J. Krishnamurti⁠

What does it mean to be sensitive? 

To be cognizant of colour and form, of what people say and of your response to it; to be considerate, to have good taste, good manners; not to be rough, not to hurt people either physically or inwardly and be unaware of it; to see a beautiful thing and linger with it; to listen tentatively without being bored to everything that is said, so that the mind becomes acute, sharp,

All this is sensitivity, is it not? So is there much difference between sensitivity and awareness? 

I don't think so.⁠

You see, as long as your mind is condemning, judging, forming opinions, concluding, it is neither aware nor sensitive. 

When you are rude to people, when you pick flowers and throw them away, when you ill-treat animals, when you scratch your name on the furniture or break the leg of a chair, when you are unpunctual to meals and have bad manners in general, it all indicates insensitivity, does it not? It indicates a mind that is not capable of alert adjustment. And surely it is part of education to help the student to be sensitive, so that he will not merely conform or resist, but will be awake to the whole movement of life. 

The people who are sensitive in life may suffer much more than those who are insensitive; but if they understand and go beyond their suffering they will discover extraordinary things.⁠

J. Krishnamurti⁠
Chapter 23⁠

Be gentle and conscious

Can you see the deer hidden here?

This morning two young deer were romping in the big green field outside my window. Yesterday too. I have binoculars so I can watch them close up and see their eyes, as if they are right in front of me. 

I worry about them, when they leave the field and go close to the road. They seem to want to cross it, over to the cemetery and the stream beyond. They go close to the road and wait and watch. Suddenly they turn and run — moments later, each time, a vehicle comes speeding by. And I am relieved that they seem to have the intelligence to watch carefully and run away, at least, so far.

Yes, we must always be so careful, for the life of the deer, as well as our own safety, as we drive.

Life is so fragile, isn’t it? 

This morning I dropped a glass I was putting into the cupboard and it fell onto my favorite old Swedish teapot and snapped off the handle. 

Life is fragile. We must be gentle and careful as we make our way through it. 

AWAKENING

 

AWAKENING

I shall lie my body down

Upon the soft warm earth

Now while I am alive

I shall give my spirit birth

Now before I die

I shall fold the sky

Over my head

And let the stars

Enter my eyes

Now while my blood is still red

I shall not wait for my last breath

Before I lay me down to sleep

Forever, to die, to cry, to lie

Beneath the deep 

Deep firmament

I shall kiss the earth and repent

In whispers to her alone

I shall sacredly atone

Hail Mary full of Grace

Let me see thy holy face

Now we see through a glass darkly

But then we shall see

Even as we are seen

Tear away the holy veil

Let me sip from the holy grail

Spread a table before mine eyes

Of frankincense, gold, and myrrh

I shall anoint the child I AM with light

And give her second sight

Wrap her in swaddling clothes

And lay her in a manger

There I shall kneel and honor her

For she is me and I am her

There I shall surrender

Both past and future

At the moment of my birth

At the hour of my death

My body shall desert me

And my spirit shall fly free.

Remember...

 

Serving God

 

Dearest, By now it should be apparent to you that you do your spiritual work for your own enlightenment. When you work for your spiritual enlightenment, you work for the enlightenment of all beings. You serve earth herself. You serve God whom angels love and serve.

TURN WITHIN

The entire state of the world is in turmoil and confusion. Even while feeling compassion, doing what we can  — we must learn to detach  — to know that we are “in the world and not of the world.”

We can let the world situation drive us crazy, drive us to despair — or drive us within, away from the desires and woes this world presents. The world is so big and there is so little we can do — and still, we must “do.” 

We must not let the world drive us into despair and panic and depression, which is what it wants to do — the “world” being defined as the mass unconsciousness of egos. Egos run the world. 

There is deep sadness when we first see this — and this sadness can be transformed — when we let go of what we cannot control — when we cease to identify with the madness of an insane world — when we allow ourselves to seek shelter, seek calm, seek peace Within. 

We learn that Heaven really is within, in this present moment, and that nothing outside — nothing — need change for us to be in this Heaven. Heaven is always present — we need only turn our vision within and let it Guide us away from the insanity of the world, which is ruled by dark forces, to the Peace Within. 

Earth is a living sentient Being. In Nature we can find healing. Go to Nature. If you live mostly in the confines of a city, buy a plant. Nurture and care for it. The plant will bring nature spirits into your home. It is part of nature, of earth. Love a plant, a tree, a flower, and it will love you in return.

When you can, plant a tree somewhere on earth. 

Keep your feet on the ground. When you are lost in fantasy, lost in thought, lost in confusion, stamp those feet on the ground and bring yourself back into your body, here, now, alive with breath and bones and flesh and light.