Truth and its basis

One should have a good look, not only what is going on outside in the world, but also more rigorously... look at ourselves.
Truth and its basis

BENGALURU: One should have a good look, not only what is going on outside in the world, but also more rigorously... look at ourselves. To look clearly without any distortion, there must be a quality of perception, a quality of mind that sees, not resisting, not prejudiced, not caught in any particular formula, but merely observe. And in perceiving what is actually, not theoretically, we shall come upon what is true, what is truth, and not speculative ideas about truth; not what others say what truth is, nor accept or reject but see for ourselves very clearly what it is, what is truth. 

Therefore, it is very important to understand the word ‘perception’, the seeing, because we are going to go into the very complex problem of living, not only outwardly but also inwardly, and one must be very capable of looking exactly what is going on. To perceive ‘what is’, is the basis of truth, and you cannot possibly perceive or see if you are bigoted, narrow, frightened, or belonging to any particular sect or group or community.

So what we are going to do is observe together, find out together, not only how to bring about a radical revolution in ourselves and therefore in society, but also find out for ourselves a way of living in which there will be no conflict whatsoever. And to understand all this, to understand our sorrows, our confusion, our great many contradictory ways of thought and activities, we have to look, we have to see exactly what is going on. Not interpret it, not try to translate it, not try to escape from it, nor translate it according to our particular likes and dislikes, but to observe. And that’s where it is going to be difficult, to see exactly what is going on. Though the speaker will naturally describe, explain, the explanation and the description is not the described nor the explained. Words are not the thing. 

The word ‘tree’ is not the tree, so we have to look beyond the word. But we must use words in order to communicate, in order to convey. And communication implies — doesn’t it? — that we talk over together a common issue, a common problem. In talking it over, share the problem, understand the problem and find out together if the problem can be resolved. So communication implies sharing together: sharing together all our problems and understanding them together. So there is no authority involved in this at all. When you share something, partake, there is a feeling of not only affection, care, but responsibility; the responsibility of yours that you actually share, not verbally nor intellectually but actually, deeply partake in the resolution of our problems. And that’s what communication means — the word itself means that — that both of us are sharing together our problems, understanding them, going into them, and in the very process of understanding, resolve them. 

That’s what the word ‘communication’ means — that you don’t merely sit there and listen to the speaker, hear a few words or ideas or come to some conclusion, agreeing or disagreeing. What we are going to talk about during these four meetings here there is no question of agreement or disagreement. We are, both of us going to observe, understand together the immense problem of living, of existence, which is, understand together your life, your problems, the complex relationship between man and man. Because without laying the right foundation in relationship, in our daily relationship with other human beings, without having a right basis, you cannot possibly go beyond. As a man who is really serious, he must inevitably lay the foundation of understanding of relationship between man and man, not based on an idea or a conclusion or the authority of the scriptures or your gurus. But what you yourself understand the meaning and the significance of relationship.

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