Barebones Awaring

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Though in the deepest sense the self doesn't exist, human language isn't very good at describing reality at the deepest level. So as a practical matter — as a linguistic convention — we have to talk about there being an I and a you and a he and a she. In other words, the self doesn't exist in an "ultimate" sense, but it exists in a "conventional" sense.— Robert Wright, "Why Buddhism is True"

Understanding of the self only arises in relationship, in watching yourself in relationship to people, ideas, and things; to trees, the earth, and the world around you and within you. Relationship is the mirror in which the self is revealed. Without self-knowledge there is no basis for right thought and action. — Nehru: "How does one start?" — Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.— J. Krishnamurti, in conversation with Jawaharlal Nehru (Jayakar, "Krishnamurti," p. 142)

Thank you, anxiety, for helping me stay alert to the multiple emotional, physical, and spiritual threats in the world. You can relax, as I am breathing through the worry.— Pico Iyer, quoted in "The Little Book of Zen Healing" by Paula Arai

Observed thought behaves differently from unobserved thought.— David Bohm

Rest in the ____ where thoughts and perceptions appear.— Fellow Inquirer

When other thoughts arise, one should not pursue them but should diligently inquire: "To whom do they occur?" It does not matter how many thoughts arise. As each thought arises, one should inquire with alertness, "To whom has this thought arisen?"— Ramana Maharshi, "Who am I?"

It is this knowledge, the description of the state by those people, that has created this state for you. You are kidding yourself. You are a fool.— UG Krishnamurti

Mind's life is memory.— Ursula Le Guin

Thought is the thought of thought.— James Joyce, "Ulysses"

A thought comes when 'it' wants to, and not when 'I' want it to; so it is falsifying the fact to say that the subject 'I' is necessary to the verb 'think'. We should not corrupt the actual way our thoughts come to us.— Friedrich Nietzsche, "Beyond Good and Evil"

We think we act, we think we think, but it is another or others who think or act in us: that is to say, timeless habits, archetypes, which passed on from one generation to the next, carry an enormous power and control us from 'the well of the past'.— Milan Kundera, "Testaments Betrayed"

Passively alert. Alert passivity.— attributed to J. Krishnamurti

It is yourself you wish to protect.— unnamed

We don't see thought as a thought.— Fellow Inquirer

Much of the delusions can be very subtle and go undetected.— unnamed

Dr. R: Are you without conflict? — K: Yes, I think so. — Dr. R: Without any conflict? — K: It is difficult to say it like that, but I should think so. If I had it I would go after it. I would not leave it alone. I would say, "This is stupid," and I would not leave it alone until it was dissolved.— KFA Bulletin #86, "Krishnamurti with Psychiatrists"

Thought is, in essence, the active response of memory in every phase of life. We include in thought the intellectual, emotional, sensuous, muscular and physical responses of memory. These are all aspects of one indissoluble process.— David Bohm, "Wholeness and the Implicate Order"

J Krishnamurti would point at the deeper causes of the problem at hand and urge that person to find out for himself or herself what was the right thing to do.— Friedrich Grohe, "The Beauty of the Mountain"

J Krishnamurti (in a talk): There is silence in that energy. — UG Krishnamurti (to himself, listening): I recognized this silence. And what I recognized as silence is the comparative mind, because it is comparing this silence with the previous silence.— from "This Dog Barking: The Strange Story of U.G. Krishnamurti"

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.— Marcel Proust

Awaring

To my knowledge, the word awaring was first used by the Danish mystic Sunyata. Using the verb form of awareness came quite naturally from the German word gewahren — "becoming aware of, noticing, discovering" — which contains wahr, meaning "true." Just staying here, aware, is enough. What sees this? Something sees this. There is no doer in this thing. There's only awaring. And awaring has this seemingly magic function that what is truly awared changes, is no longer the same.— Toni Packer, "The Silent Question"

Partial Awareness

What is awareness? It cannot possibly be defined. It is not self-conscious — it does not think about itself. It does not think! Only consciousness thinks. It has no inner division, no outer boundaries. It is true being, beholding everything out of the emptiness of no self.— Toni Packer, "The Wonder of Presence"

Thinking about oneself, remembering what one did and then thinking about it, is not awareness, even though it often masquerades for awareness. There can be careful minute attention but on a very small, limited stage — center stage is still the me, aware that it is aware, and quite pleased with itself. When the self-image goes, it is seen and understood and doesn't continue, and the world opens up.— Toni Packer, November 1987 Seven-day Retreat, "Is Thinking Necessary"

