life in which truth has very little place. False beliefs have been forced upon us for millennia, driving society and tempting us to seek happiness in all the wrong places.

True happiness does not come from searching for it, but from living our lives openly and facing the world as it is.

The ego does not help us to find the truth; rather, it prevents us from seeing it. We are blind to our own daily lives and deaf to the voice of the heart. We drift through life, gathering experiences. Yet life is not fiction; it is immense and indescribable.

Sometimes, we can find what we are looking for by searching, but only if we know what to look for. Neither God nor truth can be revealed to anyone because they cannot possibly be contained within the human mind.

Someone asked K whether religions and religious teachers help people to free themselves from all evil. His answer was blunt: religions do not liberate people or impart the right values; they enslave people. No book can describe reality as rich as it truly is. Wisdom and the good life cannot be found through reading books alone. A person cannot be free if they cling to their beliefs, whether they originate from within or without. All false beliefs prevent us from seeing the truth.

The next day, a series of three talks began in Holmenkollen. K began by saying that searching for the meaning of life destroys our understanding of it. This search does not solve our problems; it only clouds our judgement.

We have created an inner standard of what life should be like. These images prevent us from experiencing happiness, because we are no longer living in the present moment, but in our dreams.

We crave something more because our life here and now does not satisfy us. We are not satisfied with what we are. We feel that something is missing from our happiness, which is why we pursue it by any means necessary and at any cost.

There is a simple way out of this vicious circle of pursuing happiness, but unfortunately, two things prevent us from seeing it.

Firstly, the feeling that something is missing seems very real to us.

Secondly, we are effectively sold different ways to achieve our dreams, and we become hooked on them. That's what life is all about. Everyone has experienced a period of happiness, whether briefly or for a long time.

When you experience deep happiness, nothing else matters. In a state of direct experience, your mind does not need dreams.

Problems arise when you start to recall happy moments. A wonderful memory can make the present moment seem even bleaker.

K advised his Norwegian audience to look at the people around them and the long shadows created by the sunset with full awareness, without drawing conclusions or making comparisons. In such a state, memories and dreams are completely futile.

Life Is about Waking up

In his second talk at Holmenkollen, K began by saying that there is a natural way of living, but most people don't know about it because they lead partial lives.

Our perception of life is built on many false assumptions. One such assumption is seeing life as a school or a journey where we accumulate knowledge and experiences. This is a big mistake!

We make an even bigger mistake when we imagine that life can be packaged and described in words or explanations.

A good life does not simply come about by meeting the conditions we set for it. It comes when we realise that life is not about collecting experiences, but about living in the moment with awareness. This pursuit must end, and it ends when we realise that our goals are wishful thinking and self-deception.

Few people understand what it means to live in the moment. We talk about it as though it were bread, but saying this does not mean doing it. Memories shape our experiences so quickly that we don't even realise it happening.

We react to people, things, and words without realising that our reactions are not based on facts, but on our perceptions.

In order to live in the moment, the mind must be still and not burdened with memories. Then our heart and mind will be united. In that moment, the good life becomes real, not just a dream.

A Prayer Is an Escape

The third talk began with a question about the meaning of prayer. K stated unequivocally that asking for help from outside sources is an escape from reality and prevents us from finding the right solutions to our mental health issues. By asking for help, we avoid taking action.

Another listener wanted to know why, in K's view, self-evaluation does not lead to self-knowledge. He replied that studying a dead thing does not help us to understand a living thing. Explanation is not enough to remove the cause. Instead, we must free ourselves from the chain of cause and effect and avoid getting caught up in endless intellectual speculation.

On Sunday at the Oslo Coliseum, K gave his fifth talk in Norway, summarising the themes of the week. Someone asked if talking to the spirits of the dead could help us to understand life in its totality.

K wondered why people think the dead are more helpful than the living. Is it because the dead cannot contradict us? He said that he is more interested in studying life in all its swift wanderings than speculating about dead spirits.

The question of sex arose again, and K linked this topic to life as a whole. Sex has become a problem for many people because they have lost their passion for life. When people are passionate about life, sex does not become a problem.

In his last talk, K was asked about the importance of rituals. He finds them repulsive and pointless. Festive rituals temporarily distract people from their worldly troubles and provide solace, but they have little effect on everyday life.

Someone asked whether K was prepared to accept the consequences of people abandoning their religion by following his advice.

He replied that he had not called for anything to be abandoned. However, he has demonstrated that blind faith in the words of others can lead to submission to their authority and to spiritual abuse. The truth can never be found in the teachings and instructions of others. Ultimately, everyone is responsible for their own beliefs and for whom they choose to obey.

