今天早上我们要讨论世界明星社的解散。有些人会很高兴,有些人会很悲伤。但这问题既不必高兴也不必悲伤,因为这是无可避免的;原因我后面会解释。
各位或许还记得一个故事,那就是:
有一天魔鬼和他朋友走在街上,看到一个人在挖地,然后捡起一样东西,看一看,放到口袋里。
朋友问魔鬼说:“他在捡什么?”
魔鬼说:“他捡了一片真理,”
朋友又说:“那对你可不是好事。”
魔鬼回答说:“噢,一点都不。我要让他去组织真理。”
我认为真理是无路可循的。不管你走哪一条路,籍助什么宗教,什么宗派,都不可能接近真理。这是我的观点,我绝对无条件坚持。
真理是不受限的,没有条件的,走任何一条路都趋近不了,所以也是无可组织的。所以我们也不应该建立组织,来带领人或强迫人走哪一条路。如果你已经了解这一点,你就知道组织信仰是多么不可能。信仰纯粹是个人的事情,无法组织,也不可以组织。否则它就是死的,就僵化了;于是就变成教条,变成宗派,变成宗教,然后再加给别人。全世界每一个人都想这样做。那些懦弱的人,只是一时不满的人,把真理集中起来当玩物玩。但是真理却是抓不来的,反而是个人必须努力爬升才可能企及。你无法把山峰搬到山谷,要爬上山峰,你必须经过山谷,不害怕危险的悬崖,从陡坡爬上去才有可能。你必须向真理爬上去,而不是真理为你“走下来”,为你而组织。
人对于观念的兴趣,主要是组织在激发。可是组织只是从外在激发这种兴趣,这种兴趣并非出于热爱真理本身的缘故,而是由组织激发的,因此毫无价值。组织变成了会员轻易就能够适应的架构。组织中人不再努力追求真理,不再努力爬山,却取巧地挖掘壁龛,把自己放进去或者让组织把自己放进去,然后认为组织自此会把他们带向真理。因此,就我的观点,这就是明星社必须解散的第一个理由。
尽管各位或许愿意另行成立社团,继续隶属于什么追求真理的组织。但我自己已经不想再隶属于任何精神类型的组织。请各位务必了解这一点。能够让我到达——譬如说——伦敦的组织(交通工具),我愿意运用。这种组织完全不同,它是纯机械的,譬如邮政,电报就是。我愿意利用汽车,轮船旅行。这种东西是物理机器,和灵性完全没有关系。所以,我认为没有哪一种组织有办法引导人走向灵性。一个组织若是为这个目的而成立,就会使人依赖,软弱,束缚人,使个人残废,使他无法成长,创造自己的独特。但人之所以独特,却全在于自己发现那绝对的,毫无条件的真理。这是我——正好身为社里的首席——之所以决定解散明星社的第二个理由。
这完全是我自己决定的,不是谁说服我的。这没什么大不了,只因为我不要有信徒而已。我是认真的,你信从了一个人,从那一刻起你就不再信从真理。你们是否注意我的话,我并不关心。我要在这世上做一件明确的事,而且我要全力以赴,毫不动摇。我只关心一件根本的事,那就是使人自由,我想使人挣脱一切牢笼,一切恐惧,不再创立宗教,新宗派,也不再创立新理论,新哲学。那么各位自然就要说,既然这样,我为什么还要世界各地到处跑,继续发言呢?我要告诉各位为什么:不是因为我想要有信徒,不是因为我想要特别拥有一群门徒。人总是爱与众不同,但其实他和别人的差异多么猥碎、荒唐、可笑!我绝对不鼓励这种荒唐。我没有门徒,没有使徒——不管在俗世,还是在精神领域都没有。我也不是为了金钱,为了想过舒服的生活。舒服的生活确实吸引我。但是如果我真的想过舒服的生活,我就不会到营地来,就不会住在这潮湿的国家!我讲得很率直,因为我想一劳永逸。我不想年复一年讨论这种幼稚的事情。
一位新闻记者访问我,认为我把一个有几千名会员的团体解散非常了不得了。对他而言,这是一次伟大的行动,因为他说:“你以后要做什么?要怎么谋生?你以后不会再有人追随,有人听你讲话。”但是即使只有五个人愿意听、愿意活、愿意展望永恒,那就够了。拥有几千个信徒,可是这几千名信徒却不了解,心里充满成见,不想要新气象,只会把新气象扭曲成适合他们那硗薄的、沉滞的自我,那这几千名信徒有何用?
