"Notes on the Book 'The World in Your Heart'"

"The World in Your Heart" Reading Notes#

Author: J. Krishnamurti
Reading Time: 5 hours

These are the notes and excerpts I recorded while reading "The World in Your Heart" on WeChat Reading.

Copyright Information#

The world is the truth of all our problems, which ultimately all come back to ourselves.

Introduction: A Life-Changing Encounter#

"The observer is the observed."

Translator's Preface#

This mode of inquiry is by no means a superficial stillness or meditation, but rather an unceasing witnessing process of the inner flow of consciousness. Only by maintaining awareness of thoughts, emotions, and various feelings at all times can one recognize that the external problems one has set are merely projections of internal issues.

The reason Krishnamurti does not propose any deliberate method of practice is that methods often hinder our witnessing of the present inner and outer truths. In fact, as long as we let go of all preconceived notions and concepts, and respond to Krishnamurti's insights with an open heart free of prejudice, we may increasingly become aware of the current state of body and mind shedding, and the emptiness of the present. Therefore, we can say that the method adopted by Krishnamurti is a path of liberation akin to "Zen through reason." As long as we keep our hearts open, we can glimpse that unobstructed and non-attached emptiness under the light of inquiry and the wisdom of questioning inherent in everyone, and this emptiness is the antidote to human suffering.

This mode of inquiry is by no means a superficial stillness or meditation, but rather an unceasing witnessing process of the inner flow of consciousness. Only by maintaining awareness of thoughts, emotions, and various feelings at all times can one recognize that the external problems one has set are merely projections of internal issues.

The reason Krishnamurti does not propose any deliberate method of practice is that methods often hinder our witnessing of the present inner and outer truths. In fact, as long as we let go of all preconceived notions and concepts, and respond to Krishnamurti's insights with an open heart free of prejudice, we may increasingly become aware of the current state of body and mind shedding, and the emptiness of the present. Therefore, we can say that the method adopted by Krishnamurti is a path of liberation akin to "Zen through reason." As long as we keep our hearts open, we can glimpse that unobstructed and non-attached emptiness under the light of inquiry and the wisdom of questioning inherent in everyone, and this emptiness is the antidote to human suffering.

Is Your Mind Free?#

Thought is a product of memory, knowledge, and experience; it is always the result of history and cannot bring freedom, for freedom only arises in the living present, in daily life.

1. Recognizing the Truth About Yourself and the World#

Remember, language is not the thing itself; no matter how carefully, intricately, or reasonably we explain it, it is still not the thing itself.

Freedom is not a concept; the philosophy of freedom is not freedom itself. If a person is not truly free, they are still unfree.

Freedom is not a state of being caught in thought. Thought cannot be free. Thought is a product of memory, knowledge, and experience; it is always the result of history and cannot bring freedom, for freedom only arises in the living present, in daily life. Freedom is not about being liberated from something. Being liberated from something is merely a reaction.

Inner or outer motives alone cannot bring about radical change. Understanding why people are so violent, fearful, greedy, aggressive, and ambitious through rational analysis—analysis is an easy way—can it bring about change? Clearly not. So what way can bring about an immediate rather than gradual psychological revolution? For me, this seems to be the most important life issue.

If there is indeed a distinction between the "observer" and the "observed," then this distinction is the source of human conflict. When you say you love someone, is that feeling really love? Is there not a division between the "observer" and the "observed"? This "love" is a product of thought and will inevitably create a concept of division, thus it is not true love.

In other words, we have always lived in the past; all knowledge belongs to past history, and people live their entire lives in the past, in what has already happened—generating thoughts like "What was I in the past?" and "How should I be in the future?" Life is fundamentally based on the various aspects of yesterday, and "the various aspects of yesterday" only make us numb, robbing us of our inherent innocence and sensitivity. Therefore, "the various aspects of yesterday" are the "observer" themselves, and the heart of the "observer" is filled with layers of conscious and unconscious memories.

Observing oneself and knowing oneself are two entirely different matters. Observation is a process that is unbroken or accumulative, while the "self" is something that is constantly changing; it always has new thoughts, new feelings, new changes, new suggestions, and new signs. Observation is not a state related to the future or the past; I cannot say I have observed, or that I will observe. Because the heart is always in a state of continuous observation, it always lives in the present, always fresh, and is not corrupted by accumulated knowledge. If you explore deeply, you will find that what exists is only unbroken observation, not the accumulation of knowledge, and then the heart will become extraordinarily alert and sensitive. Therefore, I can never say I "know" myself; anyone who says "I know" clearly does not know anything. Observation is an active and unbroken process; it is unrelated to what has already been known. I "know" in order to add something to what has already been learned, but if I want to observe myself, I must have the freedom to observe. However, if observation is conducted through past knowledge, freedom is denied.

At this point, another question arises: Can the limited mind, born from social background, free itself from conceptual thinking and act in a non-mechanical way? I believe this is possible, but saying it is possible does not mean much. I say it is possible, and that is meditation: exploring whether the mind can completely quiet down, freeing itself from all conceptual thinking, and only generating thought when it is needed.

Remember, language is not the thing itself; no matter how carefully, intricately, or reasonably we explain it, it is still not the thing itself.

Freedom is not a concept; the philosophy of freedom is not freedom itself. If a person is not truly free, they are still unfree.

Freedom is not a state of being caught in thought. Thought cannot be free. Thought is a product of memory, knowledge, and experience; it is always the result of history and cannot bring freedom, for freedom only arises in the living present, in daily life. Freedom is not about being liberated from something. Being liberated from something is merely a reaction.

Inner or outer motives alone cannot bring about radical change. Understanding why people are so violent, fearful, greedy, aggressive, and ambitious through rational analysis—analysis is an easy way—can it bring about change? Clearly not. So what way can bring about an immediate rather than gradual psychological revolution? For me, this seems to be the most important life issue.

If there is indeed a distinction between the "observer" and the "observed," then this distinction is the source of human conflict. When you say you love someone, is that feeling really love? Is there not a division between the "observer" and the "observed"? This "love" is a product of thought and will inevitably create a concept of division, thus it is not true love.

In other words, we have always lived in the past; all knowledge belongs to past history, and people live their entire lives in the past, in what has already happened—generating thoughts like "What was I in the past?" and "How should I be in the future?" Life is fundamentally based on the various aspects of yesterday, and "the various aspects of yesterday" only make us numb, robbing us of our inherent innocence and sensitivity. Therefore, "the various aspects of yesterday" are the "observer" themselves, and the heart of the "observer" is filled with layers of conscious and unconscious memories.

Observing oneself and knowing oneself are two entirely different matters. Observation is a process that is unbroken or accumulative, while the "self" is something that is constantly changing; it always has new thoughts, new feelings, new changes, new suggestions, and new signs. Observation is not a state related to the future or the past; I cannot say I have observed, or that I will observe. Because the heart is always in a state of continuous observation, it always lives in the present, always fresh, and is not corrupted by accumulated knowledge. If you explore deeply, you will find that what exists is only unbroken observation, not the accumulation of knowledge, and then the heart will become extraordinarily alert and sensitive. Therefore, I can never say I "know" myself; anyone who says "I know" clearly does not know anything. Observation is an active and unbroken process; it is unrelated to what has already been known. I "know" in order to add something to what has already been learned, but if I want to observe myself, I must have the freedom to observe. However, if observation is conducted through past knowledge, freedom is denied.

At this point, another question arises: Can the limited mind, born from social background, free itself from conceptual thinking and act in a non-mechanical way? I believe this is possible, but saying it is possible does not mean much. I say it is possible, and that is meditation: exploring whether the mind can completely quiet down, freeing itself from all conceptual thinking, and only generating thought when it is needed.

2. How Can the Human Heart Free Itself from Fear?#

But what is it that keeps the fears of the past and future alive? Clearly, it is thought—memories of past events, or the possibility of a past illness recurring in the future, etc. Fear is supported by memory and thought. Remembering past pain or pleasure keeps fear alive, nourishing and sustaining it. Thoughts about future suffering and joy are also a form of mental activity.

The thought that divides time into yesterday, today, and tomorrow fuels fear in the heart. Thought creates a division between what may happen now and in the future. Thought, through a psychological sense of time, fosters fear; thought is the source of fear, and thought is also the source of suffering.

If we use time—thought—as a tool to free ourselves from fear, we will never be able to free ourselves from fear. Fear cannot be resolved through thought, because it is thought that fuels fear.

What happens when a person discovers how thought fosters fear? When you describe how delicious food is to a hungry person, what will their reaction be? They might say, "Don't tell me how good the food is; just give it to me!" At that moment, you must take immediate action rather than theorize. Therefore, if you say, "I understand," it means you are continuously recognizing thought, fear, and pleasure; your actions arise from this ongoing recognition. If you can recognize fear in this way, fear will cease.

If during the day you can mindfully observe every word and action, as well as everything that happens, the deep-seated fears and surface fears will be exposed, and then your sleep will be completely peaceful, without a trace of dreams. Moreover, when you wake up the next morning, your heart will become very clear, innocent, and lively. This is not a theory—try it and you will know.

Suppose you are very alert during the day, able to perceive the activity of thought, aware of how you speak, walk, react, posture, etc. Then all the buried things will easily be exposed. This does not require much time because you are no longer resisting anything, nor are you deliberately digging for anything; you are simply observing and listening. In this state of awareness, everything will be revealed. But if you say, "I want to keep certain things and exclude others," then you will enter a semi-sleep state. If you say, "I want to keep some good things from Hinduism, Judaism, or Catholicism, and let the other things disappear," then clearly you are still constrained and attached. Therefore, we must allow everything to surface without any resistance.

But what is it that keeps the fears of the past and future alive? Clearly, it is thought—memories of past events, or the possibility of a past illness recurring in the future, etc. Fear is supported by memory and thought. Remembering past pain or pleasure keeps fear alive, nourishing and sustaining it. Thoughts about future suffering and joy are also a form of mental activity.

The thought that divides time into yesterday, today, and tomorrow fuels fear in the heart. Thought creates a division between what may happen now and in the future. Thought, through a psychological sense of time, fosters fear; thought is the source of fear, and thought is also the source of suffering.

If we use time—thought—as a tool to free ourselves from fear, we will never be able to free ourselves from fear. Fear cannot be resolved through thought, because it is thought that fuels fear.

What happens when a person discovers how thought fosters fear? When you describe how delicious food is to a hungry person, what will their reaction be? They might say, "Don't tell me how good the food is; just give it to me!" At that moment, you must take immediate action rather than theorize. Therefore, if you say, "I understand," it means you are continuously recognizing thought, fear, and pleasure; your actions arise from this ongoing recognition. If you can recognize fear in this way, fear will cease.

If during the day you can mindfully observe every word and action, as well as everything that happens, the deep-seated fears and surface fears will be exposed, and then your sleep will be completely peaceful, without a trace of dreams. Moreover, when you wake up the next morning, your heart will become very clear, innocent, and lively. This is not a theory—try it and you will know.

Suppose you are very alert during the day, able to perceive the activity of thought, aware of how you speak, walk, react, posture, etc. Then all the buried things will easily be exposed. This does not require much time because you are no longer resisting anything, nor are you deliberately digging for anything; you are simply observing and listening. In this state of awareness, everything will be revealed. But if you say, "I want to keep certain things and exclude others," then you will enter a semi-sleep state. If you say, "I want to keep some good things from Hinduism, Judaism, or Catholicism, and let the other things disappear," then clearly you are still constrained and attached. Therefore, we must allow everything to surface without any resistance.

3. Truly Being Aware in Every Moment#

We can understand why these schools of practice are so enticing, because life is indeed ugly, cruel, competitive, and ruthless; it has no meaning at all. We may unthinkingly and easily accept Indian yoga or its mantras because these promise rewards and a certain satisfaction derived from escape. Therefore, we must be very clear that what we care about is not escape, not evading life through meditation, daydreaming, drugs, or mantras.

To understand what truth is, your heart must be very sharp, clear, and precise, not a distorted heart under asceticism, not clever or cunning, but observing all things with an utterly unwarped innocence and sensitivity. A heart filled with knowledge cannot perceive the truth either. Only those who can observe thoroughly can do so. Observation is not the accumulation of knowledge; it is an ongoing activity.

Society is created by us, and we are then constrained by society. Our hearts have been distorted by immoral morals and are severely restricted. Because society encourages violence, greed, competition, ambition, and so on, its morals are fundamentally immoral. It is hard to find love, care, tenderness, or affection in society, and what society deems worthy of respect is fundamentally a disorder. A heart that has been trained for thousands of years to submit, accept, and obey cannot remain sensitive or possess true virtue. We are all deeply trapped in this bondage, so what is virtue?—this is something we must possess.

If the heart can see things clearly, without any distortion, without personal bias, and has understood the reasons for disorder, freeing itself from disorder, then such a heart is virtuous and orderly—not based on the claims of capitalists or any sect, but because it has understood the entire content of disorder. Inner order is very similar to mathematical order. The highest inner order is an absolute realm, but it cannot be achieved through cultivation, training, repression, control, submission, or servitude.

Our minds are distorted and twisted because we have expended too much effort on living, doing, acting, and thinking. Any form of effort is a disorder. As long as you make an effort to be aware, you are not truly aware.

To see clearly is to have no preconceived impressions, nor to carry any symbols or thoughts.

Thoughts, symbols, or insights will obstruct our observation. To know oneself, one cannot have preconceived ideas, knowledge, symbols, or impressions; only then can I be truly aware in every moment.

Every experience leaves a trace or residue, leaving behind a memory of pain or pleasure. The term "experience" implies "completion" of something, but because we never truly "complete" anything, traces remain. If you have had a heart-shocking experience and you have completely become that experience, then you will free yourself from it, and it will leave no memory trace.

Thus, neither humiliation nor flattery will leave any traces, and the heart can remain alert. Whether it is humiliation, flattery, the sunset, or the beauty of any thing, we remain alertly aware. Because the heart remains alert, it is always free, even though it has had millions of experiences.

Love cannot be cultivated through thought; love is something entirely different.

Religion is not an organized belief—there are gods and monks within it. Religion is a state of mind, a free, innocent, and utterly empty heart—such a heart has no limitations.

But erudition has nothing to do with wisdom. To see the truth of things as they are, including what is within us, without conflicting with our truth, requires a heart that is extremely simple and rich in wisdom.

However, the next time you find yourself not being aware, you are already aware, aren't you? Therefore, being aware of your unawareness is the right thing to do. Through effortless awareness, a positive state will naturally arise. Through understanding unawareness, awareness will naturally appear.

