The simplicity of love
J. Krishnamurti/Think on these things/chap 2
Do you know what it means to be sensitive? It means, surely, to have a tender feeling for things:to see an animal suffering and do something about it, to remove a piece of glas from a beach because so many bare feet walk there, to pick up a nail on the road because somebody's car might get a puncture. To be sensitive is to feel for people, for birds, for flowers, for trees - not because they are yours, but just because you are awake to the extraodinary beauty of things. And how is this sensitivity to be brought about?
The moment you are deeply sensitive there is a spontaneous desire not to destroy things, not to hurt people, which means having respect,love.
To love is the most important thing in life.
But what do we mean by love? When you love someone because that person loves you in return, surely tahtis not love. To love is to have that extraordinary feeling of affection without asking anything in return.You may be clever, you may pass all your examinations, get a doctorate and achieve a high position, but if you have not this sensitivity,this feeling of simple love,your heart will be empty and you will be miserable for the rest of your life.
So it is very important for the heart to be filled with this sense of affection, for then you won't destroy, you won't be ruthless, and there won't be wars any more. Then you will be happy human beings; and because you are happy you won't pray, you wont' seek god, for that happiness itself is god.
Now, how is this love to come into being? Surely, lovle must begin with the educator. If he spontaneously removes the piece of glas from the path and does not allow the servant to do all the dirty jobs; if in his conversation, in his work, in his play, when he eats, when he is with you or by himslef, he feels this strange thing an points it out to you often, then you will also know what it is to love.
You may have a clear skin,a nice face,you may wear a lovely shirt or be a great athlete, but without love in your heart you are an ugly human being, ugly beyond measure,and when you love, whether your face is homely or beautiful,it has a radiance. To love is the greatest thing in life; and it is very important to talk about love, to feel it,to nourish it,to treasure it,otherwise it is soon dissipated, for the world is very brutal.
If while you are young you don't feel love,if you dont look with love at people, at animals, at flowers,when you grow up you will find that your life is empty; you will be very lonely, and the dark shadows of fear will follow you always. But the momemt you have in you heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth,the delight,the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed.
Do you know what it means to be sensitive? It means, surely, to have a tender feeling for things:to see an animal suffering and do something about it, to remove a piece of glas from a beach because so many bare feet walk there, to pick up a nail on the road because somebody's car might get a puncture. To be sensitive is to feel for people, for birds, for flowers, for trees - not because they are yours, but just because you are awake to the extraodinary beauty of things. And how is this sensitivity to be brought about?
The moment you are deeply sensitive there is a spontaneous desire not to destroy things, not to hurt people, which means having respect,love.
To love is the most important thing in life.
But what do we mean by love? When you love someone because that person loves you in return, surely tahtis not love. To love is to have that extraordinary feeling of affection without asking anything in return.You may be clever, you may pass all your examinations, get a doctorate and achieve a high position, but if you have not this sensitivity,this feeling of simple love,your heart will be empty and you will be miserable for the rest of your life.
So it is very important for the heart to be filled with this sense of affection, for then you won't destroy, you won't be ruthless, and there won't be wars any more. Then you will be happy human beings; and because you are happy you won't pray, you wont' seek god, for that happiness itself is god.
Now, how is this love to come into being? Surely, lovle must begin with the educator. If he spontaneously removes the piece of glas from the path and does not allow the servant to do all the dirty jobs; if in his conversation, in his work, in his play, when he eats, when he is with you or by himslef, he feels this strange thing an points it out to you often, then you will also know what it is to love.
You may have a clear skin,a nice face,you may wear a lovely shirt or be a great athlete, but without love in your heart you are an ugly human being, ugly beyond measure,and when you love, whether your face is homely or beautiful,it has a radiance. To love is the greatest thing in life; and it is very important to talk about love, to feel it,to nourish it,to treasure it,otherwise it is soon dissipated, for the world is very brutal.
If while you are young you don't feel love,if you dont look with love at people, at animals, at flowers,when you grow up you will find that your life is empty; you will be very lonely, and the dark shadows of fear will follow you always. But the momemt you have in you heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth,the delight,the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed.