Photo of J. Krishnamurti

15 Quotes on Facts by Krishnamurti

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A fact is neither pleasant nor unpleasant; it is so.

Krishnamurti, The Only Revolution

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A fact is neither pleasant nor unpleasant; it is so. Most of us object to facing things as they are. But all this is fairly obvious and quite open. Isolation is the way of life, the way of the world. Each human being, through his self-centred activities, is isolating himself, whether he is married or not, whether he talks of cooperation, or of nationality, achievement and success. Only when this isolation becomes extreme is there a neurosis which sometimes produces—if one has talent—art, good literature, and so on. This withdrawal from the world with all its noise, brutality, hate and pleasure is a part of the isolating process, isn’t it? Only the sannyasi does it in the name of religion, or God, and the competitive man accepts it as a part of the social structure. In this isolation you do achieve certain powers, a certain quality of austerity and abstemiousness, which give a sense of power. And power, whether of the Olympic champion, or of the Prime Minister, or of the Head of the churches and temples, is the same.

We are dealing with facts. Facts are what is happening now and what has happened before, not what is going to happen.

Krishnamurti, Where Can Peace Be Found?

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We are dealing with facts. Facts are what is happening now and what has happened before, not what is going to happen. The fact is what you are thinking, doing now, and the fact of what you have done before. Those are facts. But ideals are not facts. You have ideals, so you live in illusory worlds. When your brain lives in an illusory world, you are bound to create conflict for yourself and for others. Your opinion, like any other opinion, is not a fact. But what you do out of that opinion, out of that conclusion, out of that theory, is a fact. If you have an illusion and act according to that illusion, that becomes a fact, and that you have an illusion is a fact, too.

To understand a fact is simple, but it is made difficult by our likes and dislikes, by our condemnation of the fact, by the opinions or judgments we have about the fact.

Krishnamurti, Commentaries on Living 3

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If you are a Christian, your visions follow a certain pattern. If you are a Hindu, a Buddhist, or a Muslim, you follow a different pattern. You see Christ or Krishna according to your conditioning; your education, the culture in which you have been brought up, determines your visions. Which is the actuality: the vision, or the mind which has been shaped in a certain mould? The vision is the projection of the particular tradition which happens to form the background of the mind. This conditioning, not the vision which it projects, is the actuality, the fact. To understand the fact is simple, but it is made difficult by our likes and dislikes, by our condemnation of the fact, by the opinions or judgments we have about the fact. To be free of these various forms of evaluation is to understand the actual, the ‘what is’.

Confusion exists only when there is the fact plus what I think about the fact: my opinion about the fact, my disregard of the fact, my evasion of the fact, my evaluation of the fact.

Krishnamurti, What Are You Doing With Your Life?

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What is confusion? Confusion exists only when there is the fact plus what I think about the fact: my opinion about the fact, my disregard of the fact, my evasion of the fact, my evaluation of the fact, and so on. If I can look at the fact without the additive quality, then there is no confusion. If I recognise the fact that a certain road leads to Ventura, for example, there is no confusion. Confusion arises only when I think or insist that the road leads somewhere else – and that is actually the state that most of us are in. Our opinions, beliefs, desires and ambitions are so strong, we are so weighed down by them that we are incapable of looking at the fact. So, the fact plus opinion, judgment, evaluation, ambition, and all the rest of it, brings about confusion.

To see facts without opinion is one thing, but to have opinions about facts is totally another.

Krishnamurti, Think on These Things

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To see facts without opinion is one thing, but to have opinions about facts is totally another. It is one thing just to see the fact that a whole people are caught in superstition, but quite another to see that fact and condemn it. Opinions are not important, because I will have one opinion, you will have another, and a third person will have still another. To be concerned with opinions is a stupid form of thinking. What is important is to see facts as they are without opinion, without judging, without comparing. To feel beauty without opinion is the only real perception of beauty. Similarly, if you can see the people of India just as they are, see them very clearly without fixed opinions, without judging, then what you see will be real.