We can understand why these schools of practice are so enticing, because life is indeed ugly, cruel, competitive, and ruthless; it has no meaning at all. We may unthinkingly and easily accept Indian yoga or its mantras because these promise rewards and a certain satisfaction derived from escape. Therefore, we must be very clear that what we care about is not escape, not evading life through meditation, daydreaming, drugs, or mantras.

To understand what truth is, your heart must be very sharp, clear, and precise, not a distorted heart under asceticism, not clever or cunning, but observing all things with an utterly unwarped innocence and sensitivity. A heart filled with knowledge cannot perceive the truth either. Only those who can observe thoroughly can do so. Observation is not the accumulation of knowledge; it is an ongoing activity.

Society is created by us, and we are then constrained by society. Our hearts have been distorted by immoral morals and are severely restricted. Because society encourages violence, greed, competition, ambition, and so on, its morals are fundamentally immoral. It is hard to find love, care, tenderness, or affection in society, and what society deems worthy of respect is fundamentally a disorder. A heart that has been trained for thousands of years to submit, accept, and obey cannot remain sensitive or possess true virtue. We are all deeply trapped in this bondage, so what is virtue?—this is something we must possess.

If the heart can see things clearly, without any distortion, without personal bias, and has understood the reasons for disorder, freeing itself from disorder, then such a heart is virtuous and orderly—not based on the claims of capitalists or any sect, but because it has understood the entire content of disorder. Inner order is very similar to mathematical order. The highest inner order is an absolute realm, but it cannot be achieved through cultivation, training, repression, control, submission, or servitude.

Our minds are distorted and twisted because we have expended too much effort on living, doing, acting, and thinking. Any form of effort is a disorder. As long as you make an effort to be aware, you are not truly aware.

To see clearly is to have no preconceived impressions, nor to carry any symbols or thoughts.

Thoughts, symbols, or insights will obstruct our observation. To know oneself, one cannot have preconceived ideas, knowledge, symbols, or impressions; only then can I be truly aware in every moment.

Every experience leaves a trace or residue, leaving behind a memory of pain or pleasure. The term "experience" implies "completion" of something, but because we never truly "complete" anything, traces remain. If you have had a heart-shocking experience and you have completely become that experience, then you will free yourself from it, and it will leave no memory trace.

Thus, neither humiliation nor flattery will leave any traces, and the heart can remain alert. Whether it is humiliation, flattery, the sunset, or the beauty of any thing, we remain alertly aware. Because the heart remains alert, it is always free, even though it has had millions of experiences.

Love cannot be cultivated through thought; love is something entirely different.

Religion is not an organized belief—there are gods and monks within it. Religion is a state of mind, a free, innocent, and utterly empty heart—such a heart has no limitations.

But erudition has nothing to do with wisdom. To see the truth of things as they are, including what is within us, without conflicting with our truth, requires a heart that is extremely simple and rich in wisdom.

However, the next time you find yourself not being aware, you are already aware, aren't you? Therefore, being aware of your unawareness is the right thing to do. Through effortless awareness, a positive state will naturally arise. Through understanding unawareness, awareness will naturally appear.

What is Life?#

Life is these fears, anxieties, uncertainties, torments, and pains. Life also includes love, pleasure, sex, death, and the constant questioning of whether there is such a thing as reality, some "transcendent realm," something that can be discovered through meditation.

1. The World is Ourselves#

We must look at everything as a whole, but this may be a bit difficult for us, as we are accustomed to taking immediate action and reacting to troubles, thus failing to see that all human problems are interdependent. Therefore, a psychological revolution seems far more important than economic or social revolutions—such as establishing some system, whether in America, France, or India—because human problems cannot be solved by becoming social activists, joining a group, or retreating to a temple to meditate, practice Zen, or do yoga.

In fact, all ideas are foolish, because when you pursue some idea or ideal, you are escaping the truth, and when you escape the truth, you cannot understand what the truth is.

If we delve into our inner fears, we often find that our entire social structure is based on hedonism, as most people pursue pleasure, but as long as people pursue pleasure, fear will inevitably arise. Fear and pleasure go hand in hand.

Only fools would propose opinions about others. Why should one hold any opinion about others? It is a tremendous waste of energy and time. Why should we fill our minds with opinions, criticisms, and conclusions? These things only obstruct our clarity. Once there is a conclusion in our observation, the quality of clarity disappears.

Here, the heart refers to your nervous system, your ears, your consciousness, etc.; it means you must be fully focused on the other. I don't know if you have noticed that whenever you are fully focused, your heart is completely quiet. In that state of full focus, there is no "I" there to perceive or pay attention. That quiet and focused state is a meditative realm. We don't have time now to elaborate on the meaning of the word "meditation" and how to encounter it, but perhaps in the coming nights, we can delve into it.

The analyst and the analyzed are not different. Once you understand all this—time, the process of analysis, the decisions you make, the conclusions that may hinder your continued clear analysis, and the realization that the analyst is the analyzed—once you see all this, you will never analyze again. If you stop analyzing, you will be able to see things directly, because the problem at hand will become very urgent and intense. It is like someone holding onto a non-violent ideal; what they care about is how to become non-violent, not how to free themselves from all violence. What we care about is to be liberated from violence immediately, not to do it tomorrow.

We must look at everything as a whole, but this may be a bit difficult for us, as we are accustomed to taking immediate action and reacting to troubles, thus failing to see that all human problems are interdependent. Therefore, a psychological revolution seems far more important than economic or social revolutions—such as establishing some system, whether in America, France, or India—because human problems cannot be solved by becoming social activists, joining a group, or retreating to a temple to meditate, practice Zen, or do yoga.

In fact, all ideas are foolish, because when you pursue some idea or ideal, you are escaping the truth, and when you escape the truth, you cannot understand what the truth is.

If we delve into our inner fears, we often find that our entire social structure is based on hedonism, as most people pursue pleasure, but as long as people pursue pleasure, fear will inevitably arise. Fear and pleasure go hand in hand.

Only fools would propose opinions about others. Why should one hold any opinion about others? It is a tremendous waste of energy and time. Why should we fill our minds with opinions, criticisms, and conclusions? These things only obstruct our clarity. Once there is a conclusion in our observation, the quality of clarity disappears.

Here, the heart refers to your nervous system, your ears, your consciousness, etc.; it means you must be fully focused on the other. I don't know if you have noticed that whenever you are fully focused, your heart is completely quiet. In that state of full focus, there is no "I" there to perceive or pay attention. That quiet and focused state is a meditative realm. We don't have time now to elaborate on the meaning of the word "meditation" and how to encounter it, but perhaps in the coming nights, we can delve into it.

The analyst and the analyzed are not different. Once you understand all this—time, the process of analysis, the decisions you make, the conclusions that may hinder your continued clear analysis, and the realization that the analyst is the analyzed—once you see all this, you will never analyze again. If you stop analyzing, you will be able to see things directly, because the problem at hand will become very urgent and intense. It is like someone holding onto a non-violent ideal; what they care about is how to become non-violent, not how to free themselves from all violence. What we care about is to be liberated from violence immediately, not to do it tomorrow.

2. Freeing Ourselves from Constraints#

Before dedicating oneself, one must recognize the truth of life.

It is not only an inner act of liberation but also an outer action, related to all the problems of life. Being passionate about life means establishing a thorough relationship with all the problems of life, fully understanding every thought and feeling in the heart. If a person can fully engage in life without particularly dedicating themselves to any part of it, then you will discover what it truly means to be human.

Relationships are life, and relationships are always changing.

