"If youâve ever looked at a flower, what takes place? First, you name the flower. You say it belongs to a certain species. Then you say, 'I like it,' or 'I donât like it,' 'How beautiful,' 'I wish I had it,' and so on. Thought and past knowledge interferes with seeing. What you are seeing is not the flower but the conclusionsâthe likes and dislikes which you have. Can you look at the flower without the observer? That means to look without the knowledge, the pleasure, the naming, and so on. Then when you look you will see that there is no observer who is looking; then you are directly in communion with that flower." J. Krishnamurti
A daisy. A lily. An azalea... What happens when you look at a flower? Are you recalling its name, or how you might like roses better? Do you think of how the petals are different from the stems, or even how sentimental daffodils are to you? And when you look at a flower... who is doing the looking? Is it possible to look at a flowerâor anything or anyoneâwithout the past, without accumulated knowledge, and without conclusion? Perhaps it's easy to do with a flower, but what about with one's neighbors, with society, or the thoughts in one's mind? What could happen if there were looking and listening without the observer? Would you be willing to find out? Share your thoughts and comments.
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