With a fact there is no bargaining; it can be put aside, denied, avoided, but it remains a fact. Understanding the fact is essential, not the evaluation of the fact.

Krishnamurti’s Notebook

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When the absolute necessity of complete harmony of the brain and body is seen, the brain will watch over the body, not dominating it and this very watching sharpens the brain and makes the body sensitive. The seeing is the fact, and with the fact there is no bargaining; it can be put aside, denied, avoided but it still remains a fact. The understanding of the fact is essential and not the evaluation of the fact. When the fact is seen, then the brain is watchful of the habits, the degenerating factors of the body. Then thought does not impose a discipline on the body nor control it; for discipline, control makes for insensitivity and any form of insensitivity is deterioration, a withering away.

See the fact, ‘what is’, and let that fact operate; don’t operate on the fact.

Krishnamurti, Commentaries on Living 3

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Can you separate the object from the word? The word ‘love’ is not the feeling, the fact of love. Words exist to communicate and also to remember, to fix in the mind a fleeting experience, a thought, a feeling; so the mind itself is the word, the experience, it is the memory of the fact in terms of pleasure and pain, good and bad. This whole process takes place within the field of time, the field of the known; and any revolution within that field is no revolution at all, but only a modification of what has been. See the fact, ‘what is’, and let that fact operate; don’t you operate on the fact – the ‘you’ being the repetitive mechanism, with its opinions, judgements, knowledge.

Your effort to act upon the fact breeds problems, whereas seeing the truth of the fact brings its own liberating action.

Krishnamurti, Commentaries on Living 2

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We are talking of not giving birth to problems. If it may be pointed out, you must be aware of the manner in which the mind is creating the problem. You want to achieve the state of perfect listening; in other words, you are not listening, but you want to achieve a state, and you need time and interest to gain that or any other state. The need for time and interest generates problems. You are not simply aware that you are not listening. When you are aware of it, the very fact that you are not listening has its own action; the truth of that fact acts, you do not act upon the fact. But you want to act upon it, to change it, to cultivate its opposite, to bring about a desired state, and so on. Your effort to act upon the fact breeds problems, whereas seeing the truth of the fact brings its own liberating action. You are not aware of the truth, nor do you see the false as the false, as long as your mind is occupied in any way with effort, with comparison, with justification or condemnation.

When thought moves away from the fact, that very movement away, movement of escape, is not only a time factor, but the beginning of shaping the brain in a certain mould.

Krishnamurti to Himself

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Take a word like ‘suffering’. That word has a different meaning for the Hindu and the Christian. But suffering, however described by words, is shared by all of us. Suffering is the fact, the actual. When we try to escape from it through some theory, or through some idealised person, or through a symbol, those forms of escape mould the brain. Suffering as a fact doesn’t and this is important to realise. Like the word ‘attachment’; to see the word, to hold it as if in your hand and watch it, feel the depth of it, the whole content of it, the consequences of it, the fact that we are attached – the fact, not the word – that feeling doesn’t shape the brain, put it into a mould. But the moment one moves away from it, that is, when thought moves away from the fact, that very movement away, movement of escape, is not only a time factor, but the beginning of shaping the brain in a certain mould.

There is no escape from loneliness; it is a fact, and escape from facts breeds confusion and sorrow.

Krishnamurti’s Notebook

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There is no escape from loneliness; it is a fact, and escape from facts breeds confusion and sorrow. Not to possess anything is an extraordinary state; not even to possess an idea, let alone a person or a thing. When ideas or thought takes root, it has already become a possession, and then the war to be free begins. And this freedom is not freedom at all; it is only a reaction. Reactions take root, and our life is the ground in which roots have grown. To cut all the roots, one by one, is a psychological absurdity. It cannot be done. Only the fact, loneliness, must be seen and then all other things fade away.

What is the actual fact of relationship, the fact, not romantic, sentimental stuff, but the actual fact, the brutal fact of it

Krishnamurti, Where Can Peace Be Found?