A person without fear will not be aggressive; a person without any fear is truly free and peaceful.

Fear is not only related to time but is also a product of thought; that is, when I think of something that happened yesterday—a painful event—I fear it may happen again tomorrow. Thought creates this fear. Thought fuels fear: it ruminates on pain, death, setbacks, achievements, what may happen, what should be done, etc. Thought generates fear and increases the momentum that keeps fear alive. When I think of the pleasures I once had, I want that pleasure to continue.

We often talk about the freedom of thought, but this is nonsense; this phrase actually means you can do whatever you want and speak freely, but thought itself has never been free and will never bring freedom. Thought often fosters fear and pleasure but will never foster freedom; as long as there is fear and pleasure, love does not exist. Love is neither thought nor pleasure, but for us, love is a kind of pleasure, thus fostering fear.

However, when that effectiveness becomes ugly through greed or ambition—the barrier created by "me and not me"—it will trigger competition and conflict. After recognizing all this, how can we live nobly, effectively, and without any cruel heart, while establishing a perfect relationship with nature and others, without any shadow of "you and me"—the barriers created by thought? Once we truly recognize all that we have discussed—not superficially but genuinely—this recognition will dismantle that wall of division. Once you see the danger of something, like a cliff or a wild beast, you will naturally take action; such action, while still a product of constraint, is not born from fear; it is an action born from wisdom.

The truth of the world is endless suffering and terrifying chaos; when we truly recognize all this, these problems will cease.

We are psychologically so dependent on others, and this dependency is based on pain and pleasure. Knowing that dependency causes pain, we try to cultivate freedom from dependency, but this cultivation will trigger other forms of fear, conflict, and pain.

This shows that experience is a very complex thing; however, each of us is pursuing more meaningful and greater experiences, and we never stop to ask ourselves why we seek psychological experiences. Just as we accept many things, we also believe that enlightenment, understanding, and possessing joy require experience, but the truth is just the opposite: only a simple heart can possess joy—only a simple heart unburdened by experience can possess joy. Furthermore, all experiences are based on the division between fear and pleasure, determined by our likes and dislikes regarding whether to experience them.

You only know pain and pleasure, so what we call love is not love at all. Love cannot be cultivated—if it could be cultivated like a plant, we could water it, fertilize it, and take care of it, then it would be easy. If you could cultivate love in this way, it would be simple, but unfortunately, it cannot be cultivated in this manner. Love is something entirely different, devoid of any pain or pleasure; therefore, we must understand fear, pleasure, and other things to remove all divisions.

The essence of change is the negation of disorder. Disorder cannot become order, but negating disorder is a form of change; negation itself is a form of change, and negating disorder is the positive essence of change.

In fact, negating what is wrong is a form of change, which is the truth itself.

When both body and mind become very tranquil, that is, when you truly want to see something clearly, or when you are genuinely listening to something wholeheartedly, your body and heart will be very quiet. This is not a technique; it is a pure tranquility. Similarly, when complete emptiness arises, the attitude of disorder and the desire to change will be dissolved; thus, order is brought not by thought but by emptiness itself.

However, if furniture is lost, we feel sad; this is why we cling to our husbands, wives, or families. We weave a web around our homes and create opposition to the outside world. If there were no walls or circles, could home exist? Those of you who have homes should try it and see what happens. You will find that things may become entirely different, and then you will discover what love is and witness the changes that love brings.

Our problem is how to live in daily life—not in a romantic imagined world, nor in a drug-free, dogmatic world, nor by retreating to a temple—but how to live here, now, and in daily life, how to live peacefully, with great wisdom, without any setbacks or fears, filled with joy, and wholeheartedly live—this, of course, implies meditation—this is indeed the fundamental issue.

And it is absolutely impossible to be free. Although we have something called "freedom of thought"—the ability to say whatever we want—thought itself has never been free and will never bring freedom. Thought often fosters fear and pleasure but will never foster freedom; as long as there is fear and pleasure, love does not exist. Love is neither thought nor pleasure, but for us, love is a kind of pleasure, thus fostering fear.

However, when that effectiveness becomes ugly through greed or ambition—the barrier created by "me and not me"—it will trigger competition and conflict. After recognizing all this, how can we live nobly, effectively, and without any cruel heart, while establishing a perfect relationship with nature and others, without any shadow of "you and me"—the barriers created by thought? Once we truly recognize all that we have discussed—not superficially but genuinely—this recognition will dismantle that wall of division. Once you see the danger of something, like a cliff or a wild beast, you will naturally take action; such action, while still a product of constraint, is not born from fear; it is an action born from wisdom.

The truth of the world is endless suffering and terrifying chaos; when we truly recognize all this, these problems will cease.

We are psychologically so dependent on others, and this dependency is based on pain and pleasure. Knowing that dependency causes pain, we try to cultivate freedom from dependency, but this cultivation will trigger other forms of fear, conflict, and pain.

This shows that experience is a very complex thing; however, each of us is pursuing more meaningful and greater experiences, and we never stop to ask ourselves why we seek psychological experiences. Just as we accept many things, we also believe that enlightenment, understanding, and possessing joy require experience, but the truth is just the opposite: only a simple heart can possess joy—only a simple heart unburdened by experience can possess joy. Furthermore, all experiences are based on the division between fear and pleasure, determined by our likes and dislikes regarding whether to experience them.

You only know pain and pleasure, so what we call love is not love at all. Love cannot be cultivated—if it could be cultivated like a plant, we could water it, fertilize it, and take care of it, then it would be easy. If you could cultivate love in this way, it would be simple, but unfortunately, it cannot be cultivated in this manner. Love is something entirely different, devoid of any pain or pleasure; therefore, we must understand fear, pleasure, and other things to remove all divisions.

The essence of change is the negation of disorder. Disorder cannot become order, but negating disorder is a form of change; negation itself is a form of change, and negating disorder is the positive essence of change.

In fact, negating what is wrong is a form of change, which is the truth itself.

When both body and mind become very tranquil, that is, when you truly want to see something clearly, or when you are genuinely listening to something wholeheartedly, your body and heart will be very quiet. This is not a technique; it is a pure tranquility. Similarly, when complete emptiness arises, the attitude of disorder and the desire to change will be dissolved; thus, order is brought not by thought but by emptiness itself.

However, if furniture is lost, we feel sad; this is why we cling to our husbands, wives, or families. We weave a web around our homes and create opposition to the outside world. If there were no walls or circles, could home exist? Those of you who have homes should try it and see what happens. You will find that things may become entirely different, and then you will discover what love is and witness the changes that love brings.

3. Knowing Yourself#

This world does not offer us much beyond providing some cars, larger bathrooms, or other things. Therefore, we feel bored with the external world and also with ourselves because we do not know how to break free from the traps. We may also be too lazy. Furthermore, knowing oneself does not bring any profit or reward, and most of us are already constrained by the motive of profit. Perhaps this is why we cannot change. We all know what the traps are; we all know what life is, yet we continue to stumble along, exhausted, until death. This seems to be our fate. However, is it really that difficult to delve inward and transform oneself?

We can only observe ourselves through relationships; we have no other tools for self-observation because we do not exist in isolation: we are connected to everything around us. By observing our reactions, thoughts, and motives in relationships, we can silently recognize our own truth.

