Awareness of inattention is attention | J. Krishnamurti

Awareness of inattention is attention | J. Krishnamurti
Extract from Public Talk #2, Madras (Chennai), India, 1979
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[@KFoundation]

TRANSCRIPT: Are you all comfortable? Yes? Because if you are not comfortable, you won’t be able to attend. Right? Because we are going to talk about this quality of attention and then we’ll go, as we go along. Most of us know what concentration is. Every schoolboy is taught to concentrate on a book or something or other, so that he applies his mind to a particular thing, resisting all other invasion, all movement of thought, resisting all movement of thought and concentrating. You know this, don’t you? This is obvious. And the more that you can totally concentrate without any interference of other activities of thought, one thinks one has achieved something. We are saying attention is nothing whatsoever to do with concentration. All right? Examine it, sir, critically examine what is being said. Don’t accept. Don’t swallow hook, line and the rest of it. Find out if what the speaker is saying is correct or not - correct being accurate, precise, not vague, romantic, nonsensical. Concentration emphasises, gives importance to a particular activity of thought. Right? Whereas attention is not the product of thought. Just play with it. Don’t accept it. Just look at it. Because most of us know what is inattention. When you are listening to the speaker, you listen for a minute or two, or perhaps less than that, and your thoughts wander away to something else, and you try to pull it back and listen. Aren’t you doing that? (Laughs) Good lord! So your mind is chattering and occasionally the chattering stops and you attend, you listen. But most of the time it’s constant activity, and in that constancy there is a particular demand made by circumstances, or by yourself to apply, concentrate on a particular activity and resist all other activity of thought. You are following all this? Right sir? If you understand this movement, that thought is bringing about a quality of concentration, and that very thought is moving away in other directions - right? - and there is an urge, a compulsion to hold the thought in a particular direction. Right? This is what is generally called concentration. Attention - to attend, in that attention, if you really attend, there is no centre from which you are attending. Right? You all look so puzzled. Sir, because it is important to understand this, because attention and inattention, there are the two things we have to face. Right? Are you following? Am I communicating something or not at all? Tant pis. You see, have you ever given attention with your mind, with your heart, with your nerves, with your whole being, to something in which there is no otherness, in which there is no sense of deviation or distraction? So, there are three things involved - concentration, distraction and attention. Right? Most of us, when we are concentrating, are afraid of distraction. Right? I wish we could talk to each other quietly like this. Now, is there a distraction at all? Perhaps thought itself is a distraction. I’m going to show it to you in a minute. When you say there is a distraction, that implies thought has made up its mind to pay, concentrate, on a particular object. And when there is any other kind of movement away from that, that movement is called a distraction. Now is that a distraction? We are saying there is no distraction. Right? Because, it is thought - please listen - it is thought that has said, I must concentrate on that, but that very thought is moving away in another direction, and that is called distraction. But is it a distraction, because the thought has pinpointed in a certain direction and that very thought is moving away from that. And that is generally called a distraction. Right? Why do you call it a distraction? It is still the movement of thought. Right? So any movement of thought is another distraction. I wonder if you get this. No, you don’t. So, what we are trying to point out is that there are two qualities of the mind - inattention in which there is no attention, which is inattention, and attention. Right? And to be aware of inattention is to be attentive, in which there is no distraction. You get it? I wonder if you understand this. Because we are always struggling between the two - inattention and attention - and that takes all our energy. In meditation, for example - which is not the moment to talk about now - this is the battle that is going on, to be totally attentive, and a second later, completely not attentive. Right? Now we are saying the inattention is not a distraction, but to be aware of that lack of attention, to be aware that you are not attending, that is good enough. You understand? I wonder if you understand this. So that your mind is never in conflict, because conflict is a wastage of energy. So we are coming back. Now we have explained what attention is - not explained, the fact of attention. That when there is attention there is no centre from which you are attending, as there is in concentration, which then has what you call distractions. Whereas there is attention and there is inattention. When one is aware of not being attentive, that very awareness is attention, in which there is no distraction whatsoever. I wonder if you get this. Got it sir? Even verbally have you got it? Intellectually? Which is nothing at all, but at least it is a whisper. Now will you so attend without concentration, without effort, to what is being said? That is, that there is no distraction. You may attend, listen for a minute and wander off and be aware that you are wandering off. That very awareness of wandering off is attention. Right? Got it sir?

