The World Within by J. Krishnamurti

Author:J. Krishnamurti
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Krishnamurti Foundation of America

Chapter 52

AREN’T YOU WASTING YOUR LIFE?

A. B. explained that he found himself going from one attachment to another, and each time, according to the person, the pattern somewhat varied, but in essentials it was the same—the same confusion and pain, the same waste of energy, and futility. He did not know how to get out of this useless rut of attachment.

We asked him whether he did not waste his life, to which he readily agreed. Then why was he bothered by the greater wastage in attachment? If his whole life was a waste, why was he concerned if he wasted more of his life in the worry, confusion, and pain of attachment? Was he wasting his life, or was it that his interest, which was dormant, had found no worthwhile outlet?

He said he had always felt that there was in him a latent interest which somehow had never been roused. It was smouldering, but it had never burst into a flame. Politics, business, family, and religion had no interest for him for, he said, they led nowhere. He said he was not cynical, but somehow the world and its ways had never greatly roused him or his buried interest. Yet this constant attachment, which was not the flame of love, had bothered him, and he wanted to get over it.

Was it not important to find out why his interest had not been roused, why he had allowed it to remain dormant? Perhaps if he understood it, he might solve his problem of attachment. Was he waiting for circumstances to rouse his interest? Was he hoping that with the help of another he would pierce through the fog of inertia? Can another help? Apparently he had been looking, consciously or unconsciously, for an outside factor to awaken this interest. Seeing the utter uselessness of his life and being deeply shocked by it, perhaps he was looking to another, to circumstances to pull him out of his fog of laziness. How can anyone rouse his interest for him? Or must he do it himself ? Seeing that no one or no circumstance has so far roused his vital interest, must he not apply himself to it? Why did he not apply himself? Was he afraid? Afraid that if he did, his present way of life and thought might have to be changed?

No, he replied, that didn’t bother him; he would be glad to have an inward revolution and an outer change. No, he felt that was not the reason why he was afraid. He admitted he was afraid, but he did not know of anything definite that caused him fear. He had thought about this fear, but he was not able to trace the cause of it.

If he could rouse his vital interest, then his life would not be wasted, and his greater wastage—attachment—would also cease. A greater and more important problem—interest—would supersede the lesser—attachment. In understanding the wastefulness of his life, he would come upon a much bigger issue, which would then solve the lesser.

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.