We are the history of the past; there is nothing new within us. When we freely observe ourselves—if we want to be carefree, we must set these things aside—what do we ultimately discover? I wonder if you have ever asked yourself this question. What relationship do we have with this so-called life? What is the truth of life? Of course, we can quickly see its truth: the endless struggle, conflict, and warfare—not only within ourselves but also in our relationships with others—there is pain, fleeting joy, fear, despair, and a series of defeats, conflicts and contradictions buried in the conscious and subconscious, existing in a state of complete disconnection. There is also immense suffering, often a sense of self-pity, loneliness, and boredom, and then we attempt to escape all this through religious beliefs, thus creating the division of my god and your god; this is our real life.

However, only when there is a profound transformation within can external change have meaning: in fact, the inner and outer are the same activity; they are not separate.

If we recognize all this confusion, unhappiness, and hardship, why do we still accept it? Why do we continue? Are we waiting for someone else to help us free ourselves from all this? Countless teachers, gurus, and saviors have appeared throughout history, yet we remain stagnant, thus we have lost or abandoned faith in another person. I truly hope you are like this. But this does not mean you will become a cynic, a resentful person, or a cold-hearted individual; rather, it is that no one can help us see the problems within. Once we see the truth of daily life and the suffering and unhappiness within it, why not wholeheartedly understand and break through it? If we do not do this, we cannot fundamentally change, so what is the use of education, of obtaining a doctorate or anything else?

The essence of this energy is freedom. But the freedom we speak of is not the freedom to do whatever we want, to be wild, rebellious, or act without discipline, etc. Freedom is not a lack of discipline. On the contrary, freedom requires great discipline. Please note that most people consider "discipline" to be an ugly word; its true meaning is "understanding." The root of this word refers to understanding rather than submission, to learning rather than imitation, to discovering rather than conforming. Understanding or discovering will bring about one's own discipline; thus, discipline or understanding is an ongoing activity rather than submission to some pattern. Once you have understanding, truly recognizing the facts within it, and having a profound feeling, you will have enough energy to break through the constraints brought by anxiety, fear, and pain.

You cannot say, "I want to live in the present"—this is a meaningless thought because the present is the corridor from the past to the future. When you tell yourself, "I want to live in the present," that "you" is a product of past history. You may draw a circle around yourself and say, "This is the present or now." But this being that lives in the present is precisely a product of past history: the whole person is old. Living in the present or now—not an ideology, conclusion, or assertion—means you must be free and unrestrained.

Although I do not quite understand what it means to live 50 more years in this bondage.

A person who ends each day psychologically can keep their heart young, innocent, and fresh; that is death. To reach this state, there can be no shadow of fear, and giving up all arguments and all resistance is a form of death. Have you ever tried to do this? To let go of the things you enjoy the most (of course, including those things you want to give up, the ones that cause you the most pain) without any complaints, without any constraints, without any resistance? Try it, really, let them go; if you can do this, you will find your heart becomes alert, lively, sensitive, free, and unburdened. In this way, aging takes on a completely different meaning; it is no longer a terrifying thing.

Therefore, without death, there can be no love, for love is always new; it is not a routine related to sex or pleasure.

Why has sex become the only thing that makes people feel free? In it, one can completely forget oneself: at that moment, all their unhappiness, memories, torments, competitiveness, aggressiveness, violence, and conflicts disappear. They no longer exist. Because they can disappear into sex, sex becomes so important; at that moment, there is no longer a division of "you" and "me," "we" and "they." Such divisions finally cease. Perhaps in that moment, you finally find the greatest freedom; sex becomes so important because it is the only thing that allows us to discover freedom; in everything else, we are unfree. Mentally, emotionally, and physically, we are second-hand beings, completely shaped by our technological society; thus, there is no true freedom outside of sex, which is why sex becomes important.

If we gain freedom both mentally and emotionally, perhaps the issue of sex will not be so serious.

I can assure you this is the simplest thing; as long as you know how to observe, it will become easy. If you can truly see the truth without attempting to change it, suppress it, transcend it, or escape it, you will find that truth undergoes a tremendous change; that is, if the heart can quietly observe, transformation will occur.

Because differences bring immense pleasure and satisfaction of vanity: I am original, unique, extraordinary, while you say the same thing, just in a more subdued manner. Emphasizing one's absolute uniqueness brings a sense of vanity and pleasure.

Therefore, fundamentally, effort implies contradiction: I am like this, but I want to become like that; I am a failure, but God knows, I will become a successful person; I am angry, but I will become a person without anger; and so on. This series of relativity will inevitably lead to conflict.

Therefore, effort means distortion, and effort is part of willpower, which usually only brings distortion. But for us, effort is our bread and butter; we grew up on it, such as the idea that your exam score must exceed that of a certain boy, etc. In such an education, there must be embedded unhappiness and harm. Therefore, recognizing the truth of the present, observing it without discrimination, can free the heart from the dualistic contradictions.

If your heart can free itself from condemnation and judgment, then the distance between you and the observed will disappear, and you will no longer look out from behind the wall. Once you become the observed, you will face a dilemma: previously, you viewed it as something separate from yourself, but now you are observing it without any sense of division. However, as long as there is any activity in your heart, that activity must be generated from the outside. If you can look at it without any thoughts, that is, completely in emptiness, then what you see from emptiness is naturally different from what you see from within the wall.

A lively, alert person, with a fire burning within, will have any relationship with someone who says, "For God's sake, please don't disturb me; I am already trapped in the shackles of society and cannot change." The former's relationship with the latter may be compassionate or full of affection, but not from a position of benevolence. If you are alert and aware of what is happening within and outside, you will change yourself. Only a small portion of wise people in society can change the secular structure, thus another person may have the opportunity to change.

We are always pursuing an ideal, which is a form of escape. If we can throw away all escapes and hopes—not becoming cynical or resentful, but truly seeing the fear and despair in front of us—then you will have the freedom to observe. Once the heart has freedom, will it still despair?

This world does not offer us much beyond providing some cars, larger bathrooms, or other things. Therefore, we feel bored with the external world and also with ourselves because we do not know how to break free from the traps. We may also be too lazy. Furthermore, knowing oneself does not bring any profit or reward, and most of us are already constrained by the motive of profit. Perhaps this is why we cannot change. We all know what the traps are; we all know what life is, yet we continue to stumble along, exhausted, until death. This seems to be our fate. However, is it really that difficult to delve inward and transform oneself?

We can only observe ourselves through relationships; we have no other tools for self-observation because we do not exist in isolation: we are connected to everything around us. By observing our reactions, thoughts, and motives in relationships, we can silently recognize our own truth.

We are the history of the past; there is nothing new within us. When we freely observe ourselves—if we want to be carefree, we must set these things aside—what do we ultimately discover? I wonder if you have ever asked yourself this question. What relationship do we have with this so-called life? What is the truth of life? Of course, we can quickly see its truth: the endless struggle, conflict, and warfare—not only within ourselves but also in our relationships with others—there is pain, fleeting joy, fear, despair, and a series of defeats, conflicts and contradictions buried in the conscious and subconscious, existing in a state of complete disconnection. There is also immense suffering, often a sense of self-pity, loneliness, and boredom, and then we attempt to escape all this through religious beliefs, thus creating the division of my god and your god; this is our real life.

However, only when there is a profound transformation within can external change have meaning: in fact, the inner and outer are the same activity; they are not separate.