I recognized this silence. And what I recognized as silence is the comparative mind, because it is comparing this silence with the previous silence.— UG Krishnamurti

Meditation

Meditation is a powerful antidote to our purposeful, growth oriented, war-mongering, speed-driven, ever-productive consumer civilization. Meditation is a social and political act. But meditation is much more (and much less) than all of this. Meditation is not knowing what meditation is.— Joan Tollifson, "Bare-bones Meditation"

You know nothing about meditation. I am glad. Because you know nothing about it, you can learn about it, as though for the first time. Sit absolutely still, close your eyes, and watch your thinking — the way it runs, one thought after another. Do not correct it. Just watch.— J. Krishnamurti, "Krishnamurti on Education"

Method

Enlightenment recognizes that there is no enlightenment without delusion. The only forever is now. There is no permanently enlightened person. The clearest teachers I've met are the most ordinary — they have humility, not grandiosity. Enlightenment is not a finish-line that you cross or a state you reside in "forever after."— Joan Tollifson, "Nothing to Grasp"

Simply attending without a known method or purpose. Attending to what is taking place from moment to moment isn't a technique — it is what is and that is all!— Toni Packer, "The Wonder of Presence"

Effort

Maybe hanging on to some conception of self for a while could help you get to the point where you no longer believe it exists — like a rocket which boosts a payload into space, then falls away and is burnt up, itself a baseless concept.— Robert Wright, "Why Buddhism is True," quoting Peter Harvey

Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem.— J. Krishnamurti

Organization

Truth is a pathless land. It cannot be organized, you cannot approach it from any path whatsoever; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path.— J. Krishnamurti, "Dissolution Speech — Truth is a Pathless Land"

Trap

If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.— Zen koan, attributed to Linji Yixuan

There is no way out. Anything you do to get out of the trap of thought, which you yourself have created, is only strengthening and fortifying it. There is nothing you can do. The illusion is that you can do something to be free from illusion.— UG Krishnamurti

Dialogue

Dialogue is a way of exploring the roots of the many crises that face humanity today. In dialogue, each person does not attempt to make common certain ideas already known to him — rather the two people are making something in common, creating something new together.— David Bohm et al., "Dialogue: A Proposal"

Dialogue is a conversation between equals. Any controlling authority will tend to hinder the free play of thought and the sharing of delicate feelings. The spirit of dialogue is a collective dance of the mind that becomes a continuing adventure.— Javier Gomez Rodriguez, "Reflecting Consciousness: An Overview of Dialogue"

Retreat

It is essential sometimes to go into retreat — to stop everything, to stop your beliefs and experiences completely and look at them anew. That means you must be insecure, must you not? Have a complete break with the past and see what happens.— J. Krishnamurti

Living

Meditation should not become a monkish isolation from the throb of life. It can take place when you are sitting in a bus, walking in the woods, or looking at the face of your child. Meditation is not something different from daily life.— J. Krishnamurti

Root

The root of the problems of the world is that we don't see that we are all ONE — not just humanity, but the entire universe and beyond. We don't seem to be able to hold the paradox that though we are all ONE, we do feel separate.

Our perceived sense of "self" is probably the most dangerous virus in the world, dividing us where there is no division. We dream, feel, think and act based on our past conditioning. By relying on gurus, religion and experts to realize the self, we perpetuate our prison life.

In seeing the selfish emotion or thought as it is arising, in not transferring that energy onto someone or something else, there is a breaking of the chain of movements. The same day-to-day actions of the world may go on without conflict.

Understanding

Before attempting to deal with a problem, it may be helpful to understand what is happening at first — including just carefully observing without anyone's help. Thought can't grasp this, hence this can't be understood like anything else. It might help to understand what thought needs to do, or rather what it doesn't need to do.

Awaring

After one attempts everything in search of the self, it seems like the only thing that's left is "Just Awaring" of what is rising in the body-mind. All else happens out of past conditioning, automatically, with no controller of any kind. When such an awaring occurs, there is no separate or individual "I" that is seeing it; it is perhaps seen by everything or no-thing.

Thinking or remembering may be mistaken for Awareness. When there is an awareness of what's happening in oneself at the moment, then there is no thought — there is just the seeing of something as it is arising.

