Finding Freedom
Are Human Beings Free?
How can I be free? These questions can become a catch-22 because, in order to find out what freedom is and whether we are free or not, our mind has to be already free to investigate, free to look. Are we stuck in a mental groove, a bias, or a belief? Some people’s answer to the question of freedom has been to pursue “spiritual awakening”, in ways that made sense to them. What if the only revolution, the only awakening, starts when we abandon all beliefs and ideologies?
This video looks at the ways that we get conditioned by society, it explores what freedom means, and how intelligence places a part in this discovery.
Video transcript:
We are always told what to think and what not to think. Books, teachers, parents, the society around us, all tell us what to think, but they never help us to find out how to think. To know what to think is comparatively easy, because from early childhood our minds are conditioned by words, phrases, established attitudes and prejudices. I don’t know if you’ve noticed how the minds of most older people are fixed; they are set like clay in a mold, and it’s very difficult to break through this mold. This molding of the mind is its conditioning.
The mind can never be free if it’s molded. It’s very difficult for such a mind to free itself from its conditioning and go beyond, because this conditioning is imposed upon it, not only by society, but by itself. You like your conditioning because you dare not go beyond.
As you grow, you’ll begin to see how various influences are beginning to mold you. Ultimately, if you don’t revolt against this process, you become like an automatic machine, functioning without creativity, without much original thought.
You listen to all this and what’s going to happen? You know very well what’s going to happen—unless you are in revolt, you’ll just be like the rest of the world because you dare not be otherwise. You will be so conditioned, so molded, that you will be afraid to strike out on your own. Your husband will control you, or your wife will control you, and society will tell you what you must do. So generation after generation, imitation goes on. There is no real initiative, there is no freedom, there is no happiness.
The world doesn’t want you to think, it doesn’t want you to be free to find out, because then you would be a dangerous citizen, you would not fit into the established pattern. A free human being can never feel that they belong to any particular country, class, or type of thinking. Freedom means freedom at every level, right through.
So while you are young, it is very important to be free, not only at the conscious level, but also deep inside. You must be watchful of yourself, more and more aware of the influences which seek to control or dominate you. Always question, investigate and be in revolt.
Freedom is not to be acquired. You cannot go out and buy freedom in the market. You cannot get it by reading a book. Freedom comes with intelligence.
But what is intelligence? Can there be intelligence when there is fear, or when the mind is conditioned? When your mind is prejudiced, or when you are very ambitious and want to climb the ladder of success… when you are concerned about yourself, when you follow or worship somebody, can there be intelligence? Surely intelligence comes when you understand and break away from all this stupidity.
So you have to set about it; and the first thing is to be aware that your mind is not free. You have to observe how your mind is bound by all these things, and then there is the beginning of intelligence, which brings freedom
You have to find the answer.
Krishnamurti
From the book Life Ahead
DON’T MISS OUT
Get updates on new articles, videos, and online events
Subscribe here
What a great video! No doubt very helpful to reach young minds.
I intend to show it at the Krishnamurti Centre in Canada (KECC), if that’s OK.
Thanks for this new initiative!
This is truly a wonderful video! A deep thanks to all who thought of doing this and to everyone that helped produce it! I hope that all who watch it will be able to tell others about it as well!!
I met K many years ago and had an amazing opportunity to live at one of the schools for a time.
For me, It’s rather hard to put into words, the deep thankfulness I hold for the teachings, the gifts given to see the importance of questioning, and the journey it sent me on from 1980 until now.
Important things like this will continue to help to bring others in to read his books, watch videos and have dialogs. You will be astounded at the deep and vast importance of the teachings!!
What was it like to be in Krishnamurti’s Presence? I am in awe of your sharing, and have felt a pull toward K’s pointing since I first heard of him which is within the last ten years. I especially feel drawn to his teaching regarding education as I homeschool my special needs son yet wish there was a Krishnamurti school on the East coast of the USA. I would move to the Ojai Valley if I could afford it. I feel that strongly about the significance of education, and his influence thus. Thank you for your sharing. Namaste.
