Total Freedom: The Essential Krishnamurti

by J. Krishnamurti

My consciousness accepts this old way of life and hopes that perhaps next life it will have a better chance. But is that consciousness, which I have said is “mine,” my consciousness at all? That consciousness is the consciousness of humanity. Each one of us shares this consciousness, so it is not mine. Please, you must question whether your consciousness is your individual consciousness or is shared by all humanity. All humanity goes through what you are going through, in a different environment, in a different ambiance. So you are not actually an individual. You may have a different body from another, you may have a better bank account. One may be lame, one may be healthy, but inwardly your being is shared by all the rest of humanity. Therefore, you are humanity. So as long as you think you are an individual, you are living in illusion, because your consciousness, your life, is shared by everybody on this earth. So when you die, your consciousness, which is shared by all humanity, will continue. And that consciousness manifests itself, through someone, and then he says. “It is mine,” “I am an individual,” “Atman,” “soul,” and so on.