[@spiritualworld5594]

This helps a lot.. Thanks

[@banushankar566]

Got it Sir❤️

[@__mansibohra]

Thanks ❤️

[@viditmehrotra276]

This happens only with KrishnamurthyJi's discourses, I often find myself going backwards in the lectures to listen once again, losing the meaning of what has been said. I am extremely thankful for this transcription this will surely be of exceptional use to lot of people. Forever Indebted 🙏🏾 🙂

[@anjezx8361]

yes --- and i wish everyone be as (or similar as) K. too ... there would be not a single problem

[@gamingwithar9679]

My gratitude to you Krishna ji, I know you hated being a teacher to anyone, but still you have illuminated my path, so please accept my bow, sir

[@venettewaste]

so sweet, when he'is constantly repeating . " I want you understand this, please, got it sir?"

[@roz352n]

"Conflict is a waste of energy" "to be aware of inattention is to be attentive"... great words from a great teacher🙏

[@thothtrismegistus929]

Does this mean that concentration increase attention ?

[@ritesharora6032]

@@thothtrismegistus929 no

[@tanvis4641]

So happy to see him happy 😃

[@Andrei-ti1ij]

It is very difficult, because he uses the word attention with 2 different meanings... but after listening to this several times it is almost understandable.... To be aware of the lack of attention is attention!!! Only when there is concentration there can be distraction. In awareness there is no distraction, never!!!

[@Jeff_TUDONADA]

I got this: Now, just watching k's video I know that in the future I will lose attention in very ocassions and that is normal.. so, after one week in my jog I lose attention and get angry with myself and suddenly I remember that is normal (here is Attention over inattention) and I get calm

[@leighcecil3322]

Concentration comes from the self... when U become aware of your unawareness in the present moment... there is no centre... no self..a wonderful remark JK namista 🙏

[@viveviveka2651]

There is no thought.

[@RoyJacob5]

I have been wanting to say this too. People who listen to K. have to keep in mind, the words he uses to communicate - are extremely fine tuned in their meaning. You have to pay proper attention.

[@Manu-rk7bl]

Let me clear your doubt Lads Attention is eternal. Either Attention is on TV, Music, Work, Studying or on our Thoughts, ego etc. Ego being limited identity itself with attention and then it becomes concentration. Ego being limited disappear and attention being eternal gets to something else. After sometime EGO reappear and laments that attention got distracted but infact it was Ego which was disappeared. To be aware of this appearance and disappearce of thoughts and ego in this vast eternal attention is to be enlightened.

[@nikhil1561]

"In that attention, if you really attend, then there is no centre from which you are attending" When you're truly absorbed in something you're doing, you forget all sense of self. I don't think I've seen that feeling more eloquently put than what Krishnamurthy said here.

[@sanekabc]

There is something in the statement which is a bit confusing. >"There is no center from which "you" are attending." Who is this you if not the center? Can you explain that, please?

[@summerbreeze5115]

@@sanekabc thats actually using "English" language to make you understand.

[@robertloughran6740]

Why is this not taught in school

[@OrdinaryPersonah]

​@@robertloughran6740they think its too radical from the daily functioning of society

[@sauravgupta7168]

​@@robertloughran6740then there will be no need of any leaders my friend... Bcz these leaders make the laws hence they never want their position to go.. Bcz if their conditioning

[@kaushiksathish4556]

I was struggling and was exactly having this conflict while meditating today. And Bam! This video is uploaded. Thanks!

[@jasfromchile]

La materialización es asombrosa

[@mahalaxmiathithan44]

thoughts are always so intertwined and complex... they can never encourage concentration.. only pure awareness can lead to concentration

[@mtmtmtmt]

I think that when we become aware of our inattention, it is when we learn more deeply and widely about ourselves. we accept ourselves, which opens the way to be compassionate.

