Can Humanity Change?

QUESTIONER: After having listened eagerly to you for so many years, we find ourselves exactly where we were. Is this all we can expect?
KRISHNAMURTI: The difficulty in this problem is that we want a result to convince ourselves that we have progressed, that we have been transformed. We want to know that we have arrived. And someone who has arrived, someone who has listened and got a result, has obviously not listened at all. This is not a clever answer. The questioner says he has listened for many years. Now, has he listened with complete attention, or has he listened in order to arrive somewhere and be conscious of his arrival? It is like the person who practices humility. Can humility be practiced? Surely, to be conscious that you are humble is not to be humble. You want to know that you have arrived. This indicates, does it not, that you are listening in order to achieve a particular state, a place where you will never be disturbed, where you will find everlasting happiness, permanent bliss.
But as I have said before, there is no arriving—there is only the movement of learning and that is the beauty of life. If you have arrived, there is nothing more. And all of you have arrived, or you want to arrive, not only in your business, but also in everything you do; so you are dissatisfied, frustrated, and miserable. There is no place at which to arrive: there is just this movement of learning which becomes painful only when there is accumulation. A mind that listens with complete attention will never look for a result because it is constantly unfolding; like a river, it is always in movement. Such a mind is totally unconscious of its own activity, in the sense that there is no perpetuation of a self—of a "me" that is seeking to achieve an end.
J. Krishnamurti
Excerpt from Can Humanity Change?

The excerpt above is a dialogue that raises profound questions regarding one’s approach to progress and transformation. The questioner's inquiry reflects a sentiment many of us have encountered: after investing time and energy into changing ourselves, why do we still feel stuck in the same place? Krishnamurti's response unveils a significant challenge we often face—the desire for concrete outcomes as proof of our advancement. We yearn for visible results to validate our growth, often seeking an arrival point where we can claim to have evolved. He seems to imply that fundamental transformation doesn't manifest as a clearly demarcated destination. Instead, it occurs in the continuous process of learning and unfolding. Like a river in constant motion, our minds can remain open to the flow of intelligence. The learning mind pays no heed to outcomes, for its essence lies in perpetual evolution.
Krishnamurti describes psychological death as the falling away of the limited me-centered consciousness and suggests that rebirth is an unburdening of the mind in the timeless present beyond conflict, fear, and the frustrations of endless seeking. This October, spend eight days in a unique intensive retreat, Death and Rebirth Beyond Time, and explore Krishnamurti’s insights. Join facilitators Debra and Richard for this unique and inspiring in-depth exploration to free the mind of a million years of psychological conditioning, to see if it is possible for a rebirth of the mind, and to meet the mystery and beauty of being alive, here and now, as if for the first time.
In November, we have another in-person retreat titled Yoga + Inquiry: On Compassion. In this weekend retreat, participants will explore the place of compassion in our lives through contact with Krishnamurti’s teachings and dialogue. Participants will also have regularly scheduled yoga and breathwork practices. The purpose of this practice is to create an opportunity for achieving a more profound state of relaxation and integration of compassionate inquiry, moving beyond the intellectual aspect. This weekend is intended as a space for exploring compassion in our own lives, relationships, and mind.
Finally, the beta version of our new Krishnamurti Portal is now live. This website is a new way to explore the work of Krishnamurti. Verified transcripts from talks and discussions were processed through AI software, generating thousands of unique excerpts based on themes and keywords. It provides an alternative method for exploring the teachings and accessing the source material, allowing users to understand the complete context from which the excerpt was taken. Source material features video and audio recordings when available. As the website is currently in beta, we kindly request that users provide us with feedback regarding any potential improvements that can be made.
Sincerely,

Jaap Sluijter
Executive Director