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Is it possible to live in relationship without a single shadow of conflict? This is an important question, a deep, fundamental question. If you cannot live in relationship with others without conflict, you will create a world that is full of conflict. What is the cause of this conflict, of this disorder in ourselves, in our relationship, and the cause of the disorder that exists outside of us? What is the actual fact of relationship, the fact, not romantic, sentimental stuff, but the actual fact, the brutal fact of it? If you do not really understand the beauty, depth, vitality and greatness of relationship, you will make a mess of your life.

If you remain with the fact of anything, especially the fact of sorrow, and don’t let thought wander or explain it away, but completely identify yourself with it, there is tremendous energy. Out of that energy there is the flame of passion.

Krishnamurti, To Be Human

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If you remain with the fact of anything, especially the fact of sorrow, and don’t let thought wander or explain it away, but completely identify yourself with it, there is tremendous energy. Out of that energy there is the flame of passion. Remain with suffering without the word, without the desire to go beyond it, so that you are observing it without the observer, so that there is no division between you and the thing you call sorrow. The moment there is a division between you as the observer, the thinker, and the observed, which is suffering, there is not only conflict but the desire to go beyond, to escape from it. Say you have done something, which is a fact, and you feel guilty. That is a fact, and you stay with it. You stay with it like a jewel, a rather unpleasant one, but it is still a jewel. When you stay with it, it begins to flower; then it shows itself fully, all the implications of guilt, its subtlety, where it hides. It is like a flower blooming.

When you give your whole attention to a fact, you have the energy to dissipate it, and therefore you can live freely, without any ideal, without any principle, without any belief.

Krishnamurti, The Flight of the Eagle

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Energy is being dissipated in conflict. The ideal is over there, and you are here, and you are trying to live according to that. So there is a division, there is conflict, which is waste of energy. When you see the waste of energy, when you see the absurdity of having ideals, formulas, concepts, all bringing about such constant conflict, you have the energy to live without it. Then you have abundance of energy because there is no wastage through conflict at all. But we are afraid to live that way because of our conditioning, and we accept this structure of formulas and ideals, as others have done. We live with them; we accept conflict as the way of life. When we see all this, not verbally, not theoretically, not intellectually, but feel with our whole being the absurdity of living that way, then we have the abundance of energy which comes when there is no conflict whatsoever. Then there is only the fact and nothing else. There is the fact that you are greedy, not the ideal that you should not be greedy – that is a waste of energy – but the fact you are greedy, possessive and dominating. That is the only fact, and when you give your whole attention to that fact, you have the energy to dissipate it and therefore you can live freely, without any ideal, without any principle, without any belief. And that is loving and dying to everything of the past.

Imagination has no place whatsoever when you are inquiring tremendously deeply; there is no theory, no conclusion, only moving from fact to fact.

Krishnamurti, Meeting Life

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Imagination has no place whatsoever when you are inquiring tremendously deeply; there is no theory, no conclusion, only moving from fact to fact. The quality of the mind must be extraordinarily sensitive, and it cannot be sensitive if there is fear, if there is any conclusion, dogma or belief, so that the brain itself, which is so heavily conditioned, can be completely quiet and not respond according to its own traditional way. The question is how to bring about a quality of sensitivity to the mind and therefore to the whole nervous system and the body, and also to bring about a non-movement of the brain cells, a complete quietness, for the mind to be awake, highly intelligent, sensitive. Awake and intelligent and sensitive: they are all synonymous, not three separate things. And the brain must be utterly quiet so that it perceives without the observer. This is meditation, to see the brain quiet, completely quiet, and a mind that is highly sensitive and therefore intelligent.

There is the inevitable conflict of duality: the ‘me’ and the ‘not-me’, the observer and the observed, the fact and the ‘what should be’.