If we recognize all this confusion, unhappiness, and hardship, why do we still accept it? Why do we continue? Are we waiting for someone else to help us free ourselves from all this? Countless teachers, gurus, and saviors have appeared throughout history, yet we remain stagnant, thus we have lost or abandoned faith in another person. I truly hope you are like this. But this does not mean you will become a cynic, a resentful person, or a cold-hearted individual; rather, it is that no one can help us see the problems within. Once we see the truth of daily life and the suffering and unhappiness within it, why not wholeheartedly understand and break through it? If we do not do this, we cannot fundamentally change, so what is the use of education, of obtaining a doctorate or anything else?

The essence of this energy is freedom. But the freedom we speak of is not the freedom to do whatever we want, to be wild, rebellious, or act without discipline, etc. Freedom is not a lack of discipline. On the contrary, freedom requires great discipline. Please note that most people consider "discipline" to be an ugly word; its true meaning is "understanding." The root of this word refers to understanding rather than submission, to learning rather than imitation, to discovering rather than conforming. Understanding or discovering will bring about one's own discipline; thus, discipline or understanding is an ongoing activity rather than submission to some pattern. Once you have understanding, truly recognizing the facts within it, and having a profound feeling, you will have enough energy to break through the constraints brought by anxiety, fear, and pain.

You cannot say, "I want to live in the present"—this is a meaningless thought because the present is the corridor from the past to the future. When you tell yourself, "I want to live in the present," that "you" is a product of past history. You may draw a circle around yourself and say, "This is the present or now." But this being that lives in the present is precisely a product of past history: the whole person is old. Living in the present or now—not an ideology, conclusion, or assertion—means you must be free and unrestrained.

Although I do not quite understand what it means to live 50 more years in this bondage.

A person who ends each day psychologically can keep their heart young, innocent, and fresh; that is death. To reach this state, there can be no shadow of fear, and giving up all arguments and all resistance is a form of death. Have you ever tried to do this? To let go of the things you enjoy the most (of course, including those things you want to give up, the ones that cause you the most pain) without any complaints, without any constraints, without any resistance? Try it, really, let them go; if you can do this, you will find your heart becomes alert, lively, sensitive, free, and unburdened. In this way, aging takes on a completely different meaning; it is no longer a terrifying thing.

Therefore, without death, there can be no love, for love is always new; it is not a routine related to sex or pleasure.

Why has sex become the only thing that makes people feel free? In it, one can completely forget oneself: at that moment, all their unhappiness, memories, torments, competitiveness, aggressiveness, violence, and conflicts disappear. They no longer exist. Because they can disappear into sex, sex becomes so important; at that moment, there is no longer a division of "you" and "me," "we" and "they." Such divisions finally cease. Perhaps in that moment, you finally find the greatest freedom; sex becomes so important because it is the only thing that allows us to discover freedom; in everything else, we are unfree. Mentally, emotionally, and physically, we are second-hand beings, completely shaped by our technological society; thus, there is no true freedom outside of sex, which is why sex becomes important.

If we gain freedom both mentally and emotionally, perhaps the issue of sex will not be so serious.

I can assure you this is the simplest thing; as long as you know how to observe, it will become easy. If you can truly see the truth without attempting to change it, suppress it, transcend it, or escape it, you will find that truth undergoes a tremendous change; that is, if the heart can quietly observe, transformation will occur.

Because differences bring immense pleasure and satisfaction of vanity: I am original, unique, extraordinary, while you say the same thing, just in a more subdued manner. Emphasizing one's absolute uniqueness brings a sense of vanity and pleasure.

Therefore, fundamentally, effort implies contradiction: I am like this, but I want to become like that; I am a failure, but God knows, I will become a successful person; I am angry, but I will become a person without anger; and so on. This series of relativity will inevitably lead to conflict.

Therefore, effort means distortion, and effort is part of willpower, which usually only brings distortion. But for us, effort is our bread and butter; we grew up on it, such as the idea that your exam score must exceed that of a certain boy, etc. In such an education, there must be embedded unhappiness and harm. Therefore, recognizing the truth of the present, observing it without discrimination, can free the heart from the dualistic contradictions.

If your heart can free itself from condemnation and judgment, then the distance between you and the observed will disappear, and you will no longer look out from behind the wall. Once you become the observed, you will face a dilemma: previously, you viewed it as something separate from yourself, but now you are observing it without any sense of division. However, as long as there is any activity in your heart, that activity must be generated from the outside. If you can look at it without any thoughts, that is, completely in emptiness, then what you see from emptiness is naturally different from what you see from within the wall.

A lively, alert person, with a fire burning within, will have any relationship with someone who says, "For God's sake, please don't disturb me; I am already trapped in the shackles of society and cannot change." The former's relationship with the latter may be compassionate or full of affection, but not from a position of benevolence. If you are alert and aware of what is happening within and outside, you will change yourself. Only a small portion of wise people in society can change the secular structure, thus another person may have the opportunity to change.

We are always pursuing an ideal, which is a form of escape. If we can throw away all escapes and hopes—not becoming cynical or resentful, but truly seeing the fear and despair in front of us—then you will have the freedom to observe. Once the heart has freedom, will it still despair?

4. About Meditation#

The word meditation means to ponder, consider, reflect, deeply examine, and feel something we do not quite understand, to deeply perceive the unexplored thoughts, feelings, and mysteries within our hearts. The depths of meditation possess a unique beauty and are one of the most extraordinary things in life, if we can recognize it.

As we pointed out, we must first base ourselves on sincere behavior rather than merely pursuing some legitimate idea. Daily practice can become a revered behavior, thus straying far from a sincere heart. Any virtue that is revered by society is immoral and insincere. Can you accept this viewpoint?

But the true meaning of morality is no longer wanting to become a person revered by society—someone who conforms to social moral standards and is revered.

Virtue is not a product of practice because it does not rely on the influence of the environment; it is a living, vital thing, and it is also a sincere, real, and extremely earnest behavior. Most of us are not honest enough. Those who have ideals and pursue ideals are fundamentally insincere because they are inconsistent with the image they project.

Our hearts are always calculating, comparing, pursuing, and being driven, endlessly conversing with ourselves or gossiping about others—you are very clear about what it does every day or all day long. Such a heart cannot recognize what is true and what is false. Only when the heart is quiet can it discern truth from falsehood; if you truly want to listen to the speaker's words—if you are genuinely interested—your heart will naturally remain quiet; it will stop chattering or thinking about other things.

Focused meditation is a form of resistance, a narrowing activity that confines thoughts to a single point. Once the heart is trained to focus only on something, it loses its sensitivity and elasticity, becoming unable to appreciate the entire realm of life.

Focusing is very easy; every student can do it—even though they may dislike it, they are forced by teachers to learn to concentrate. When you truly concentrate, you will inevitably resist; if you train it day after day to focus on something, it will lose its breadth, depth, sharpness, and sense of space.

Therefore, if the heart treats the pursuit of experience as a means to give life meaning and value, then it is projecting the inner things outward, while a heart without desire is free and thus possesses a completely different quality.

From the beginning until now, observation has been part of meditation, including recognizing the truth at any time, recognizing the fallacies of gurus, authorities, and practice systems, laying the foundation for behavior, without any sense of effort, and not being a product of the environment. All of this suggests the quality of meditation.

Therefore, such observation must contain an element of emptiness, just as daytime must have nighttime; at the same time, this emptiness is neither a product of noise nor the cessation of noise. When other qualities are present, this state of emptiness will naturally arise.

However, when emptiness truly appears, divisions disappear, thus it possesses a completely different quality, and only when such space arises can you realize that incredible realm—a boundless, supreme, and uninvitable realm.

