Awareness is Profound Interest
The man who wants to improve himself can never be aware, because improvement implies condemnation and the achievement of a result; whereas in awareness there is observation without condemnation, without denial or acceptance. That awareness begins with outward things, being aware, being in contact with objects, with nature. First, there is awareness of things about one, being sensitive to objects, to nature, then to people, which means relationship; then there is awareness of ideas. This awareness - being sensitive to things, to nature, to people, to ideas- is not made up of separate processes, but is one unitary process.
It is a constant observation of everything, of every thought and feeling and action as they arise within oneself. As awareness is not condemnatory, there is no accumulation. You condemn only when you have a standard, which means there is accumulation and therefore improvement of the self. Awareness is to understand the activities of the self, the 'I', in its relationship with people, with ideas, and with things.
That awareness is from moment to moment, and therefore it cannot be practiced. When you practice a thing, it becomes a habit, and awareness is not habit. A mind that is habitual is insensitive, a mind that is functioning within the groove of a particular action is dull, unpliable; whereas awareness demands constant pliability, alertness.
This is not difficult. It is what you actually do when you are interested in something, when you are interested in watching your child, your wife, your plants, the trees, the birds. You observe without condemnation, without identification; therefore in that observation there is complete communion: the observer and the observed are completely in communion. This actually takes place when you are deeply, profoundly interested in something.
Reading above is excerpted from 'Choiceless Awareness 1', where Jiddu Krishnamurti answers the question, "What is the difference between introspection and awareness?"
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: How do you relate to notion that wanting improvement precludes awareness? Can you share a story of experiencing communion between the observer and the observed? How do you reconcile the practice of self-improvement with this author's criticism of it?
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13 Past Reflections
On Feb 18, 2019 hs wrote :
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On Sep 24, 2015 madhukar wrote :
I could appreciate the article only when I read the context - "What is the difference between introspection and awareness?"
I saw few comments and am not sure if responding to them is acceptable or not. So just want to give an example. If you see a child crying, you could have 3 different feelings (i) if it is your child (or generally if you know the child) then sadness or worry (ii) if you don't know or are occupied otherwise, then indifference (iii) if there is a history behind or for some other reason there might be irritation.
Your feelings influence the way you see that child crying. However, there is a 4th way to look at the same incident - you experiencing the pain which forces tears to flow even though you are not crying at that moment. You are still experiencing feelings but this time there is communion between observer (you) and observed (child), which was missing in all the 3 cases above.
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On Sep 24, 2015 MEHERYAR BHAGWAGAR wrote :
DO not think about what can happen in a month. Do not think what can happen in a year. Just focus on the 24 hrs in front of you and do what you can to get closer to where you want to be.
1 reply: Rajat | Post Your Reply
On Sep 22, 2015 Lennox wrote :
I'm in awe of the simplicity of this teaching. To improve oneself is to let the preconditioned mind be the judge of the quality of an experience or outcome. A state of living dominated by memory and anticipation. The present is merely a means to an end , a receipt for more suffering!
When I am fully present I become one with the experience. No separation between self and the experience!
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On Sep 22, 2015 Sidney DeKoven wrote :
I love the last part that being deeply interested in something you are in communion with it. And that this is not difficult. How wonderful to hear that. I have always had difficulty understanding what K. means when he says the observer is the observed. But here he says that in deep interest the observer and the observed are in complete communion and that gives me an understanding I did not have before.
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On Sep 21, 2015 satyagrahi wrote :
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On Sep 21, 2015 JM wrote :
I respectfully disagree with the author. Yes, I believe that a degree of awareness is required for one to pursue self improvement. However, instead of 'condemnation', I choose the word 'curiosity'. In my youth, my explorations were oft times motivated from a state of lack. Lack of money, lack of food, lack of female companionship and lack of purpose are but a few of my motivations. But as I matured, I realized that part of the human experience is feeling. To practice observation without emotions diminishes the Self. While allowing emotions to govern our decisions is potentially dangerous, so too is act of denying them.
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On Sep 21, 2015 xiaoshan wrote :
"You condemn only when you have a standard, which means there is accumulation and therefore improvement of the self". You condemn only when you refuse to accept, in this case, refuse to accept the state where you are at the moment. How much have I been improved after so many years of striving for self-improvement? Have I ever got rid of that constant agitation, fear, insecurity, ready to re-act, ready to please...? comparing to that fearless younger self whom I once was, I am not sure what the years of self-improvement has been serving me... lol
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On Sep 19, 2015 david doane wrote :
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