2. CONFLICT

Continuing on the summarizing through excerpts from “Talks and Dialogues” JD Krishnamurti.

We are always in conflict. With our most intimate ones, with our neighbours, with the society. There seems to be a deep rooted conflict within us, which expresses in the form of antagonism, hate, desire to dominate, possess, guide another’s life. We have found ways to trim off some branches of this conflict, but is it possible that there is no conflict within us, so that there is no conflict outside too?

There are several organizations which try to bring peace to mankind. Communists, materialists, socialists, religion, etc. They believe that bringing about order outside, through rules, regulations, sanctions etc, there can be freedom from aggression and hence from conflict. But does it work?

There are also people who say that bringing order inside – though believing in some idealogy or principle and living according to those inward established laws will lead to removal of conflict.

But can conflict be resolved through conformity? Whether we do it willingly or forced. We seemed to have tried everything – obedience, revolt, conformity and everything in order to live in peace. But it doesn’t seem to work. Would it not be worthwhile to find out if man can live in peace inwardly, without any form of compulsion, suppression etc. A state of tranquillity which knows no disturbance at any moment. Is this possible?

On a different note :- We all think that inward order can only come about through time, that tranquillity can be built little by little everyday. But time does not bring about inward peace. We have had centuries on this earth but still the peaceful mind is elusive. It is very important to put a stop to time, so as not to think in terms of gradualness. It means there is no tomorrow for you to be peaceful. You have to do it right now, this moment, no other moment.

Why do we have this inner conflict? Why do we have to live with it everyday? It leads to the nature of desire. Desire is a contradiction – It basically means we want something which we do not have. If we observe desire without condemning or justifying it, we can see that desire is the cause of all contradiction in us – we want pleasure and we want to avoid pain.

We want this, must avoid that, want pleasure, achievements, pleasure of dominating etc. When we do not get these, there is the pain of not achieving – which is a contradiction. This contradiction cannot end if we do not understand desire. There are many who are interested in understanding desire. Mostly religious people. They have understood that desire is the root of issues, so they say desire must be suppressed, destroyed, controlled. Did it work? Suppression, distortion and conformity did not lead to the truth.

Why shouldn’t there be desire? What is wrong with it? We see a beautiful cloud, a beautiful house or face and we have an immense pleasure looking at it. What is wrong with it? The process of desire is simple. It starts with seeing, contact, then there is sensation and then thought interferes with it, and desire arises. We see a beautiful light on the cloud, and it would be absurd not to enjoy it. But thought dwells upon it and makes it into a pleasurable memory, and it wants that pleasure to be repeated.

Thought interferes with sensation and makes it into memory, and the desire for the pleasure of that memory is given continuity and sustained by thought, nourished by thought.

So lets look at it this way. I am dull and stupid. The response to that would be that I want to be more clever, intelligent and brighter. I am something and I want the opposite – hence there is a contradiction already – a conflict which wastes energy. But could I live with that stupidity, that dullness, without wanting the opposite, without the contradiction? Then it would not be dull at all. It doesn’t mean that I am satisfied with myself. Can I just look at my dullness without introducing any factor? Can I look at the beautiful house, pretty bird or tree without any contradiction? Desire, which is created by thought, is all about bringing this division, this contradiction.

So to have inward peace and a mind not at conflict at any time, we have to understand the whole nature of thought and desire, and that understanding can only come when thought doesn’t breed further conflict.

On a different note :- We never ask ourselves why we dream. So our mind is never at rest, whether awake or asleep. If we are able to rest our minds, without any dreams or conflicts or problems, then the mind can renew itself, become fresh, young and innocent. Anyways, why do we dream? It is because during the day our mind is occupied with so many things – work, children, entertainment, duties, trees, rivers etc. There is no hint of the unconscious. When the surface mind is very occupied, the unconscious underneath has no relationship with it.  So when you sleep and the surface mind is somewhat quite, thats when the deeper layers intimate their own demands, their own conflicts and agonies. But it is a waste of energy – this whole process. IF we are AWAKE during the day, watching every thought, every feeling, every movement of the mind, our emotions, our insecurities, watching our reactions when flattered or insulted or neglected, watching the trees, water and everything around, outside and inside, then the whole of the consciousness – inner and outer is opened up. IF we do this, watch our mind in operation, our feelings, our heart, our reactions, if we see ourselves and our relationships with outside world and inward too, then the mind becomes extraordinary – always renewing itself, because there is no conflict at it, it is always fresh. Such a mind is by nature, very quite, tranquil, silent. It is only such a life that can see the beauty of life and is beyond time.