How am I to stop chattering? | Krishnamurti

Summary

The speaker explores the nature of mind chatter and the illusion of time in relation to meditation and change. The mind's constant chattering, often questioned with 'how to stop it?', is linked to time and methods that promise quietness. Through deep observation, energy is brought to the present moment, and understanding that time cannot change the mind dissolves the need for control. The speaker discusses the concept of violence as a fact and urges observing it without attempting to change it, emphasizing the power of focused energy to dissipate negative patterns like violence.

Takeaways

• 😀 The question of 'How am I to stop chattering?' introduces the element of time, which is a key obstacle to overcoming mental chatter.
• 😀 Asking 'How?' creates the trap of time and external methods, such as practices or systems, to try to control the mind.
• 😀 The mind's chatter and the individual are inseparable, meaning the mind is not separate from the chatter itself.
• 😀 Realizing that you and the problem (the chattering mind) are one is crucial to stopping the effort to change it through time or methods.
• 😀 The effort to change the mind through external systems or practices dissipates energy that could otherwise be used to observe the mind's activity.
• 😀 Observation of the mind’s chatter, without trying to change it, allows energy to focus on understanding the mind's true nature.
• 😀 The mind includes all mental processes, such as the senses, emotions, intellect, and the brain. True meditation aims to quiet the mind entirely.
• 😀 All forms of meditation based on control, relaxation, or repetition ultimately rely on the illusion of time to bring quietness to the mind.
• 😀 Time, in this context, is seen as an illusion that cannot bring about real change in the mind. The illusion of time prevents direct understanding of 'what is.'
• 😀 When observing a fact with full energy and attention, like violence or mental chatter, the fact begins to change because the energy is not dissipated by attempts to change it.
• 😀 Pursuing non-violence, for example, is futile because it is a 'non-fact.' Facing the fact of violence directly, without attempting to change it, allows the mind to bring energy into the observation and dissolve the issue.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker is addressing in the transcript?

The speaker is addressing the problem of mental chatter and the challenge of quieting the mind.

Why does the speaker suggest that asking 'how' to stop chattering is part of the problem?

The speaker argues that the moment you ask 'how', you are already entering into the time element, which perpetuates the issue of mental chatter rather than solving it.

What is the relationship between the mind and its chatter according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests that the mind and the chatter are not separate; the mind is the chatter, and you are one with it.

How does the speaker recommend addressing the chattering of the mind?

The speaker recommends observing the mind’s chatter without attempting to change it, bringing all of your energy into that observation.

What is the significance of understanding that you and the problem are one?

Understanding that you and the problem are one means that any attempt to change the problem will only dissipate your energy. The focus should be on simply observing the fact, not on changing it.

What role does time play in the speaker’s discussion of mental quietude?

Time is seen as illusory in the speaker’s perspective; the attempt to change the mind over time, through methods or systems, is ineffective. The speaker emphasizes that true quietness can’t come through time but through direct observation.

How does the speaker criticize traditional methods of meditation?

The speaker criticizes traditional forms of meditation, such as Tibetan and Transcendental Meditation (TM), for trying to quiet the mind through control, repetition, and systems that rely on time, which ultimately do not address the root of the problem.

What is the speaker’s stance on the concept of non-violence?

The speaker suggests that non-violence is not a fact but a non-fact, as it is a concept invented by humans. The real issue is violence itself, which must be observed directly without trying to change it.

What does the speaker imply about the nature of observation?

The speaker implies that true observation involves bringing all your energy to focus on the fact itself (such as violence or mental chatter) without any intention to change it. This focused energy can lead to change naturally.

What does the speaker mean by saying that 'time does not change'?

The speaker means that time is not the solution to the problem. It is not through time, control, or practice that true mental quietude or peace is achieved, but rather through direct understanding and observation of the present moment.