这话如果说得强悍,请各位不要误解。这不是没有慈悲心。你去看医生,要求他替你动手术。他替你动手术虽然让你很痛,但他岂不慈悲?同理,如果我直言无讳,那并不是因为我没有情感。刚好相反。我说过我只有一个目的,那就是使人自由,促使人走向自由,帮助人挣脱一切束缚。只有这样才能给人永恒的幸福,使人无条件地实现自我。因为我是自由的、无条件的、完整的。
因为我是自由的,无条件的,完整的——不是部分,不是相对,而是永恒的完整真理——所以我希望那些努力了解我的人自由;不要追随我,不要把我变成宗教,宗派,进而变成他人的牢笼。我们应该免于一切恐惧,免于宗教的恐惧,免于救赎的恐惧,免于灵性的恐惧,免于爱的恐惧,免于死亡的恐惧,免于生命本身的恐惧。艺术家画画是因为他画画很快乐,因为那是他的自我表现、他的荣耀、他的幸福。我做这些事也是因为如此,不是因为我想从什么人身上得到什么东西。各位已经习惯权威,习惯权威的氛围。各位认为权威会带领你们获得灵性。你们认为,也希望有一个人,以他非凡的力量——一种奇迹——把你送到这个永远自由的境地,至福的境地。你们根据这个权威来眺望你们生命的未来。
各位听我讲话已经三年,可是除了少数人,都没什么改变。今天我们来分析一下我的话——要严格,这样各位才能彻底地、根本地了解。只要你想仰仗权威带领你达到灵性,你很自然地就要顺着这个权威建立组织,但是正因为建立这个组织,你们也被关进了牢笼;但你们却认为这个权威会带领你们达到灵性。容我坦率以道,请各位记住,我这样做不是出于严苛,不是出于残酷,不是出于对目的的热衷,而是因为我希望各位了解我的话。各位到这里来就是为了这个。如果我不清楚地,明确地说明我的观点,我们就是在浪费时间。
十八年来各位一直在为这件事作准备,为了“世界导师”的降临。十八年来你们组织起来,要找一个人给你们的思想和心灵新的快乐,改变你们的一生,给各位新的了解,把你们提升到新的生命境界,给你们勇气,使你们自由——可是看看现在事情到底怎么样了!思考,并且自己去理解,发现这种信仰让你有什么不同——不是佩带了徽章的不同;这种不同太表面,琐碎,荒唐。这种信仰怎样扫除了生命中所有莫须有的东西?这是唯一判断的标准:各位是不是变得比较自由,比较伟大,比较威胁到每一个建立在虚伪与莫须有事物上的社会?明星社的人有没有变得怎样的不同?我说过,各位已经为我准备了十八年。我不在乎各位是否相信我是世界导师。这不重要,各位既然是明星社的人,所以必然也奉献了各位的赞同、力量,承认克里希那穆提完全或部分是世界导师——对那些真正在追寻的人是完全,对满意自己那半个真理的人是部分。你们已经准备了十八年,结果看你们的理解有多少问题,多少纠结,多少琐碎之事。你们的成见、你们的恐惧、你们的权威、你们的新与旧的教会——这一切,我认为都是理解的障碍。我这样说已经再清楚不过了。我不想要各位光是同意我的话,不想要各位追随我。我要的是各位了解我的话。这种了解是必要的,因为你们的信仰并没有改变你们,反而使你们更复杂;而且你们又不愿意面对事情的真相。你们想要有自己的神——新神取代原有的神,新宗教取代原有的宗教,新形式取代原有的形式——可是都一样毫无价值,一样是障碍,一样是束缚,一样是依赖。去掉原有的精神优越,你换了新的崇拜对象。你们的灵性,你们的幸福,你们的觉悟都依赖于别人。