[@chainofeeeees]

I believe that what he meant is, that the distraction in concentration is because of the fact that we are resisting not to think, get "distracted", so in turn it brings conflict. Like, the mind is forcing itself to do something, saying "stick to it, you have no other chance". I think that the attention implies doing the opposite, it doesn't force the mind, and in turn you, to be concentrated, but pursues the thing out of pure keenness, so it doesn't force itself do anything that it otherwise would resist, but just sees it, the feelings and other states of being that arise doing that. I feel like Jiddu pushes us forward to understand, that the "distractions" are coming either way, but if you don't resist it, try to understand as it is, the feeling just vanishes. You observed it, you've been attending not only to the fact of learning or listening, but seeing your feelings or inactions as he mentioned, which arise, in my opinion, because of all sorts of insecurities, fear, pleasure seeking, wanting too much out of something and when that is not attained, a disappointment. So, in my opinion, a person should focus not on the fact of fear to not do anything good, forcefully push himself to do something, but to do it with intention of pure keenness, so a person won't get bothered with all kinds of thoughts, won't try to push it away and in turn won't try to hide the fact and resist it, and in turn understand more about himself and other kinds of activities, like relationships, which require full attention, a feeling of joy. This is my opinion, but I would like to hear other opinions, and move towards a better future together.

[@JumpingRock-oo7br]

Explain

[@Curitive]

“Are you all comfortable?” Proceeds to make everyone uncomfortable with knowledge.

[@Vicky-pv4jt]

Hahahahah! Its true, its better if certain kind of knowing never comes across

[@borkapajic4154]

Only thr human ego is uncomfortable to f a c e the Truth..because human ego is exposed for the falacy it is..and the Truth makes human ego uncofortable..🙏Namaste 💖

[@corpuscallosum4677]

@Nyx the fool You're very appropriately named😝! To understand a sage with your skin-deep mumbles! Knowledge is exactly K was warning us all through his six decades of teaching as a hindrance to Truth, a pathless land. You couldn't distinguish knowledge from awareness! Hard to understand for you, I guess🐸👎

[@deweshkumar7121]

No , this is not knowledge,this is obviousness ,like when we open our eyes and see what we see ! ,knowledge as the word says is something we need to know ,but obliviousness doesn’t matter if you know it or not ,it’s just there . But in reality,we never accept what we see , we always like to make something artificial.

[@riltonklazarus121]

Transcript is very much useful for us

[@Ruspsycho]

Wow. Ive got it and then it left me again 😭. Felt so smart for a moment... need to hear it few times more

[@JumpingRock-oo7br]

Explain

[@GowTham-js7fx]

We all try to keep our attentions on something and we try to concentrate it, but we fail miserably due to distractions and we always think not to distract, the very thinking/thought itself it is distractive only. At-least without any distraction can we pay our attention to the inattention, which is awareness of our inattention, whichever prevents us from not being attentive.

[@Harish_srinivasa]

Just finished his book, 'What are you doing with your life', it was fantastic, especially the last chapter about concentrating in one thing, it was very useful. Thank you.

[@weaamkhalid2478]

Thank you.. No words can describe how much he touched me. Namaste 🙏🏿❤️

[@vishaladyanthaya9356]

Beautifully conveyed thank you for sharing

[@souravdas-zp1kt]

There are so many people wants respect, love. Few people like the speaker gets from the depths of the heart.💚💛💜💖💗💟💝♥

[@samriddhi7643]

Yes! Got it :)

[@Monkeighz]

Thank you. This is a good one. Very helpful.

[@BlueSky-nj7zd]

Truly! He is a man of wisdom.

[@DanielSquires]

Awareness everything. As we raise our awareness we perceive more of what is and understand a better way to do things that we currently do.

[@viveksanyal2773]

Thank you

[@prabhatchoudhary581]

Thanks🙏

[@Jeff_TUDONADA]

I got this: Now, just watching k's video I know that in the future I will lose attention in very ocassions and that is normal.. so, after one week in my jog I lose attention and get angry with myself and suddenly I remember that is normal (here is Attention over inattention) and I get calm

[@Jeff_TUDONADA]

We conclude thought is always moving and I must ambrace that. Attention is connected to acceptance.