Method

Many popular methods and practices may help physical and mental well-being. But if there is careful observation, the sense-of-self continues to linger around. As one sits to observe breath or repeat a mantra, soon after one may notice a sense of pride arising, or a sense of comfort in depending on something as a reliable source for enlightenment.

When there is enlightenment, there is no "one" there as imagined. A permanent state of enlightenment does not seem to exist — perhaps it is something one drifts in and out from time to time.

Effort

Effort in a deeper sense does not exist when there is no delusion of the self. But as long as there is an illusion of the sense-of-self, effort may be necessary to stir the mind with questions and confusions, or to set up an environment for silence — until, out of complete silence of the mind, there's a possibility of Insight.

The trap of all traps

Even among those who have gone deeper into self-enquiry, one of the subtlest things we get stuck on is to feel "I know this, I have learnt it, I am now more aware of everything." These thoughts come from the remaining traces of self that are hidden without coming into awareness. Even though we may come out of the prison briefly, we soon get entangled again.

As long as there is a feeling that one is progressing, or that one has found a solution, or that one is relieved to have found a teacher or a group — unless those are also seen, the (imaginary) "me" remains alive, and one remains enslaved.

Bits

All of us are infected by the same virus. Only the impact is different based on one's conditioning.

Some of our challenges include our language, especially with I/we/you, me/us/them — as if there is someone inside who is having control and acting on it.

With regards to enlightenment, it feels like one is looking for the last piece in solving a jigsaw puzzle, but the last piece is the one who is trying to solve the puzzle.

There is still an "I" that does not want to be there… but it continues to remain by not wanting to be there.

Sitting, reading, etc. may help to some extent, but can also become a blocker beyond a point.

Something gets hurt… or feels proud. What is it?

If you know you are sleeping, then you are not. If you know you are awaring, then you are only thinking.

You can't sleep by trying to sleep. Awaring can't happen by you trying to become aware.

Beyond a point, books, talks, etc, are only impediments, as they continue to sustain the self that is now searching for enlightenment.

Keep our opinions light, including insights.

Rest in the ____ where thoughts and perceptions appear. Now, the mind will turn the previous statement into a goal that it should achieve. May there be a seeing of that.

As long as there is a wanting that one can become enlightened, or a thinking that by not chasing enlightenment one can become enlightened, then one is stuck in the same prison.

Play with it, like a child, or like you play a game, as you would enjoy it, whether you win or lose.

I feel the "me" is slowly dying. But then as long as I recognize that I am dying, then the "me" continues to be alive.

Even if there is understanding, it does not suffice if there is no awaring. Even if there is awaring, it does not suffice if there is no understanding.

Happy is the man who wants nothing… but in wanting "nothing," one may still be stuck in the same race.

Awaring (or seeing) of self acting can happen right now without any special preparation. It may help to sit quietly, go on a retreat, have dialogue or read, but they may not be necessary.

If someone is telling you that they can get you enlightened, beware.

I should become "more aware" is itself a conflict. Can that be seen?

Why or how does it rain? Is there anyone making it rain? Why can't we see that our daily lives and actions are also not controlled by anyone?

Thought creates problems and then works towards solving them, only creating more problems.

Life and what it brings to us are koans in themselves, with a mixture of good and bad, right and wrong, impossible to separate them.

Do meditation, dialogue, retreat, etc, as a play, without expecting a particular result, content whether it is a win or a loss, just for the fun of playing.

Question our beliefs. Be tentative on our opinions.

Everything is in continuous flux, including the so called 'me.'

Despite having many extracts and pointers on the limitations of authority, submission, dependency, a formula or path for progress, or the sense of having figured it out — one can't help that this website itself may trigger the same effects on the writer or the reader.

It is in total negation of everything that a complete transformation may come about. That includes this site with the extracts and pointers, any space or group or individual or text, the image that one can negate or has negated everything, the seeking, or the awareness that one is aware. There is no way to describe that or attain that willfully.

If you cannot stand alone you are not free. I mean stand alone inwardly, psychologically. That aloneness comes into being when you totally negate, actually, not verbally but do it actually with your life, all the things that man has put together in his fear, in his pleasure, in his search for something that is beyond this daily routine of life.— J. Krishnamurti, "Total Negation of the Self"

Awareness has shown us the nature of the trap, and therefore there is the negation of all traps; so the mind is now empty. This awareness is not aware that it is aware.— J. Krishnamurti, "The Urgency of Change"