你们虽然已准备了十八年,当我说这一切都没有必要,我说你们必须把这一切摆开,向自己内在寻求觉悟,寻求荣耀,寻求净化,寻求自己的不迷失的时侯,你们却没有一个人愿意做,也许有几个愿意,可是很少,很少。所以,我们为什么还要这个组织?为什么要让虚假的,伪善的人追随我这个真理的化身?请记住,我不是在说什么苛刻不仁的话。我们只碰到一个状况,各位非得面对事情的真相不可。我去年就说我不会妥协。那时候没有几个人相信我。今年我绝对说得很清楚。我不知道十八年来,全世界有多少人——明星社的人——在为我准备,但是现在他们却不肯无条件地,完整地听我的话。
所以,我们为什么还要这个组织?我以前说过,我的目标是使人无条件地自由;因为我认为,唯一的灵性自我的不变质——也就是永恒——在于理性与爱相融合。这是绝对的,无条件的真理;这个真理就是生命。所以,我想使人自由,像晴空中的小鸟一样欢欣,在那自由中轻松,独立,欢喜。而我——你们已经为他准备了十八年的我——现在说,你们必须挣脱这一切,挣脱纠结,纷乱。你们要挣脱这一切,不需依据精神信仰建立什么组织。全世界如果有五个人,十个人了解,努力,早就把琐碎的事情丢开,那为什么还要为这五个人,十个人弄一个组织?懦弱的人,什么组织都没有办法帮他找到真理,因为真理在每一个人心里,不远不近,永远在那里。组织没办法使你自由。外在的他人没办法使你自由,组织化的崇拜,为一种主义牺牲奉献,研读经典都无法使你自由。你用打字机写信,但是你不会把打字机供在桌子上膜拜。然而你们现在就是这样,你们关心的是组织。所有的新闻记者访问我,第一个问题就是:“你们社里有多少人?”“你有多少信徒?从数字我就可判断你说的话是真是假?”我不知道社里有多少人,我不关心这件事。我说过只要有人自由了,那么既使只是一个人,那就够了。你们一定有那种观念,认为自由王国的钥匙掌握在某些人手上,其实没有人有这一把钥匙。没有人有什么权威掌握这一把钥匙。你的自我就是钥匙。只要发展这个自我,净化这个自我,使他不变质——这就是永恒的王国。因此各位将会看到,你们建立的整个组织多么荒唐——寻求永远的协助,依赖他人寻求自在,幸福,力量。但这一切只有在自己里面才找得到。
你们已经习惯由别人告诉你们有多大的进步和自己的精神状况。真是幼稚,除了你自己,还有谁能告诉你,你内在是丑陋是美丽?除了你自己,还有谁能告诉你,你是否已经迷失?可是你们对这种事情不认真。
但是也有一些人,真正想了解,真正渴望找到无始无终的永恒。这样的人,以后会更加紧密地走在一起。这样的人,将威胁到一切莫须有的,虚假的事物,阴暗的事物。他们会集中起来,变成火焰,因为他们了解。我们必须创造这样的人。这就是我的目的。由于真正地了解,所以有真实的情谊。由于有真实的情谊 ——你们似乎不懂这种东西——每一个人才会真正地合作。这种合作不是出于权威,不是出于救赎,不是为了奉献于某一个主义,而是因为你们真正了解,并因而活在永恒之中。这件事比一切快乐、一切牺牲都伟大。
以上是我决定解散明星社的原因。我仔细考虑了两年,才做了这个决定,不是一时的冲动,也不是有谁说服我。这种事没有谁可以说服我。因为我正好是社里的首席,两年来我一直在考虑这件事。慢慢地,仔细地,耐心地思考。现在我决定解散明星社。各位可以自行组织其它团体,期待他人。我不关心这件事,也不想制造新的牢笼,不想替这些牢笼制造新的装饰品。我只关心使人类绝对地,无条件地自由。
《克里希那穆提传》中的片段:
1929年8月3日,在贝赞特夫人和三千名会员的面前,克里希那穆提斩钉截铁地宣布解除世界明星社。他当时对会员的演说,几乎是他弟弟死后觉醒的般若智慧的总结,也代表了他终身不移的立场:
