Conversations with J. Krishnamurti by N. Lakshmi Prasad

Author:N. Lakshmi Prasad
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Publisher: Theosophical Publishing House
Published: 2017-05-28T04:00:00+00:00

Man Everywhere Is the Same

Prasad: Is the substance in each person the same except that it is differently organized?

J.K.: What do you mean by essence, substance? Some Christians interpret it one way and the fundamentalists in another way. People in America are going back to the Bible.

But the consciousness of mankind is the same all over. Man everywhere has the same fears, the same anxiety, and the same pain. His superstitions, his blind faith, his sorrow, his feeling of insecurity, his seeking of pleasure are common features. Consciousness basically is the same in all mankind. We share the same ground. Depending upon the time in which one lives and the circumstances that a man faces, there may be some superficial differences. But your consciousness is not different from mine. Thought born out of this consciousness is the same. Thinking is the same, whether it is that of the farmer in the field or of the scientist in the lab. So one can say that man thinks, but there is nothing like “your thinking” and “my thinking.” Depending upon the country in which a man is born, the circumstances and the society in which he is brought up, the experiences that he has undergone, and his education, he thinks in a certain way. But that does not mean that his thinking is unique to himself. Thinking, wherever it occurs, is just thinking. You behave in a certain way because you grew up under certain conditions and had a certain set of experiences. I behave differently because of some other experiences and conditioning. Environmental pressures and influences happen to be different. What one likes, the other doesn’t. That’s the difference, a difference on the periphery.

You have a high position in society. You have knowledge. You are treated with respect by everyone. They flatter you. Since I am an ordinary man, I have none of these things. Then your behavior is different from mine.

Prasad: And if both of us are plain, ordinary men?

J.K.: You may not be greedy, and I may be utterly greedy. You have no ambition and therefore no intention to compete, but I am, say, very competitive. You are gentle, because you are not attached. I am attached. In that case, our behavior is bound to be different. But if you are able to find right action in life, then it is right for you and me. It will influence us similarly. There is not difference between you and me when we lead a life of righteousness. We do not do good to some and bad to others. It is good for both of us, for all of us.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.