[@saphalification]

Beautiful ❤️

[@ajeethkumar3569]

@ j.krishnamurthi official channel, Thank you very much for these videos.. 🙏

[@ramkij]

JK is sometimes hard to get. As a way of explaining to myself what he's saying here, I came up with an explanation for my own satisfaction. Concentration, in my world, is a way of putting undue pressure on your mind to focus on something, particularly when you DON'T want to. Perhaps you do not like what you're doing but have to get it done. This sort of pressure results in an internal discomfort, an irritation or even anger and hence distraction. With Attention, you approach what you want to focus on in a much softer way. Attention becomes easy when you have interest and curiosity. We can turn concentration to Attention when we understand for example that even though what we are doing is not to our liking, to do the best we can to do it more relaxedly so we don't put so much pressure on ourselves.

[@AkshayKumar-vj7xj]

YES SIR

[@artoffighting06]

this is an absolute gem!

[@l0g1cseer47]

Great one!

[@Sid-zg1vl]

What a great being !!

[@artoffighting06]

..i find that 'effortlessness' (as a companion of choiceless awareness) is really a key thing here. not as a concept, but practical! because it is very noticeable. when there is strain, effort, there is invariably fragmentation, conflict, "i" as the doer that clings and tries to control, that selects, there is a method, an agenda whether its ideology or my own knowledge/conclusions. it seems the biggest obstacle is the mind telling: "this plain awareness won't get you anywhere" ..the only way to find out is to "do" it, or to watch it happen when you let it. but then (ironically) things WILL change, cause when there is awareness of the whole movement of what takes place, the mind doesn't get agiated any more and the energy, previously wasted on effort, can flow into this choiceless awareness. over time (from an external point of view), this seems to lead to a natural arising stillness ..and then it gets interesting..

[@Luisnegro156]

Hello! i have a question, I "understand" (at least verbally), then I am the thought (knowledge, memory, conclusion), but I ask to my self, who is going to do this effortless or choiceless, or awareness, if I am the thought who created the fragmentation it could no be me (thought), in that point I said"there's absolutely nothing to do" and I just surrender. So this awareness, which is not an effort, what is going to activated?, (sorry for my bad english)

[@RahulJain-gv9sp]

Yes, got it 🙂

[@suhashari8798]

Master !!

[@raghavkulkarni1352]

Awareness is the essence of meditation. If one is aware of even non awareness that's also a meditation 🙂

[@clodhopper-dodo]

Actually the ONE who tries to be attentive is the product of thought. Therefore, in attention, the 'attender' me is missing. When the 'me' attends and still exists, then it is not attention but another subtle form of concentration.

[@Pradoceleste]

The inattention is not a distraction, but to be aware of inattention is attention.

[@satishhx]

Got it Sir, thankyou

[@jasondee5357]

My takeaway: You can become a realized being when you accept that awareness and attention aren't the same as normal thought processes and may be bigger than "just" the brain's thought centers. He explains that we can let go of the stress involved with straying focus by attending, or being aware of, the theater of sensory and memory activities within our organism. By doing so we can conserve much energy and stop fighting with our brain's natural function. Be aware that you are not attending, and the stress can dissolve. Accept your mind, no need to waste energy. Obsession over concentration is bad. Stop fighting your mind.

[@manmathahaldar9221]

🙏🙏🙏 AWARENESS OF INATTENTION IS ATTENTION ⭐

[@pallabidutta968]

It is like when you are engrossed in a book, you don't even realise it. The moment you attend to your awareness of reading the book, that's when the concentration breaks. Hence according to Jiddu Krishnamurti " awareness of inattention is attention".

[@raghavkulkarni1352]

Awareness is the essence of meditation. As long as you are aware it's meditation even awareness of non awareness 🙂

[@raghavkulkarni1352]

Awareness is the essence of meditation. If one is aware of even non awareness that's also a meditation 🙂

[@belneg155]

Tanks

[@affaisaffais2906]

❤❤❤

[@sankit2386]

You mean being aware of when I am concentrated and distracted is attention, right?

[@shekherrajput4215]

「あなたのコンテンツはとても感動的です」、

[@sonuraju6375]

Great

[@rebelguy9947]

If you become a master of what he is saying , trust me you will awaken the deepest energy

[@clodhopper-dodo]

He is against BECOMING. That is another craving of ego to BECOME whatever including enlightenment. Just a waste self delusion. A dog trying to chase his own tail will exhaust and get delusions of mastering himself.

[@tezward7235]

Pretty cool.