“我主张真理是无路可循的。你不能透过任何宗教或法门而达到它。我绝对坚持这个观点。既然真理是无限的,没有任何束缚而又无路可循,当然也就不需要人为组织了。没有任何组织有权利强迫人们专走特定的一条路。如果你了解了这点,你就会发现信仰根本无法组织化。信仰纯属个人之事,你不能也不应该使它组织化,如果你这么做,真理就变成了僵死的教条,同时也变成那些懦弱的人和暂时无法得到满足的人的玩物。真理无法屈就于人,人必须通过努力来亲近它。高山无法自动移到你的脚前,你必须不畏艰险地穿过山谷,攀过悬崖峭壁,才能到达山顶。我不愿意属于任何宗教组织,请你们务必谅解这点。再一次地,我坚持主张没有任何宗教组织能引领人们见到真理,如果为了这个目的而成立人为组织,必定造成人们的依赖、软弱和束缚,既阻碍他们的成长,也使他们残缺不全。个人的特色一被抹杀,便无法见到那无限的真理了,这就是为什么我身为社长却又解散它的原因。我这么做完全是自动自发的,没有受到任何人的影响。
“世界导师重现这件事没什么了不得,所以我不需要任何追随者。一旦追随某个人,你就不再追随真理。我不管你们有没有听懂我的话,我既然要在世上完成一件事,就要毫不动摇地贯彻到底。我真正关心的只有一件事,那就是如何使人类得到解脱。我要把他们从所有的牢笼和恐惧之中解放出来,因此不再建立任何新的宗教、教会、理论或新的哲学。你们可能会问我,既然如此为什么还要在世界巡回演说,让我告诉你为什么:因为我不想要任何追随者,任何与众不同的门徒。人类是多么喜爱与众不同啊!他们竭尽所能标新立异,我绝不鼓励这种可笑的行为,无论在天上或地上我都没有门徒。
“有一位新闻记者访问我的时候对我说,他认为能把一个拥有数千名会员的组织解散,是一个了不得的举动,他说,‘解散以后你要怎么办,怎么谋生?那时将不再有人听你演讲,或追随你了。’我告诉他,只要这个世界上有五个人听进去我的话,而且彻底照着我的话去生活,也就绰绰有余了。
“如同我曾经说过的,我只有一个目的,那就是使人类都能得到解脱,帮助他们挣脱所有的局限,只有这样他们才能得到永恒的快乐,证悟自性。
“因为我已经脱离束缚,完整地获得自由,因此我希望那些想了解我的人也能获得自由,而不是追随我,把我关在笼子里,变成一个新的教主。他们应该解脱所有的恐惧,包括宗教的恐惧、赎罪的恐惧、得不到爱的恐惧、死亡的恐惧以及存在的恐惧。画家画画是因为他喜欢做这件事,在这件事中他表达了自己的荣耀与幸福,我做这件事也是如此,并不是因为我想从别人身上获取什么。
“你们已经习惯于听从权威的话,你们以为依赖某个权威,就能得到心灵的解脱,你们希望靠另外一个人的神力帮你们得到永恒的快乐,因此你们所有的人生观都奠基在这个权威的身上。
“你们听我演说已经有三年,除了极少数的人之外,都没有什么改变。你们现在听我说话,不要只是一味接纳,必须分析清楚之后,才能完全了解我的意思。你们一旦臣服于某个权威,一定想在这个权威之上建立一个组织,于是就落在牢笼中了。
“你们所有的人都想依赖别人获得快乐,获得最终的解脱。你们已经等了我十八年,我现在终于有机会告诉你们必须把权威放在一边,向你们的内心观照,才能获得证悟、光荣和纯净,你们却没有任何一个人愿意听我的话。也许极少数一两个人听进去了。
“因此,我们为什么要成立宗教组织?
“为什么要让那些伪善的人追随我这个权威的假象?这句话没有任何恶意,只因为我们已经到达一个必须面对事实的瓶颈。去年我曾经说过我绝不妥协,当时很少有人听进去我的话。而今年我已经把话说得非常清楚了。世界明星社在这个世界上拥有无数的成员,他们准备听我的教诲已经有十八年了,而他们现在却丝毫不愿意听我的话。
“因此,为什么要成立宗教组织?