One listener asked for the quickest way to solve problems.

"There are no shortcuts", K replied, "and there is no need for them. "The important thing is not to look for new solutions, as these are all attempts to escape.

The audience laughed when the question of whether K is a vegetarian was raised. He asked why such a question was being asked. "It is not what goes into your mouth that will free you, but the finding out of true values, from which arises complete action", K answered.

Beliefs Prevent Thinking

While K was giving six talks at the Theosophical Society in Adyar, the new year began.

Despite knowing that some listeners might disagree with him, he hoped that everyone would listen to him without prejudice. He emphasised that he was not attacking the Theosophical Society, but to him, all religious organisations are harmful to human beings and prevent the free movement of thought. Beliefs and traditional knowledge deprive people of personal insight, and it is precisely these insights that must be awakened.

It is difficult not to take a position on any issue, whether for or against. Unfortunately, for many, opposition simply means rejecting new ideas. This is not a matter of critical reflection, but of stubbornly defending one's own point of view.

Resistance is an effective way to prevent learning new things and viewing life anew. Sadly, even basic education does not encourage us to explore things for ourselves. At school, we are taught many things that are not true.

K argues that the world would be a happier place if people were more openly critical of their own beliefs, rather than preaching them to others.

If you want to gain a deeper understanding of life, you must be honest. You must see what is and say what you think and see. We should not rely on others when seeking the truth. It does not help if everyone presents their own version in turn, and we then arrive at a common conclusion by comparing them.

Truth cannot be explained; it can only be perceived, but not through limited thinking based on suppositions.

Religious concepts limit thinking and create sects that argue about right and wrong. While it is human nature to reject dissent, tolerance is no better. According to K, it is hypocritical to think that our beliefs are superior to someone else's. Very few people question their beliefs.

All beliefs have the same consequence: they divide people and separate them into groups. As long as this is not recognised, people will continue to live according to their own beliefs and worship their own creations. We are even ready to kill another human being simply because our beliefs differ. These beliefs then become more important than the people who hold them.

Poison Is Always Poison

In his third talk, K was asked why he opposes religion and the state, despite the fact that many people rely on them. He replied that poison is poison for everyone. He said that he does not oppose organisations per se, but is particularly against those who practise spiritual authority.

In the fourth talk, K was asked why he thinks theosophists are hypocrites. He considers it hypocritical to speak one way and act another. For example, K considers it hypocritical to speak of brotherhood while being a nationalist or to speak of the unity of humanity while holding religious beliefs, practising rituals, or emphasising one's own particularity, a form of self-glorification.

When asked about the rules and principles that guide his life, K said that he has none. He does not try to control his thoughts. His concern is to be aware of his actions.

In the fifth talk, he is asked whether it is a good idea to allow the unchaste to enter temples, as Mahatma Gandhi demanded.

K replied that there is no point in seeking truth or gods in temples. He believes that class division is shameful and will not end until we stop classifying people by religion or nationality. As long as people do not understand the harm in worshipping symbols, hatred, and war will continue.

People cling to their beliefs and worship them, and there will be fear as long as they do so. All symbols are mere substitutes with no real value. They are a poison that should be eliminated, not worshipped. However, we are reluctant to do so because we want a safe haven and a shelter for the soul at all costs.

In the sixth talk, K described the mechanism of the mind.

People live with internal and external conflicts without realising it. When we encounter difficulties, our minds manifest the opposite of what we are seeking.

There is a contradiction between what is and what is assumed. One is true and the other is not. The contradiction is real, but its opposite exists only as an intellectual concept. It is the intellect that gives rise to religion, society, and the concepts that dominate us. We create norms and enforce them. Thus, we create a substitute for truth and destroy the real thing.

Such substitutes are all artificial and cannot withstand critical scrutiny. They come between us and the truth, as well as between us and other people. However, once you become aware of this, the barrier ceases to be a barrier.

Awareness must be based on direct perception, rather than merely intellectual and verbal understanding. This perception instantly dispels illusion.

Living with a Snake

In March 1934, K toured Australia, delivering talks to large audiences in Fremantle, Adelaide and Melbourne. The journey then continued to New Zealand, where he was also well received.

At the end of April, exhausted from the trip, he returned to Ojai. In June 1934, he gave twelve talks in Ojai.

During one of these talks, someone asked if he was enlightened because he had forgotten all about his substantial debts. K suggested asking the person to whom he owed the money.

