Why should one meditate? | Krishnamurti

Summary

The speaker explores the essence of meditation, questioning why it's often practiced through rigid systems, postures, and methods. He challenges the idea of following structured approaches like Buddhist, Christian, or TM meditations, suggesting they mechanize the mind and perpetuate struggle. The speaker argues that true meditation should not involve striving for specific experiences or enlightenment. Instead, he advocates for a clear, unburdened mind that is a 'light to itself,' free from conflict and the constant pursuit of new experiences or control.

Takeaways

• 🧘 Meditation is often viewed as a natural activity, similar to breathing or seeing, but we have made it unnatural by complicating it with systems and techniques.
• 🤔 Common meditation practices, such as those from Buddhism, Christianity, or other systems, may actually be abnormal because they impose rigid structures.
• 🧍 The speaker questions the necessity of taking specific postures and following meditation routines, asking what is truly achieved by them.
• 💡 Meditation, as commonly understood, aims to quiet the mind, but this often involves forcing concentration on one object or thought, which may not lead to true clarity.
• 🧠 The speaker explores the idea of control—how we try to control our thoughts and emotions through constant practice, which makes the mind more mechanical and dull.
• ❓ The speaker challenges why we meditate, pointing out that people often seek experiences, but the need for experience might indicate that the mind is asleep or unsatisfied.
• 🌱 A clear mind, free from attachment and entanglement, does not need experiences because it becomes a light to itself, self-sustaining and free of desire.
• 🌟 Enlightenment cannot be experienced because the concept of experience requires an experiencer, which inherently creates separation from truth or enlightenment.
• 🔄 Meditation systems often involve a never-ending struggle—people meditate to end struggle, but the very act of struggling prevents them from achieving peace.
• ⛔ The speaker suggests that true enlightenment comes when one ends the struggle altogether, achieving a state where there is no conflict, no need for future resolution.

Q & A

What is the speaker questioning about meditation?

The speaker is questioning the nature of meditation and why it has been made unnatural by following specific systems, postures, and practices imposed by various traditions or gurus.

Why does the speaker believe traditional forms of meditation are unnatural?

The speaker believes traditional forms of meditation are unnatural because they involve rigid systems, positions, and repetitive practices, which make the mind mechanical and dull rather than fostering natural awareness.

What is the speaker's opinion on practicing meditation with a set routine (e.g., 20 minutes in the morning, afternoon, and evening)?

The speaker criticizes this form of meditation, saying that achieving a temporarily quiet mind through such routines doesn't address the real issue, as it allows the mind to return to its usual mischief afterward.

What alternative approach to meditation does the speaker suggest?

The speaker suggests exploring a form of meditation that is not tied to systems, postures, or mechanical repetition. It should be free from control and conflict, allowing the mind to be naturally aware and observant.

What does the speaker mean by 'controller and controlled' in life and meditation?

The speaker refers to the constant internal struggle where one part of the mind tries to control another. This dynamic of control is present in both life and meditation, leading to mechanical thinking and practice.

Why does the speaker think systems of meditation make the mind more mechanical?

The speaker believes that following systems and practices makes the mind increasingly mechanical because these systems reinforce repetitive behavior, reducing the mind's natural capacity for awareness and making it duller.

How does the speaker view the pursuit of experiences in meditation?

The speaker views the pursuit of experiences, whether through drugs or meditation practices, as misguided. The desire for experience stems from a bored or inactive mind, and a truly awake mind does not need external experiences.

What is the speaker's stance on the concept of 'achieving enlightenment' through experience?

The speaker argues that enlightenment cannot be 'experienced' because there must be an experiencer for that to happen, which creates separation. The speaker believes this idea is dishonest, as enlightenment is not something to be gained like an experience.

What does the speaker mean by 'a mind that is a light to itself'?

A mind that is 'a light to itself' refers to a mind that is clear, free from attachments, and does not seek external experiences for fulfillment. Such a mind is naturally aware and does not need any external stimulus.

What is the speaker's view on the struggle involved in meditation?

The speaker sees the struggle to meditate and achieve a quiet mind as contradictory and self-defeating. Meditation should not involve struggle; instead, enlightenment is about ending conflict entirely, not through effort but through awareness.