“我已经说过,我的目的就是要帮助人类获得彻底的解脱。只有当人们获得理性与爱之间的和谐,才能获得不朽的永恒。绝对真理就是生命本身,我要每一个人都像晴空中的飞鸟一样快乐,无拘无束,独立自主,充满着自由的至乐。你们已经等了我十八年,我现在告诉你们,你们必须从纠结不清的烦恼中解脱,要做到这点并不需要宗教组织。这个世界上可能只有五个到十个人能真正了解我的话,而且能够把不重要的琐事放下,专心在灵性上精进。至于那些懦弱的人,没有任何宗教组织能帮他们找到真理,因为真理不近不远,就在每一个人的心中。
“你们要打字的时候,便使用打字机,你们绝不会在这个时候把打字机供在神坛上,但是当你们一心想成立宗教组织时,你们却在这么做。所有的新闻记者问我的第一个问题都是:你有多少追随者?人们都从信徒的多寡来判断这个权威是真是假。我告诉他们我不知道我有多少追随者,我也不在乎这一点,即使只有一个人得到解脱,也就足够了。你们总以为只有少数人握有通往至乐境界的钥匙,其实那个钥匙就是你自己。在你净化自己的当下那一刻,你已经身处彼岸了。你将会发现,依赖别人带给你快乐、安慰和力量,是多么荒谬的事。
“因此,为什么要成立宗教组织?
“你们一直习惯让别人来验证你们修得的果位,这真是幼稚极了,你的内心美丑与否,只有你自己知道,除了你之外,怎么可能有别人知道你内心的真相,你们对这类事太不严肃了。
“因此,为什么要成立宗教组织?
“但是那些一心想了解、想探索无始无终永恒的人,就会真的手携手勇猛精进,他们也必定会激励那些生活在幻象中的人。他们将全神贯注燃烧出灿烂的火焰,因为他们已经有了领悟。这样的团体才是我们要创造的,只有在如此深厚的情谊之上,人们才可能互助合作。这种合作之中既没有权威,也没有任何动机,更不是为了赎罪,只因为他们已经领悟。这件事比任何享乐或牺牲都要伟大得多。
“经过两年的深思,我才做出这个决定,这不是暂时的冲动,也不是在别人的影响之下做的。身为社长的我,现在已经决定解散世界明星社,你们有权利成立另外的组织,成立另外的牢笼,或是为牢笼点缀一些装饰品,那都不是我关心的事了。我唯一关心的只有如何彻底使人们得到解脱。”
The Dissolution of the Order of the Star
The Order of the Star in the East was founded in 1911 to proclaim the coming of the World Teacher. Krishnamurti was made Head of the Order. On August 2, 1929, the opening day of the annual Star Camp at Ommen, Holland, Krishnamurti dissolved the Order before 3000 members. Below is the full text of the talk he gave on that occasion.
"We are going to discuss this morning the dissolution of the Order of the Star. Many people will be delighted, and others will be rather sad. It is a question neither for rejoicing nor for sadness, because it is inevitable, as I am going to explain. "You may remember the story of how the devil and a friend of his were walking down the street, when they saw ahead of them a man stoop down and pick up something from the ground, look at it, and put it away in his pocket. The friend said to the devil, "What did that man pick up" "He picked up a piece of Truth," said the devil. "That is a very bad business for you, then," said his friend. "Oh, not at all," the devil replied, "I am going to let him organize it." I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally.
Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. If you first understand that, then you will see how impossible it is to organize a belief. A belief is purely an individual matter, and you cannot and must not organize it. If you do, it becomes dead, crystallized; it becomes a creed, a sect, a religion, to be imposed on others. This is what everyone throughout the world is attempting to do. Truth is narrowed down and made a plaything for those who are weak, for those who are only momentarily discontented. Truth cannot be brought down, rather the individual must make the effort to ascend to it. You cannot bring the mountain-top to the valley. If you would attain to the mountain-top you must pass through the valley, climb the steeps, unafraid of the dangerous precipices.
So that is the first reason, from my point of view, why the Order of the Star should be dissolved. In spite of this, you will probably form other Orders, you will continue to belong to other organizations searching for Truth. I do not want to belong to any organization of a spiritual kind, please understand this. I would make use of an organization which would take me to London, for example; this is quite a different kind of organization, merely mechanical, like the post or the telegraph. I would use a motor car or a steamship to travel, these are only physical mechanisms which have nothing whatever to do with spirituality. Again, I maintain that no organization can lead man to spirituality.