Another attendee requested a practical exercise in constant awareness. K responded by asking whether the same question would be asked if there were a poisonous snake in the room. Only someone unaware of the snake would ask such a question.

We are selectively aware of life. We want to get rid of things that cause us pain, yet we cling to the things that bring us pleasure. Most of us wait until the pain becomes so severe that we feel we
must do something about it, but by then it may be too late. To be mindful, you must be aware of everything that is going on inside and outside of you.

K began his last talk by saying that most people have lost the art of listening. When people listen to him, they are preoccupied with their own problems, hoping to find solutions. It is important to
listen to everything without any motive, condition, or wish.

Another interesting topic that came up was the meaning and purpose of life. After thinking this, people turn to experts, each of whom offers an answer that they have adopted.

K believes that asking about the purpose of life indicates a lack of intelligence in the present moment. The meaning of life becomes clearer when you realise where that question comes from.

People who live intensely never ask this question because they are not looking for a purpose. For those who live in truth, reality is enough.

Can Unity Be Described?

In September and October 1934, K and Rajagopal compiled the talks into a book at a hotel in Carmel. The author Rom Landau visited them and interviewed K for his book God Is My Adventure. They met on several occasions.

Among other things, Landau asked K how he had "arrived at the state of experiencing oneness".

K replied that it had not been a sudden miracle, but rather that he had always been somewhat aware of his inner states. It had taken time to articulate that inner state.

Change Starts with Transformation

In March 1935, K returned to the podium after a nine-month break.

In his first talk in New York, he set out to expose the stupidity instilled in us by society. He promised to suggest ways to free ourselves from it.

Many people and groups offer their ways to resolve conflicts. Some argue that we should focus on external problems and try to create structures and organisations that influence people's thinking. Others believe that change starts from within, from the spirit or the mind.

K believes that the only solution lies in achieving the perfect equilibrium between the two. Although we are conditioned by our environment, we can free ourselves from its constraints through true intelligence.

We have drawn an artificial line between the individual and the group. Intelligence removes this distinction, and the contradiction disappears.

War is one manifestation of stupidity: a monster created by limited consciousness. The need for individual security gives rise to a national identity, but the result is exactly the opposite of security.

No system can eliminate the stupidity and illusions within humanity. It is awareness that breaks down limiting boundaries. Intelligence is the only lasting solution.

Rules Don't Work!

After the New York talks, K continued his journey to South America, where he spent the next eight months delivering talks in five countries: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. Many of the listeners did not understand English, yet they listened with rapt attention.

In Rio de Janeiro, K began by emphasising that nobody can solve life's problems or be saved simply by listening to others. He said that most people are too lazy to think for themselves, and blindly accept other people's ideas.

K reiterated that he is not a theosophist, does not want to convert anyone, and does not advocate Eastern thought. Ideas have no nationality, and no theory of life is universally true.

In order to understand the truth about themselves, each person must examine their own motives, including those in their subconscious. Many people claim to be seeking the truth, but are actually seeking relief from the anxiety in their lives. Truth cannot be sought; it is happening before our eyes. We can see it if we are free from the illusions of our thoughts.

K was asked for his opinion on charity. He did not consider it a noble gesture to give back a small part of what was first taken from a dispossessed person.

Another person asked if the Ten Commandments of the Bible should be destroyed. K said they had already been destroyed because they were not being followed.

Experience has shown that no book can make people act morally. Obedience is born of fear; it is submission and an attempt to avoid punishment. Morality is a much bigger and more real thing. Doing good comes from the heart, not from compulsion.

Sick of Selfishness

In Montevideo, K began by saying that the art of listening requires an open mind. We often close our ears to those who disagree with us.

Having a lot of preconceived ideas prevents us from realising anything new. This is because we want to feel safe. Our sense of self is built on three kinds of security.

Firstly, we seek continuity of self; secondly, we collect things as an extension of the self; and thirdly, we pursue sensation.

The common denominator of all three is selfishness. In our search for security, we settle for substitutes for security, and for most of us, these are enough.

Religions represent a refined form of human self-realisation, fulfilling two of our needs. The central promise of every religion is that the self continues after death.

Another essential element of all religions is the uplifting experiences offered by rituals and symbols. For some reason, however, these are generally not seen as a sign of deep-rooted selfishness.

A priest in the audience, confused by Krishnamurti's blunt words, asks if he should give up helping people. His faith is strong, and his work brings consolation to the suffering.

Once again, K's answer is blunt, and not just for priests.