[@hritikbansal9344]

❤️

[@manmathahaldar9221]

🙏🙏🙏vvi

[@xhulianododaj6412]

There is no way you can be inattentive. You are always attentive you always are aware. Inattention is attention with our effort. So to be aware of inattention means to be attentive without effort.

[@Qworld00]

Inside the movement of thought, there is conflict because there is the duality of the self who is trying to concentrate and when he fails to do so he thinks he was distracted. In attention there is no duality means no attendees and then there is only attention in which there is no possibility of inattention. There can be awareness of inattention and that happens inside the attention. There is no one reacting to it.

[@xhulianododaj6412]

You are always aware. So why concentrate and try to be more aware? When you do that distraction slips in. Let the mind wander. Then you’ll be naturally attentive without effort.

[@javierfry97]

So it not that we try to focus on soemthing without getting distracted but the awareness of the movement of the mind in and of its self is pure attention

[@ramongomez8849]

🙏🏻

[@isaindertodesking3229]

So if I understood correctly, inattention happens with the process of thought; and attention happens when thought remains still in its proper place. Then first one needs to understand one's own thinking in order to consciously be attentive. Right, youtube community?

[@juliancasablancas3367]

This is the human next step, take out all the innecessary costumes and sick traditions, yet only a few will dedicate fully to it.

[@divyanshudarro4333]

But we can also concentrate without thought, isn't it , resisting all thought and concentrate without thought

[@NoCenterTV]

💡

[@senpainezvi9037]

Would love to know, what it is to be like being there

[@aimdesign69]

說出了重點了!

[@madhug193]

你來自中國哪裡

[@sanekabc]

Actually, I never concentrate because I am lazy.

[@sandeeppanda6205]

god

[@MM-xi5vr]

Can anyone please tell what word he used at 12:17- 12:18!Down is the line: _______ attention is not distraction!

[@agyat4055]

Inattention is not a distraction

[@pradeepkumarm944]

But to begin with, to get on with day to day life, certain level of concentration is inevitable. Right? Even to watch this video, a certain degree of concentration is required. I have to put aside the onslaught of thoughts to try and listen to Krishnamurti. Is it not? Even though we might watch this video, the fire of attention may not catch on to us immediately. So, some degree of concentration is inevitable. So, I think there has to be a certain leisure in which we can afford to NOT concentrate and have the freedom to experiment with attending to whatever thought that arises.

[@arushaagarwal5782]

Hi, I’d like to listen to complete talks by Krishnamurti on attention. Can somebody please share the links for them? Thanks.

[@pradeepkumarm944]

You may search 'The Urgency of Change Attention' on KZbin.

[@sanekabc]

There is something in the statement which is a bit confusing. >"There is no center from which "you" are attending." Who is this you if not the center? Can someone explain that, please?

[@bharathtony6087]

Captions please.

[@kaustubhtamane4420]

So can we say, Attention is synonymous to Awareness..? Then why do we have to words..?

[@pradeepprad]

Krishnamurti has done this with many other sets of words. He seems to use multiple words to convey the same essence, the same feeling. For example, watching-observation. Other-Benediction. My guess is he is doing this to ensure we are not stuck with 'particular' words and become dogmatic about them.

[@manoharreddy8960]

Script please ??

[@KFoundation]

Please see the pinned comment on top

[@thattaikrishnan5523]

What for to do all this is the question is Is it possible to do this. and the next question is why you want to do this. You want to prove that you are a different person. If so to whom. Or just forget everything and lead a normal life and that normal life is entering in to ocean of thoughts ie pain pleasure anger jealous etc. If you follow k then people around you are having 0 knowledge of k then how to solve this problem. Never ending. We have to keep ourselves in isolation. People disturbance is always there. Then you have runaway stay in Himalayas. Which is another form of torturing mind and body. So life is never ending path. You are caught and in it and it is for you to come out of it and there is no one there to guide you.

[@khagemba1]

Seems like JK's lecture format didn't achieve what he wanted. It always seems like he wants dialogue or pushback, but he frustratingly rarely does. He's asking the audience questions and they always stay silent. A socratic method or learning would have been more appropriate it seems. Maybe people who have actually been to his lectures can comment and how they actually went.

[@kjyothish5280]

Crazy

[@user-nk9im5tz5g]

seem like he is very upset with the audience

[@ramongomez8849]

🙏🏻