If an organization be created for this purpose, it becomes a crutch, a weakness, a bondage, and must cripple the individual, and prevent him from growing, from establishing his uniqueness, which lies in the discovery for himself of that absolute, unconditioned Truth. So that is another reason why I have decided, as I happen to be the Head of the Order, to dissolve it. No one has persuaded me to this decision. "This is no magnificent deed, because I do not want followers, and I mean this. The moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth.
I am not concerned whether you pay attention to what I say or not. I want to do a certain thing in the world and I am going to do it with unwavering concentration. I am concerning myself with only one essential thing to set man free. I desire to free him from all cages, from all fears, and not to found religions, new sects, nor to establish new theories and new philosophies. Then you will naturally ask me why I go the world over, continually speaking. I will tell you for what reason I do this not because I desire a following, not because I desire a special group of special disciples. (How men love to be different from their fellow-men, however ridiculous, absurd and trivial their distinctions may be! I do not want to encourage that absurdity.) I have no disciples, no apostles, either on earth or in the realm of spirituality.
Nor is it the lure of money, nor the desire to live a comfortable life, which attracts me. If I wanted to lead a comfortable life I would not come to a Camp or live in a damp country! I am speaking frankly because I want this settled once and for all. I do not want these childish discussions year after year.
One newspaper reporter, who interviewed me, considered it a magnificent act to dissolve an organization in which there were thousands and thousands of members. To him it was a great act because, he said "What will you do afterwards, how will you live You will have no following, people will no longer listen to you." If there are only five people who will listen, who will live, who have their faces turned towards eternity, it will be sufficient. Of what use is it to have thousands who do not understand, who are fully embalmed in prejudice, who do not want the new, but would rather translate the new to suit their own sterile, stagnant selves If I speak strongly, please do not misunderstand me, it is not through lack of compassion. If you go to a surgeon for an operation, is it not kindness on his part to operate even if he cause you pain So, in like manner, if I speak straightly, it is not through lack of real affection–on the contrary.
As I have said, I have only one purpose to make man free, to urge him towards freedom, to help him to break away from all limitations, for that alone will give him eternal happiness, will give him the unconditioned realization of the self.
Because I am free, unconditioned, whole–not the part, not the relative, but the whole Truth that is eternal–I desire those, who seek to understand me to be free; not to follow me, not to make out of me a cage which will become a religion, a sect. Rather should they be free from all fears–from the fear of religion, from the fear of salvation, from the fear of spirituality, from the fear of love, from the fear of death, from the fear of life itself. As an artist paints a picture because he takes delight in that painting, because it is his self-expression, his glory, his well-being, so I do this and not because I want anything from anyone. "You are accustomed to authority, or to the atmosphere of authority, which you think will lead you to spirituality. You think and hope that another can, by his extraordinary powers--a miracle– transport you to this realm of eternal freedom which is Happiness. Your whole outlook on life is based on that authority.
You have listened to me for three years now, without any change taking place except in the few. Now analyze what I am saying, be critical, so that you may understand thoroughly, fundamentally. When you look for an authority to lead you to spirituality, you are bound automatically to build an organization around that authority. By the very creation of that organization, which, you think, will help this authority to lead you to spirituality, you are held in a cage.
If I talk frankly, please remember that I do so, not out of harshness, not out of cruelty, not out of the enthusiasm of my purpose, but because I want you to understand what I am saying. That is the reason why you are here, and it would be a waste of time if I did not explain clearly, decisively, my point of view. "For eighteen years you have been preparing for this event, for the Coming of the World Teacher. For eighteen years you have organized, you have looked for someone who would give a new delight to your hearts and minds, who would transform your whole life, who would give you a new understanding; for someone who would raise you to a new plane of life, who would give you a new encouragement, who would set you free–and now look what is happening! Consider, reason with yourselves, and discover in what way that belief has made you different–not with the superficial difference of the wearing of a badge, which is trivial, absurd. In what manner has such a belief swept away all the unessential things of life That is the only way to judge in what way are you freer, greater, more dangerous to every Society which is based on the false and the unessential In what way have the members of this organization of the Star become different "As I said, you have been preparing for eighteen years for me. I do not care if you believe that I am the World–Teacher or not. That is of very little importance. Since you belong to the organization of the Order of the Star, you have given your sympathy, your energy, acknowledging that Krishnamurti is the World–Teacher– partially or wholly wholly for those who are really seeking, only partially for those who are satisfied with their own half-truths.