Krishnamurti, The Only Revolution

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We are always seeking the new. We are always holding in one hand the old and groping with the other into the unknown for the new. So there is the inevitable conflict of duality: the ‘me’ and the ‘not-me’, the observer and the observed, the fact and the ‘what should be’. This turmoil completely ceases when there is the ending of the known. This ending is death. Death is not an idea, a symbol, but a dreadful reality, and you cannot possibly escape from it by clinging to the things of today, which are of yesterday, nor by worshipping the symbol of hope. One has to die to death; only then is innocence born. Only then does the timeless new come into being. Love is always new, and the remembrance of love is the death of love.

These quotes only touch on the many subjects Krishnamurti inquired into during his lifetime. His timeless and universal teachings can be explored using the Index of Topics where you will find texts, audio and video related on many themes. Another option is to browse our selection of curated articles or more short quotes. Krishnamurti’s reply when asked what lies at the heart of his teachings can be found here. Many Krishnamurti books are available, a selection of which can be explored here. To find out more about Krishnamurti’s life, please see our introduction and the biography. We also host a weekly podcast, and offer free downloads. Please visit our YouTube channel for hundreds of specially selected shorter clips. Below, you can learn more about Krishnamurti and our charity which he founded in 1968.

Krishnamurti outdoors smiling

Who Was Krishnamurti?

J. Krishnamurti (1895-1986) is widely regarded as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers of all time. He spoke throughout the world to large audiences and to individuals, including writers, scientists, philosophers and educators, about the need for a radical change in mankind. Referring to himself, Krishnamurti said:

He is acting as a mirror for you to look into. That mirror is not an authority. It has no authority, it’s just a mirror. And when you see it clearly, understand what you see in that mirror, then throw it away, break it up.

Krishnamurti was concerned with all humanity and held no nationality or belief and belonged to no particular group or culture. In the latter part of his life, along with continuing to give public talks, he travelled mainly between the schools he had founded in India, Britain and the United States, which educate for the total understanding of man and the art of living. He stressed that only this profound understanding can create a new generation that will live in peace.

Krishnamurti reminded his listeners again and again that we are all human beings first and not Hindus, Muslims or Christians, that we are like the rest of humanity and are not different from one another. He asked that we tread lightly on this earth without destroying ourselves or the environment. He communicated to his listeners a deep sense of respect for nature. His teachings transcend man-made belief systems, nationalistic sentiment and sectarianism. At the same time, they give new meaning and direction to mankind’s search for truth. His teaching is timeless, universal and increasingly relevant to the modern age.

I am nobody. It is as simple as that. I am nobody. But what is important is who you are, what you are.

Krishnamurti

Krishnamurti spoke not as a guru but as a friend. His talks and discussions are based not on tradition-based knowledge but on his own insights into the human mind and his vision of the sacred, so he always communicated a sense of freshness and directness, although the essence of his message remained unchanged over the years. When Krishnamurti addressed large audiences, people felt that he was talking to each of them personally, addressing their own particular problem. In his private interviews, he was a compassionate teacher, listening attentively to those who came to him in sorrow, and encouraging them to heal themselves through their own understanding. Religious scholars found that his words threw new light on traditional concepts. Krishnamurti took on the challenge of modern scientists and psychologists and went with them step by step, discussing their theories and sometimes enabling them to discern the limitations of their theories.

Krishnamurti left a large body of literature in the form of public talks, writings, discussions with teachers and students, scientists, psychologists and religious figures, conversations with individuals, television and radio interviews, and letters. Many of these have been published as books, in over 60 languages, along with hundreds of audio and video recordings.

Three-quarters portrait photo of Krishnamurti

The Krishnamurti Foundation

Established in 1968 as a registered charity, and located at The Krishnamurti Centre, Krishnamurti Foundation Trust exists to preserve and make available Krishnamurti’s teachings.

The Foundation serves a global audience by providing worldwide free access to Krishnamurti videos, audio and texts to those who may be interested in pursuing an understanding of Krishnamurti’s work in their own lives.

In describing his intentions for the Foundations, Krishnamurti said: 

The Foundations will see to it that these teachings are kept whole, are not distorted, are not made corrupt.

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