What truly matters is not to follow anyone but to understand oneself. If you effortlessly, without suppressing yourself, and truly delve deeply and fearlessly explore yourself, you will discover that incredible thing, even without reading any book.

The entire world is buried in your heart; if you know how to observe and recognize, that door is right in front of you, and the key is in your hand. No one can give you the key or open that door for you, except yourself.

Why do you need a reason for existence? (Laughter from the audience) Just because you exist in the world but do not understand yourself, you want to invent a reason. Do you know? Sir, if you can look at a tree, a cloud, or the light on the water, if you know what love is, you do not need any reason for existence. You simply exist. Then all the museums and all the concerts in the world will no longer seem so important. If you have a heart and passion for observation, you will see the beauty in front of you—beauty is not in the clouds, trees, or water; it is in your heart.

The word meditation means to ponder, consider, reflect, deeply examine, and feel something we do not quite understand, to deeply perceive the unexplored thoughts, feelings, and mysteries within our hearts. The depths of meditation possess a unique beauty and are one of the most extraordinary things in life, if we can recognize it.

As we pointed out, we must first base ourselves on sincere behavior rather than merely pursuing some legitimate idea. Daily practice can become a revered behavior, thus straying far from a sincere heart. Any virtue that is revered by society is immoral and insincere. Can you accept this viewpoint?

But the true meaning of morality is no longer wanting to become a person revered by society—someone who conforms to social moral standards and is revered.

Virtue is not a product of practice because it does not rely on the influence of the environment; it is a living, vital thing, and it is also a sincere, real, and extremely earnest behavior. Most of us are not honest enough. Those who have ideals and pursue ideals are fundamentally insincere because they are inconsistent with the image they project.

Our hearts are always calculating, comparing, pursuing, and being driven, endlessly conversing with ourselves or gossiping about others—you are very clear about what it does every day or all day long. Such a heart cannot recognize what is true and what is false. Only when the heart is quiet can it discern truth from falsehood; if you truly want to listen to the speaker's words—if you are genuinely interested—your heart will naturally remain quiet; it will stop chattering or thinking about other things.

Focused meditation is a form of resistance, a narrowing activity that confines thoughts to a single point. Once the heart is trained to focus only on something, it loses its sensitivity and elasticity, becoming unable to appreciate the entire realm of life.

Focusing is very easy; every student can do it—even though they may dislike it, they are forced by teachers to learn to concentrate. When you truly concentrate, you will inevitably resist; if you train it day after day to focus on something, it will lose its breadth, depth, sharpness, and sense of space.

Therefore, if the heart treats the pursuit of experience as a means to give life meaning and value, then it is projecting the inner things outward, while a heart without desire is free and thus possesses a completely different quality.

From the beginning until now, observation has been part of meditation, including recognizing the truth at any time, recognizing the fallacies of gurus, authorities, and practice systems, laying the foundation for behavior, without any sense of effort, and not being a product of the environment. All of this suggests the quality of meditation.

Therefore, such observation must contain an element of emptiness, just as daytime must have nighttime; at the same time, this emptiness is neither a product of noise nor the cessation of noise. When other qualities are present, this state of emptiness will naturally arise.

However, when emptiness truly appears, divisions disappear, thus it possesses a completely different quality, and only when such space arises can you realize that incredible realm—a boundless, supreme, and uninvitable realm.

What truly matters is not to follow anyone but to understand oneself. If you effortlessly, without suppressing yourself, and truly delve deeply and fearlessly explore yourself, you will discover that incredible thing, even without reading any book.

The entire world is buried in your heart; if you know how to observe and recognize, that door is right in front of you, and the key is in your hand. No one can give you the key or open that door for you, except yourself.

Why do you need a reason for existence? (Laughter from the audience) Just because you exist in the world but do not understand yourself, you want to invent a reason. Do you know? Sir, if you can look at a tree, a cloud, or the light on the water, if you know what love is, you do not need any reason for existence. You simply exist. Then all the museums and all the concerts in the world will no longer seem so important. If you have a heart and passion for observation, you will see the beauty in front of you—beauty is not in the clouds, trees, or water; it is in your heart.

Love, Freeing the World—A Speech at the University of California, Santa Cruz#

Once you have love and understand love, you can act freely and correctly; whatever you do will be right.

We are educated but do not understand the whole of life; we merely play a specific role in the whole existence. From childhood, we have been severely constrained, only to achieve success in society and become utterly mediocre, while those more sensitive intellectuals often rebel against this mode of existence. In their rebellion, they may do several things. They may become anti-social or anti-political, or they may take drugs or seek narrow religious beliefs, follow some guru, teacher, or philosopher, become radical social activists, or dedicate themselves to foreign religions like Buddhism or Hinduism. If they have the ability, they may become sociologists, scientists, artists, writers, or philosophers, thus sealing themselves in a small circle. We think this will solve the problem; we think this means we have understood the issues of life as a whole. Then we describe to others what life is based on our specific inclinations, traits, or expertise.

Therefore, for me, one must inevitably pose this question: What is the purpose of life? As a person who is psychologically relatively sound, a normal person without serious neuroses, what role should I play in this world? What role attracts me? If what attracts me is some aspect or part of life, then I must be aware of the danger of this attraction, as we may return to the original divisions that foster war, conflict, and struggle. Can I engage in the whole of life rather than just a part of it? Engaging in the whole of life clearly does not mean you must understand knowledge like science, sociology, mathematics, etc.; unless you are a genius, it is impossible to understand so much. Therefore, can you live a completely different way of life in your heart? This clearly means you are interested in everything external, but the real foundation or thorough revolution occurs in the inner dimension. What can we do to bring about such profound change within? In fact, each of us is the history of the past; this world and external society are us, so the real question is: how can you and I engage in the whole of life rather than just a part of it? Additionally, there are questions concerning behavior, virtue, and love—what is love, and what is death? Regardless of age, we must ask ourselves these questions, as they are all part of life, part of our existence.

Once you discover that it is impossible to achieve, you will find what is possible, and it is different from past possibilities. In this way, a completely different possibility will arise in your heart, and this is the kind of possibility we want to explore, not some trivial possibility. Thus, we explore the possibilities related to impossibility and recognize the entire pattern of existence; what can we do? In fact, that impossibility refers to loving completely without any shadow of jealousy or resentment.

The purpose of life is to live—not this so-called life filled with chaos and confusion—but to live in a completely different way, to live thoroughly, to live wholeheartedly every day in this manner; this is the most genuine meaning of life—not living in an exaggerated self-centered way. Rather, it is to live without any fear, without any struggle, without any tragedy or unhappiness in this world.

Pleasure and fear are both forms of mental activity; for most people, pleasure is the most important thing in life, such as sex, pleasure, and the memories of it. Thought constantly revolves around this and wants to regain that pleasure tomorrow—the so-called social morality is based on pleasure.

Can you love while harboring greed, ambition, and competitiveness? Can you love while killing animals or another person? Once you let go of those non-loving things—jealousy, envy, hatred, self-centered activities, ugly competition, and the cruelty and violence of daily life—you will know what love is. Once you let go of all these things, not in your mind but truly wholeheartedly... what I mean is to let them go from the depths of your heart, because these are clearly not love, then you will encounter true love. Once you have love and understand love, you can act freely and correctly; whatever you do will be right.