You have been preparing for eighteen years, and look how many difficulties there are in the way of your understanding, how many complications, how many trivial things. Your prejudices, your fears, your authorities, your churches new and old–all these, I maintain, are a barrier to understanding. I cannot make myself clearer than this. I do not want you to agree with me, I do not want you to follow me, I want you to understand what I am saying. "This understanding is necessary because your belief has not transformed you but only complicated you, and because you are not willing to face things as they are. You want to have your own gods–new gods instead of the old, new religions instead of the old, new forms instead of the old–all equally valueless, all barriers, all limitations, all crutches. Instead of old spiritual distinctions you have new spiritual distinctions, instead of old worships you have new worships. You are all depending for your spirituality on someone else, for your happiness on someone else, for your enlightenment on someone else; and although you have been preparing for me for eighteen years, when I say all these things are unnecessary, when I say that you must put them all away and look within yourselves for the enlightenment, for the glory, for the purification, and for the incorruptibility of the self, not one of you is willing to do it. There may be a few, but very, very few. So why have an organization
Why have false, hypocritical people following me, the embodiment of Truth Please remember that I am not saying something harsh or unkind, but we have reached a situation when you must face things as they are. I said last year that I would not compromise. Very few listened to me then. This year I have made it absolutely clear. I do not know how many thousands throughout the world–members of the Order–have been preparing for me for eighteen years, and yet now they are not willing to listen unconditionally, wholly, to what I say.
As I said before, my purpose is to make men unconditionally free, for I maintain that the only spirituality is the incorruptibility of the self which is eternal, is the harmony between reason and love. This is the absolute, unconditioned Truth which is Life itself. I want therefore to set man free, rejoicing as the bird in the clear sky, unburdened, independent, ecstatic in that freedom . And I, for whom you have been preparing for eighteen years, now say that you must be free of all these things, free from your complications, your entanglements. For this you need not have an organization based on spiritual belief. Why have an organization for five or ten people in the world who understand, who are struggling, who have put aside all trivial things And for the weak people, there can be no organization to help them to find the Truth, because Truth is in everyone; it is not far, it is not near; it is eternally there.
Organizations cannot make you free. No man from outside can make you free; nor can organized worship, nor the immolation of yourselves for a cause, make you free; nor can forming yourselves into an organization, nor throwing yourselves into works, make you free. You use a typewriter to write letters, but you do not put it on an altar and worship it. But that is what you are doing when organizations become your chief concern.
How many members are there in it" That is the first question I am asked by all newspaper reporters. "How many followers have you By their number we shall judge whether what you say is true or false." I do not know how many there are. I am not concerned with that. As I said, if there were even one man who had been set free, that were enough.
Again, you have the idea that only certain people hold the key to the Kingdom of Happiness. No one holds it. No one has the authority to hold that key. That key is your own self, and in the development and the purification and in the incorruptibility of that self alone is the Kingdom of Eternity.
So you will see how absurd is the whole structure that you have built, looking for external help, depending on others for your comfort, for your happiness, for your strength. These can only be found within yourselves.
You are accustomed to being told how far you have advanced, what is your spiritual status. How childish! Who but yourself can tell you if you are beautiful or ugly within Who but yourself can tell you if you are incorruptible You are not serious in these things.
But those who really desire to understand, who are looking to find that which is eternal, without beginning and without an end, will walk together with a greater intensity, will be a danger to everything that is unessential, to unrealities, to shadows. And they will concentrate, they will become the flame, because they understand. Such a body we must create, and that is my purpose. Because of that real understanding there will be true friendship. Because of that true friendship–which you do not seem to know–there will be real cooperation on the part of each one. And this not because of authority, not because of salvation, not because of immolation for a cause, but because you really understand, and hence are capable of living in the eternal. This is a greater thing than all pleasure, than all sacrifice.
So these are some of the reasons why, after careful consideration for two years, I have made this decision. It is not from a momentary impulse. I have not been persuaded to it by anyone. I am not persuaded in such things. For two years I have been thinking about this, slowly, carefully, patiently, and I have now decided to disband the Order, as I happen to be its Head. You can form other organizations and expect someone else. With that I am not concerned, nor with creating new cages, new decorations for those cages. My only concern is to set men absolutely, unconditionally free."