In this constant battle which we call living, we try to set a code of conduct according to the society in which we are brought up, whether it be a Communist society or a so-called free society; we accept a standard of behaviour as part of our tradition as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or whatever we happen to be.
Interpretation
We shape our behavior based on societal norms and traditions, regardless of the society we belong to.
In this quote, Jiddu Krishnamurti emphasizes the idea that human beings navigate life by adhering to a set of behavioral standards dictated by the society in which they are raised. He points out that these standards are influenced by cultural and religious backgrounds, suggesting that our understanding of right and wrong is deeply intertwined with our societal context, whether it be under communism or in a democratic framework.
In practice
During a discussion about cultural influences at a university seminar.
The following of authority is the denial of intelligence. [It] may help us temporarily to cover up our difficulties and problems; but to avoid a problem is only to intensify it, and in the process, self-knowledge and freedom are abandoned.
In seeking comfort, we generally find a quiet corner in life where there is a minimum of conflict, and then we are afraid to step out of that seclusion.
If you listen through the screen of your desires, then you obviously listen to your own voice; you are listening to your own desires.
If you have this extraordinary thing going in your life, then it is everything; then you become the teacher, the disciple, the neighbour, the beauty of the cloud - you are all that, and that is love.
Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life - perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody, that is the beauty of it.
All of us have been trained by education and environment to seek personal gain and security and to fight for ourselves. Though we cover it over with pleasant phrases, we have been educated for various professions within a system which is based on exploitation and acquisitive fear.
Do I believe in God? Yes I do. When you've had a life like mine, you have to.
Not to be born surpasses thought and speech. The second best is to have seen the light and then go back quickly whence we came
One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.
The 25th anniversary of the decision ... is a call to people of good will to reflect. Now is the time for recommitment to the building of a culture of absolute respect for life.
The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all directions.
Each soul is a star and all stars are set in the infinite azure, the eternal sky-the Lord.
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