What matters is your current state, not what you believe or do not believe, or whether your experience is ordinary or psychedelic. What truly matters is the ability to live out the highest virtue (I know you do not like such terms).

Virtue means love, means no fear, and is living at the highest level of existence, allowing everything within to extinguish so that the mind can be clear and innocent. Only such a heart can encounter that vast and extraordinary realm, and it is not something you, a guru, or a philosopher can invent.

The truth of thought: thought is memory; thought is a reaction generated from memory, which is the knowledge, experience, and historical background you have accumulated. Whenever you pose a question, it creates a vibration, and then you generate a reaction from that memory. This is thought.

Because the current world, whether it is society, family, parents, or children, lacks love. If they had love, would there still be wars in this world? Do you think there would be governments that consider it acceptable to kill people?

If you can observe yourself without discrimination, a balanced and clear person will emerge from this deep observation, and your tendencies toward neurosis will disappear. A balanced heart is wise, not composed of criticism or opinions.

Once you have love and understand love, you can act freely and correctly; whatever you do will be right.

We are educated but do not understand the whole of life; we merely play a specific role in the whole existence. From childhood, we have been severely constrained, only to achieve success in society and become utterly mediocre, while those more sensitive intellectuals often rebel against this mode of existence. In their rebellion, they may do several things. They may become anti-social or anti-political, or they may take drugs or seek narrow religious beliefs, follow some guru, teacher, or philosopher, become radical social activists, or dedicate themselves to foreign religions like Buddhism or Hinduism. If they have the ability, they may become sociologists, scientists, artists, writers, or philosophers, thus sealing themselves in a small circle. We think this will solve the problem; we think this means we have understood the issues of life as a whole. Then we describe to others what life is based on our specific inclinations, traits, or expertise.

Therefore, for me, one must inevitably pose this question: What is the purpose of life? As a person who is psychologically relatively sound, a normal person without serious neuroses, what role should I play in this world? What role attracts me? If what attracts me is some aspect or part of life, then I must be aware of the danger of this attraction, as we may return to the original divisions that foster war, conflict, and struggle. Can I engage in the whole of life rather than just a part of it? Engaging in the whole of life clearly does not mean you must understand knowledge like science, sociology, mathematics, etc.; unless you are a genius, it is impossible to understand so much. Therefore, can you live a completely different way of life in your heart? This clearly means you are interested in everything external, but the real foundation or thorough revolution occurs in the inner dimension. What can we do to bring about such profound change within? In fact, each of us is the history of the past; this world and external society are us, so the real question is: how can you and I engage in the whole of life rather than just a part of it? Additionally, there are questions concerning behavior, virtue, and love—what is love, and what is death? Regardless of age, we must ask ourselves these questions, as they are all part of life, part of our existence.

Once you discover that it is impossible to achieve, you will find what is possible, and it is different from past possibilities. In this way, a completely different possibility will arise in your heart, and this is the kind of possibility we want to explore, not some trivial possibility. Thus, we explore the possibilities related to impossibility and recognize the entire pattern of existence; what can we do? In fact, that impossibility refers to loving completely without any shadow of jealousy or resentment.

The purpose of life is to live—not this so-called life filled with chaos and confusion—but to live in a completely different way, to live thoroughly, to live wholeheartedly every day in this manner; this is the most genuine meaning of life—not living in an exaggerated self-centered way. Rather, it is to live without any fear, without any struggle, without any tragedy or unhappiness in this world.

Pleasure and fear are both forms of mental activity; for most people, pleasure is the most important thing in life, such as sex, pleasure, and the memories of it. Thought constantly revolves around this and wants to regain that pleasure tomorrow—the so-called social morality is based on pleasure.

Can you love while harboring greed, ambition, and competitiveness? Can you love while killing animals or another person? Once you let go of those non-loving things—jealousy, envy, hatred, self-centered activities, ugly competition, and the cruelty and violence of daily life—you will know what love is. Once you let go of all these things, not in your mind but truly wholeheartedly... what I mean is to let them go from the depths of your heart, because these are clearly not love, then you will encounter true love. Once you have love and understand love, you can act freely and correctly; whatever you do will be right.

What matters is your current state, not what you believe or do not believe, or whether your experience is ordinary or psychedelic. What truly matters is the ability to live out the highest virtue (I know you do not like such terms).

Virtue means love, means no fear, and is living at the highest level of existence, allowing everything within to extinguish so that the mind can be clear and innocent. Only such a heart can encounter that vast and extraordinary realm, and it is not something you, a guru, or a philosopher can invent.

The truth of thought: thought is memory; thought is a reaction generated from memory, which is the knowledge, experience, and historical background you have accumulated. Whenever you pose a question, it creates a vibration, and then you generate a reaction from that memory. This is thought.

Because the current world, whether it is society, family, parents, or children, lacks love. If they had love, would there still be wars in this world? Do you think there would be governments that consider it acceptable to kill people?

If you can observe yourself without discrimination, a balanced and clear person will emerge from this deep observation, and your tendencies toward neurosis will disappear. A balanced heart is wise, and not composed of criticism or opinions.

Once you have love and understand love, you can act freely and correctly; whatever you do will be right.

We are educated but do not understand the whole of life; we merely play a specific role in the whole existence. From childhood, we have been severely constrained, only to achieve success in society and become utterly mediocre, while those more sensitive intellectuals often rebel against this mode of existence. In their rebellion, they may do several things. They may become anti-social or anti-political, or they may take drugs or seek narrow religious beliefs, follow some guru, teacher, or philosopher, become radical social activists, or dedicate themselves to foreign religions like Buddhism or Hinduism. If they have the ability, they may become sociologists, scientists, artists, writers, or philosophers, thus sealing themselves in a small circle. We think this will solve the problem; we think this means we have understood the issues of life as a whole. Then we describe to others what life is based on our specific inclinations, traits, or expertise.

Therefore, for me, one must inevitably pose this question: What is the purpose of life? As a person who is psychologically relatively sound, a normal person without serious neuroses, what role should I play in this world? What role attracts me? If what attracts me is some aspect or part of life, then I must be aware of the danger of this attraction, as we may return to the original divisions that foster war, conflict, and struggle. Can I engage in the whole of life rather than just a part of it? Engaging in the whole of life clearly does not mean you must understand knowledge like science, sociology, mathematics, etc.; unless you are a genius, it is impossible to understand so much. Therefore, can you live a completely different way of life in your heart? This clearly means you are interested in everything external, but the real foundation or thorough revolution occurs in the inner dimension. What can we do to bring about such profound change within? In fact, each of us is the history of the past; this world and external society are us, so the real question is: how can you and I engage in the whole of life rather than just a part of it? Additionally, there are questions concerning behavior, virtue, and love—what is love, and what is death? Regardless of age, we must ask ourselves these questions, as they are all part of life, part of our existence.

Once you discover that it is impossible to achieve, you will find what is possible, and it is different from past possibilities. In this way, a completely different possibility will arise in your heart, and this is the kind of possibility we want to explore, not some trivial possibility. Thus, we explore the possibilities related to impossibility and recognize the entire pattern of existence; what can we do? In fact, that impossibility refers to loving completely without any shadow of jealousy or resentment.

The purpose of life is to live—not this so-called life filled with chaos and confusion—but to live in a completely different way, to live thoroughly, to live wholeheartedly every day in this manner; this is the most genuine meaning of life—not living in an exaggerated self-centered way. Rather, it is to live without any fear, without any struggle, without any tragedy or unhappiness in this world