Why don't we have the energy to change? | J. Krishnamurti

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Krishnamurti: Why don't we have the energy to change?

Extract from the first public meeting held in Amsterdam, May 3rd, 1969.

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Photograph © Mark Edwards
© 1969 Krishnamurti Foundation Trust

[KFoundation]

TRANSCRIPT: So we are going to find out what prevents this energy, why we have not the energy, the drive, the intensity to change. So we are concerned with the understanding of why human beings have not that energy to bring about a radical change in themselves. They have energy, any amount of it – to quarrel, to battle, to kill each other, to divide the world, to fight, to go to the moon. They’ve got energy, but apparently they have not the energy to change themselves radically. So we are asking why – why haven’t we as human beings, have this tremendous energy? I wonder, when you ask, when such a question is put to you, what your response is.
 
We said man has enough energy. He does everything with great energy – when he hates, he hates; when there is a war he battles, kills; when he wants to escape from what is actually, he has the energy to run away from it – through ideas, through amusement, through gods, through drink. When he wants pleasure, sexual or otherwise, he pursues it with great energy. He has the intelligence to overcome outward environment. He has the energy to go down to the… live at the bottom of the sea or live in the skies. He has got vital energy, but apparently he has not this energy to change, even the smallest habit. Why?
 
We haven’t the energy to change because we dissipate that energy in conflict within ourselves. Please listen to this a little bit. We are not trying to persuade you of anything, we are not doing propaganda, we are not replacing old ideas with new ideas, but we are trying to discover, understand. You see, we realize that we must change. So there is – let us take as an example violence, brutality – that is a fact. Human beings are brutal, violent and they have built a society which is violent, in spite of all the religious nonsense about loving your neighbour, loving God and all that, just ideas, they have no value whatsoever, because man remains brutal, violent, selfish – that’s a fact. And being violent he invents its opposite, which is not to be violent.
 
Please watch, go into this yourself with me a little bit. There is violence and he has the opposite of it, which is non-violence, not to be violent. And he is trying all the time to become non-violent. So there is conflict between ‘what is’, which is violence, and ‘what should be’, which is non-violence. There is conflict between the two. And that is the very essence of the wastage of energy. Right? As long as there is a duality between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’, man trying to become, or trying, making an effort to achieve ‘what should be’, that conflict is wastage of energy. Right? That is the very essence of wastage. As long as there is conflict between the opposites, the duality, man has not enough energy to change.
 
So, why should I have the opposite at all, as non-violence, as the ideal? The ideal is non-real, it has no meaning, it only leads to various forms of hypocrisy. Being violent, pretending not to be violent has no meaning. Or to say, ‘Well, I am an idealist. I will eventually become peaceful.’ That is a great pretension, an excuse. For he’ll take many years or perhaps never be without violence. Therefore he becomes a hypocrite, and in the meantime he’s being violent. So if we could, not in abstraction but actually put aside completely all ideals and only deal with facts. That is, violence. Then there is no wastage of energy. Please, this is really very important to understand. It isn’t a peculiar theory of the Speaker. Don’t say, ‘Well, he brings some oriental philosophy’ – he doesn’t. As long as man lives in the corridor of opposites, he must waste energy and therefore he can never change.
 
So with one breath you’ve wiped away all ideologies – right? – all opposites. Please do understand this. If you go into it, it is really quite extraordinary what takes place. A man who is angry, to pretend, or try to become non-angry, not to be angry, in that there is conflict going on all the time. But if he says, ‘I’ll observe what anger is, go into it, not try to escape from it, rationalize it.’ Then you have… then there is energy to understand and put an end to anger.

[pravisravindranaath]

A man who wanted peace in the world, to love and be loved has put in all his efforts to change the people, to realise, to think and observe. Never delacred himself a leader or a guru of any kind, did not take any credits a pure soul.

[thelife]

No one is like jiddu krishnamurti. He is a gift to human society. He is the closest person to my heart.

[RobbeyT]

That's a very big revelation for me! I've been helplessly in the grips of Procrastination, and been feeling misery over it, been trying all sorts of things for such a long time, been studying many motivational books and videos. The more I try to change, the worse it's getting until in the end, I do absolutely nothing! I'm fed up with myself. This helps so much! Never heard of J Krishnamurti before, amazing! Thank you!

[jcm]

The greatest philosopher in human history, and a university never studies him, nor do psychologists study him. Regrettable

[Space_Aman]

Thanks for sharing! His very words resolve the conflict that brings about a transmutation of energy.😃

[vinayvinm]

Synonym for pure Genius is jiddu Krishnamurthy.. oh my god why we Indians are neglecting his speeches.. thought's

[yohenson]

“As long as man lives in the corridors of opposites he must waste energy(on the conflict) and therefore he can never have the energy to change. “

[hummingpylon]

We have no energy to change because we dissipate our energy on pursuing ideals. The pursuit of good creates evil. The pursuit of truth creates lies. The pursuit of happiness creates sadness. Thus the pursuit of ideals never ends.

[UnknownKnower]

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. An example that might be small but real:
I felt so much better when I allowed myself to simp for a girl with whom I had an unrequited love as much as I wanted as opposed to bottling it in. When I bottled it in, it built up and up and no change happened. When I let my mind go and do what it yearned to do, it dissipated by itself.

[adarshranjanmishra]

Thanks for the upload. Words if not realised are mere words. A genuine genius.

[paulg.]

The now, this moment that is the only moment that ever is, fully realized, ends all conflict within.

[智慧之光-yt]

We have much energy to change outwardly but not inwardly.

[JCW-zsyn]

What is so remarkable with the man is that he can still change the world.
As long as we listen and don't waste energy, anything is possible.

[brainteasers]

Makes me want to listen to his revelations which we lack while living this very life

[kanthrajkalal]

Wow! What a personality he is... Blessed to listen to you thank you so much for preserving these precious teachings ❤️🙏
And the comment section was so meaningful. thank you for conversing with me people, love you.

[LORELLism]

People, generally, do not think they need to change at all!

Man is told constantly that he/she is OK just the way he/she is, which is a really terrible lie that keeps the maddening nightmare going round and round.

The answer is not in "changing" one's self, but in waking up from your own violent dream.

Anything less than full awakening is fake in ALL its forms. Love is fake, hate is fake, compassion is

[makaranddeshpande]

This is life changing & deep. “We must exit the corridors of opposites!” This is it!

[ruidax]

Beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!

[sandip]

Wow
After very long time, I got my answer