Choiceless Awareness

A Selection of Passagesfrom the Teachings of

J. Krishnamurti

KRISHNAMURTI FOUNDATION INDIA

Online version for distribution at jkrishnamurti.org

© 1992 Krishnamurti Foundation o AmericaP.O. Box 1560. Ojai, Caliornia 93024U.S.A.E-mail: www.ka.orgRevised edition 2001Original Editor: Albion W. Patterson All rights reserved. No part o this book may be used or reproduced in anymanner whatsoever without written permission except in the case o brie quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.Published in India, with permission, byKrishnamurti Foundation IndiaVasanta Vihar, 124 Greenways RoadChennai - 600 028.E-mail: publications@kfonline.orgWebsite: http://www.kfonline.orgFirst edition 2007Philosophy / ReligionISBN 81-87326-63-8

IV. Consciousness, Thought,and Time

The Field o Consciousness

What we are going to do this evening, i we may, is to learn about thisparticular thing called consciousness. To learn about consciousness,obviously, you must come to it aresh. You may have read books, youmay have ideas, opinions; what you have read, your opinions, yourknowledge according to somebody—all that is not

what is

, is not theact. To understand a act, opinions are not necessary; on the contrary,they are a hindrance. And to inquire into this consciousness, one mustbe ree, not bound to any particular theory or knowledge.So the rst requirement o a serious human being who wants tolearn is that he must be ree to inquire, that means, not to be araid:to be ree to look, to observe, to criticize; to be intelligently sceptical,and not to accept opinions. We are going to inquire into something thatdemands all your attention, and you cannot attend i you have an opinion,an idea, a ormula, or knowledge o what other people have said. As we said the other day, i you walk in the light o another, that lightwill lead you to darkness—it does not matter who it is that oers thelight. But to walk in the light o one’s own understanding, that can onlycome about when there is attention and silence, and that demands agreat deal o seriousness.