"We imagine that we are helping people by pacifying them to sleep with comforting words. Thus, the comforter becomes the exploiter. People would benefit more from an awareness of life, as this would
free them from sorrow, fear, and delusion."

Freedom from egotism would render religions unnecessary and prevent the exploitation of others. A deep awareness of the wholeness of life frees us from the self and connects us to the world in a new way. It would also disconnect us from the cycle of time, as the past and the future would lose their meaning. Everything happens in the present moment, in an eternal dimension that K calls the 'ecstasy of life'.

Theosophical Nonsense?

While in Buenos Aires, K was asked for his thoughts on the newspaper reviews that claimed he had no real message and was merely repeating the gibberish of the theosophists who had educated him. The papers wrote that the purpose of K's talks was to create doubt, disturbance and confusion in people's minds.

K does not provoke; he leaves it up to the individual to assess the meaning of his message. He categorically denies being a theosophist or representing any sect or ideology – let alone trying to create a new one.

However, K does not consider causing confusion in people to be a bad thing. He believes that doubt helps everyone to understand the truth, and that doubt can therefore be a purifying balm, an awakener of intelligence.

If we really want to understand the movement of life, we must strip the mind of all self-defensive values.

Giving up Ideals

The next questioner thought that K was intent on destroying all cherished ideals and the whole civilisation that people love.

K denied that he could do that. Even if he could, people would soon invent new ideals for themselves, because most people cannot, and do not even want to live without them.

Another person wanted to know whether K is the new Christ or the Antichrist.

Of course, there is no straightforward answer, as K believes that his identity should not matter very much. Both answers would mislead people and be equally incorrect. What matters is not what K is, but how we live our own lives.

In response to questions about overcoming fear, K offered one effective remedy that is difficult to implement: lose all sense of egotism, and fear will have nothing to cling to.

Someone in the audience thought that K offers chaotic theories and that he was inciting people to revolt for no reason.

K denied both accusations and asked everyone to ask themselves whether they are satisfied with the current situation. If not, what do they intend to do as individuals?

By asking themselves this question, people would find themselves in conflict with the authorities and feel the need to rebel against their selfish policies and morals, which exploit individuals for the benefit of a select few.

Paradise on Earth

Another listener said that K had promised people a new paradise on Earth, and that he viewed communism as an immediate solution.

K corrected him. He had said that using intelligence and abandoning delusions could make the world a paradise. However, no system can save humanity from itself. All systems enslave people, and communism is no exception.

Another person asked why K had come to Argentina to preach instead of talking to people who were completely content with their belief in the teachings of Jesus, rather than speaking to his fellow countrymen and women, millions of whom were suffering from hunger and deprivation and worshipping false gods.

K replied that in India, he had been asked to go to England and tell the English about the harm they were causing to Indians.

Everyone clings to their own beliefs and is satisfied with them, refusing to recognise the harm they cause themselves and others. This blindness is international; nobody can be forced to realise their own situation. You can get used to anything, including your own misery.

Mind the Gaps

In his talk in La Plata, Argentina, K began by stating that people live double lives. We have separated home and work. This destructive gulf needs to be bridged.

At work, we often act against our conscience. By virtue of their profession, a soldier or a priest may adopt ideas and patterns that cause a lot of harm to others. This also poisons their own minds, often without their realising it.

Double standards have an even more destructive effect on society. The power that our profession gives us justifies us doing evil to others that we would refuse to do to our loved ones.

Although K did not develop this idea further in this context, he returned to it several times later.

Misery Inherited

In Santiago, Chile, in September 1935, Krishnamurti was asked if he believed the League of Nations could prevent a new world war.

K said that it could not succeed as long as the world was divided into nationalities, each with sovereign governments pursuing their own interests. There can be no peace while people see each other as

enemies. War justifies one country's citizens slaughtering those of another. No organisation or government can stop it because they have no means of addressing the real cause of war.

When asked why people try to improve upon the order of things created by God, K replied that this is the attitude of an exploiter. If you are in a good position yourself, you surely don't want to do anything about it.

A profound and fundamental change is urgently needed. It must be so deeply felt that people cannot help but work for it. K thinks that it is utterly irresponsible not to implement changes that would lead to a better life for everyone.

Escaping Evil

Someone in the audience believed that Krishnamurti's lofty ideas and conceptions could never take root in brains degenerated by vice and disease.

K argued: "Vice is a cultivated habit, a means of escape from life and from intelligence."

None of us must drink alcohol, smoke tobacco, or cheat others. We can always choose differently if we feel our habits are doing us more harm than good.

