Krishnamurti on War
ANALYSIS, 7 Jul 2025
Krishnamurti Foundation - TRANSCEND Media Service
War is the spectacular and bloody projection of our everyday life. It is an outward expression of our inward state, an enlargement of our daily action.
In this short but powerful quote, Krishnamurti sums up the causes of war, that it is the amplified result of what goes on inside ourselves: the conflicts, the divisions and the feeling that things or emotions are other than ourselves. We feel that warfare is something ‘out there’, something others are instigating, and yet we live perpetually with internal ‘wars’ even as we attempt to live a peaceful life.
In this feature, we unfold what Krishnamurti has to say about war, something that has been with humanity for millennia and has not left us, and explore whether it is possible to live truly peacefully inwardly and so outwardly.
The problems of war have existed before, but most of us have not been concerned with them as they were remote, and not affecting us personally and deeply, but now war is at our door and seems to dominate the minds of most people.
Perhaps outward events can energise our inquiry into not only why the current wars are taking place, but moreover into the very cause of conflict, and whether it is possible for humanity to live without war.
The problem that we should discuss, which is ever-present, is that of the individual and his relationship with another, which is society. If we can understand this complex problem then perhaps we shall be able to avoid the many causes that ultimately lead to war. War is a symptom, however brutal and diseased, and to deal with the outer manifestation without regard to the deeper causes of it, is futile and purposeless. In fundamentally changing the causes, perhaps we can bring about a peace that is not destroyed by outer circumstances.
__________________________________________________
Krishnamurti: “Like a signpost, I am merely pointing the direction. The signpost is not important at all. What is important is the one who is journeying. The speaker is not a guru, he is not an authority, he is not a guide. One has to take the inward journey alone, not as a reaction away from outward things but as the inevitable process of trying to understand.”
Tags: Krishnamurti, Life, Philosophy, Psychology, Spirituality, Warfare
DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Join the discussion!
We welcome debate and dissent, but personal — ad hominem — attacks (on authors, other users or any individual), abuse and defamatory language will not be tolerated. Nor will we tolerate attempts to deliberately disrupt discussions. We aim to maintain an inviting space to focus on intelligent interactions and debates.