Thinking freedom.
Very well done and very important to hear.
Thanks
Good work guys, keep it on. What about mutation of the brain and new consciousness which is not conditioned? Is there such a consciousness? etc.
This is great! And what’s more the captioning is excellent. Thank you — I look forward to more of your videos, etc.
Hello,
My compliments for this initiative!
Could there maybe be a translation in Dutch?
That would be great.
This is a wonderful video. A simple explanation and you yourself, if interested, will start watching your own conditioning and learning, investigating about who you are and maybe to be able to go beyond.
Excellent – ties in very well with the, what I’d describe as an anthropology video, THE LOTTERY OF BIRTH (trailer on youtube)
I used to write a newsletter column on Transformation and have about a 3,O00 book library and about 10,000 sq ft of space in
SW Wisc – If I had some help – would be glad to start a related, low-cost Summer Camp there. See MYSTERIES OF THE DRIFTLESS ZONE on youtube for an area description – very beautiful area along the Mississippi River Bluffs. My backgrounds are Creativity & Future Studies, Psych, Anthropology, Anthro of Play and Multisensory Anthro, Historic restorations and Dance, etc
Such a pleasure. So well done. This is a gift to us all. Many many thanks!
We cannot truly observe freedom if the mind has already been persuaded (as in the video) to judge its opposite implications: “We are controlled.” “Be in revolt.” “Belief is stupid.” –etc. Opposites are extensions of the same reality and must be viewed holistically for true understanding to emerge. Krishnamurti’s emphasis (I’ve studied his works for three decades) is on first acknowledging an unfiltered actuality of what is. That means transcending judgment, which allows reality to come through. It is then up to the observer to realize for himself/herself the folly of what had been. I do feel, as always, that the intent of what you are doing is very praiseworthy.
Yes I have to agree.You could not have made your point clearer. Instead of proceeding from judgment and continuing to build from there, commence with your process of thought without qualification. Noticing is sufficient .The mind wants to measure, compare and qualify, but only noticing without qualification allows the mind chatter to die down and freedom to take its place.Not freedom of responsibility, but freedom of attachment to things and outcomes.
Excellent, I hope the world is watching (themselves) and is ready. Very much needed.
Straight and to the point with the urgency and love only he could communicate from the outside looking in.
Very good!
One must die to every moment to be free.
Short, clear, and intense message in the urgency to get rid of that always growing social pressure. Very good and unfortunately… desperately pertinent.
See the immeasurable depth of the insight!
Wishing you all success in your earnest endeavor. Thanks!
Hope I would experience real Freedom!
Sincere Thanks!
Hope I would experience real Freedom!
Wishing you all success
Sincere Thanks!
Felicitaciones. Esta iniciativa es la “correcta difusión de la enseñanza, sin distorsiones ni interpretaciones.
Fundación Krishnamurti Hispanoamericana. Argentina
Great. All facts. Yes, we are programmed. All are values what we pursue are projected by thought. So thought is chasing what it created! And we never know that & we live in a make believe world…….just think of that, that all are values are unreal, not facts!!…..Great work. Keep it up.
I think freedom is not to do what pleasure-us, but to do what we have got to.I mean it is frut of self knowledge.
Thank you .
No me puedo creer lo que veo. Estos videos, de los cuales, según mi modesta opinión, K se desvincularía automáticamente antes de los 5 s. de visionado, si pudiera, ( ahora tienen la palabra las Fundaciones K ), están dejando pasmados a la mayoría de los “videntes”, según se puede comprobar por sus comentarios. Estamos todos bien ciegos ( esto si es una realidad ) y ahora con imágenes dulzonas y voces distorsionadas y suplantadoras,¿ vamos a entender lo que no entendimos por boca de K ? . Recapacitemos todos, por favor.
so interesting, thank you
This is a remarkable video. Very informative and educative piece! Thank you very much for sharing!
This is great! Thanks for providing the transcript as it was challenging at times when reading the captions. So please do provide a transcript every time you put out a video. Thanks — and keep up the great work.