Someone asked if K was withholding some kind of secret knowledge that he did not want to reveal publicly.

He replied that many spiritual organisations are based on the idea of hierarchical exclusiveness, classifying people according to their stage of evolution. This feeds people's sense of self-importance and vanity, creating gross and subtle forms of exploitation.

K said that he has no secret teachings or hidden motives. He does not judge the people around him by any standard. What matters is how deeply a person wants to explore themselves.

'Agent K' in the Andes

Someone asked an amusing question of whether K is a British government agent and whether his talk against nationalism is part of a propaganda campaign to keep India in the British Empire.

K dismissed the rumour as absurd, stating that nationalism is an ugly disease that leads to isolation. He believes the whole idea is based on a false sentiment, stimulated by vested interests and used to justify imperialism and war.

One of the highlights of K's South American tour was a flight over the Andes in a twin-engine Douglas aircraft. Breaking with his usual routine, K ignored warnings about the dangers of the hour-and-20-minute journey.

Break the Limits!

Krishnamurti was away from Ojai for nine months. It took him a long time to recover from his strenuous tour of South America, and he never returned to the continent.

He spent the spring of 1936 in Ojai, delivering a series of eight Sunday talks in April and May. As he would later do with many of his talks, he began by asking the audience why they had come to listen to him.

K said that the purpose was not just to listen to the talk, but to work together to realise how one could live healthily and intelligently.

Exploring reality is not about creating narrow limits and guidelines for living; it is about testing claims. Many people find that identifying with one thing that can improve their situation is enough. Some focus on economic issues, some turn to religion or philosophy for guidance.

However, if we really want to solve our problems, we must view life as a whole, not through a narrow lens. We must also be careful not to trust the experts too much.

First, we must be self-conscious at a deeper level. We must recognise how our environment and past have shaped us. It is particularly important to realise that our inner and outer worlds are inextricably intertwined. The external shapes the internal, and vice versa.

If we want to truly understand life, we cannot draw a line between them. We must be able to observe life's endless movement quietly and without describing or drawing conclusions about it.

There are so many preconceptions and certainties in our minds that it is difficult to discern what is true and what we have created ourselves.

We are quick to believe what those wiser than us say and write. Often, we only take in what pleases us and reject everything else.

What Do You Want and Why?

Once we understand the deep meaning behind our reactions, we want to free ourselves from them. However, this can lead us into another trap. The desire to be free automatically triggers the search for a way, but there is no way. What is needed is a liberating insight that leads to awareness – but that is not a way!

We have a certain perception of reality. If we don't like it, we create an ideal and try to make it come true. We try to shape ourselves and the external world according to this ideal, with varying results.

Rarely do we ask why we need a concept of reality or what purpose it serves. What makes us want something? What do we want, and why?

K takes an easy example. We want to experience happiness. We look for ways to achieve it, and many people offer suggestions.

We should ask ourselves what makes us want to be happy, and whether other people's advice will actually help. But we don't ask that question. Instead, we start from the false assumption that there is a 'me' who is pursuing happiness, and that this 'me' can sometimes achieve it. Consequently, we never explore the nature of the self that wants and seeks, nor what creates it.

K states that without will, there is no self. The 'I' is a creation of our own thoughts, born of a lack of understanding. In direct contact with reality, neither the self nor the problem exists.

If we were to describe in one word that which remains when there is no self, happiness would be a strong contender. Happy is a human being who wants nothing!

Sweet Surrender

After delivering two talks in New York in June and three talks in Edsington, Pennsylvania, in July, K returned to Ommen at the end of July 1936, after a five-year break, to deliver eight talks there.

K said that the Ommen participants were not a select group of people separated from the world. They had come together to examine themselves, in order to let go of the illusions and false values that governed the world.

Understanding the true nature of consciousness requires direct perception. Logic alone is not enough, nor can we understand it correctly through the theories of others.

False judgements cause us to conform to external circumstances. We either lose our vitality by submitting to the will of others or we resign ourselves to our fate.

In Ommen, K reflected on the meaning of individuality and why we distinguish ourselves from the world.

In the fourth talk, he used the phrase 'We are the world' for the first time, in response to the question of whether individual change can solve the world's problems. He argued that intelligence solves all human problems. However, it is also important to understand what limits intelligence and prevents it from working effectively.

No Tomorrow

We are not deeply aware of our internal contradictions. If we were, we would not seek solutions by creating ideals. Being occasionally aware is not enough. Life goes on all the time. We must react immediately to everything because there is no tomorrow.

