The Emerging Quality of the New Brain

"The brain is active from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep, and even then the activity of the brain is still going on. That activity in the form of dreams is the same movement of the day carried on during sleep. The brain has never a moment’s rest, never does it say, 'I have finished.' It has carried over the problems which it accumulated during the day into sleep; when you wake up those problems still go on—it is a vicious circle. A brain that is to be quiet must have no dreams at all; when the brain is quiet during sleep there is a totally different quality entering into the mind. How does it happen that the brain which is so tremendously, enthusiastically active, can naturally, easily be quiet without any effort or suppression? I will show it to you.

As we said, during the day it is endlessly active. You wake up, you look out of the window and say to yourself, 'Oh, awful rain,' or 'It is a marvelous day, but too hot'—you have started! So at that moment, when you look out of the window, don’t say a word; not suppressing words but simply realizing that by saying, 'What a lovely morning,' or 'A horrible day,' the brain has started. But if you watch, looking out of the window and not saying a word to yourself—which does not mean you suppress the word—just observing without the activity of the brain rushing in, there you have the clue, there you have the key. When the old brain does not respond, there is a quality of the new brain coming into being. You can observe the mountains, the river, the valleys, the shadows, the lovely trees, and the marvelous clouds full of light beyond the mountains—you can look without a word, without comparing."

J. Krishnamurti
Excerpt from The Impossible Question
 

Dear Friends,

We recently held the KFA Annual May Gathering. This is the Foundation's main event of the year. Participants came to listen to speakers, dialogue with one another, and enjoy the beauty of the campus. Speakers included Mark Habeeb (Professor of Global Politics and Security at Georgetown University), David Moody (Author and former Director of Oak Grove School), Jaime Flores (IT Coordinator at Oak Grove School), and Siddartha Menon (Trustee of the KFI, former Principal of Rishi Valley School, and current Director of the Rajghat Education Center). 

If you weren't able to attend the Gathering or watch the live stream, you can view the recordings of these talks by clicking here. These recordings will be available on our website until August. The bottom section of this e-newsletter highlights presentations from the Gathering.

Throughout the year we publish annual reports, Foundation Focus newsletters, and bulletins about current activities of the KFA. This material highlights essays and reflections from staff and scholars, financial information, various programs, and even unpublished material by Krishnamurti. If you live in the United States and would like to receive these printed materials, please fill out this form with your information. 

Finally, as we approach the end of our Spring Appeal, I want to express my gratitude to those of you who have financially contributed. With your help, we can provide a variety of ways for individuals to engage with the teachings. Please consider making a gift to our Spring Appeal today if you haven't already and donate here.
 
Sincerely,

Jaap Sluijter
Executive Director