There is a great danger that self-observation is self-centred. This occurs when the self selects and controls the observation process. When we act, the self is at work. This means we can't see things as they are.

The mind must be free to see things as they are. When there is no wanting of any kind, only the facts remain. This simple fact cannot be revealed through thinking alone, but rather through trial and action.

Although we can never fully understand reality, we can understand the process of the self. Intellect alone cannot transcend the mind because it operates only in the conceptual realm. Even willpower is not enough. Only seeing works.

In September, K met friends in Paris, and in October, rested in Villars, a village near Montreux, before travelling to India.

In December, he gave four talks in Madras and then settled in Vasanta Vihar.

Shocked by India's poverty, K commented that social reform could never end human suffering. No system can change the core of a human being; it can only scratch the surface. We are society, and unless we human beings change, nothing will change.

Love that Burns

In August 1937, K spoke at the Ommen camp for about an hour and a half, delivering eight talks in ten days. This time, the talks contained more questions than answers.

Is there anything permanent? Is there a static centre within us? Is there any difference between internal and external change? Why do we want permanence? Does experience remove ignorance?

Contradictions arise when the static self meets the constantly changing world. Nothing is permanent; there is nothing to which we can attach ourselves. Intellectually, we can realise that this inner centre of our experience is destined to encounter problems.

However, reason cannot solve this problem because it lies deep within the recesses of the mind. We cling to our own biases, interpreting things in the most favourable way possible. Intellect is, however, powerless in the face of profound issues. When you realise this, the flame of love is ignited, burning away fear and desire.

After Ommen, K spent a year in Ojai, during which he met hardly anyone except the Rajagopals.

He said that he had gained tremendous insights about himself and tried to find the right words to describe the deep ecstasy that comes from 'meditating without purpose'.

In February 1938, Krishnamurti met Gerald Heard, an English writer living in Hollywood. Mr Heard had just emigrated to America with the writer Aldous Huxley.

Both Huxley and Heard were interested in Vedanta and were disciples of Swami Prabhavananda. A meeting with Huxley in April 1938 led to a long and meaningful friendship.

Thanks to Huxley, K made his literary breakthrough in the 1950s.Huxley's stunning foreword to The First and Last Freedom encouraged many people to pick up the book and helped to understand what K was trying to point out.

Love Needs no Reason

The Ojai camp did not take place in the spring of 1938 because Rajagopal was in Europe. The last Ommen camp was held in August 1938, as the site was converted into a concentration camp in 1941.

K began the series of six talks by discussing the difficulty of communication. It is not easy to express one's deep feelings, even to a friend. However, it is almost impossible to convey a message to someone who does not listen or try to understand. Messages change along the way, and there is no deep common understanding.

The problem with human relationships is that everyone clings to their beliefs. Truth is only revealed when thinking is free and unlimited.

Perhaps for the first and only time ever, K said that a person must be completely themselves. This is only possible when you love what you are doing. When you love something, all obstacles disappear. You don't need any other reason to do it than love.

People are not themselves when they follow traditions or act according to the instructions of others. That is imitation – an inauthentic way of living. All moral and religious norms make us inauthentic and mechanical.

Genuine Joy Comes Uninvited

To understand life, we need a mind that can keep up with its changes, not one that is stuck in one place. Formulas are poison to the mind, whether they are adopted from others or by ourselves.

Genuine joy comes unsearched for and uninvited. You may desire it, but even the strongest volition cannot produce joy. When joy takes over, we lack nothing and want nothing.

In the last two talks, K spoke about fear. It may be the fundamental reason why we allow ourselves to live mechanically.

Fear makes us cling to things and create imaginary safe havens. We fail to realise that there is no such thing as safety and that there never will be. Life eventually takes away everything it has given us. The safety created by the mind is an illusion, yet we fail to see this and instead look for ways to escape fear.

When we are freed from all fear, we are reborn. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we merge with the flow of life and are no longer afraid. Our mind stops struggling against the bogeymen it has created, and we become aware of the miracle of life.

The Bombay talks had to be cancelled due to acute civil unrest, but in November 1939, K gave two talks in Poona. A huge crowd was present and listened in silence. During this visit, he also visited the Rajghat school.

The land was acquired in 1928, but the school did not open until 1934. There were 300 pupils, aged between 7 and 18.

K spoke to the teachers every day for two weeks, after which he continued his journey to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, and then on to Australia.

While there, K gave talks in Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. Upon returning to Ojai, he settled there for seven years.