Jiddu Krishnamurti, whom I admire for his ideas, talks about what binds a person.
“Cultures create religions but not the religious man. The religious man comes into being only when the mind rejects culture, which is the background, and is, therefore, free to find out what is true. […] Such a person is not an American, an Englishman, or a Hindu but a human being; he does not belong to any particular group, race, or culture and is therefore free to find out what is true, what is God. No culture helps man to find out what is true. Cultures only create organizations which bind man.” —Jiddu Krishnamurti
When Krishnamurti talks about the cultures, he doesn’t say anything specific to any culture or doesn’t choose anything fanatically. He says we must abandon—or reject—our cultural background to find what’s true. He points out that the influence we grew up with binds our thinking and how we see the world. Loosening our ties with our background seems like a solid path to understanding what’s true. Yet, we rarely see it happening.
Looking at the extreme right-wing politics that are popular these days. Most of the time, people stick to their cultures and object to any changes from a newly joining foreigner or an evolving world. Instead of loosening the ropes from the culture, people encircle their minds with whatever they have learned until now.
Therefore, as much as Krishnamurti’s way is an excellent challenge to think and understand ourselves, it is imperfect.
People cannot untie themselves from the culture they are in, let alone reject it. The culture represents their knowledge, experience, and life. It’s what it brought the person to today. Even though they might join another culture, change themselves, or even live in solidarity, they will always carry the remarks from a culture they are (or were) part of. Removing the cultural constraints from the mind is unattainable. I know it’s a philosophical approach and understand the intention, but I can’t agree with its applicability.
Also, the fish don’t know that water exists.
I think Seneca offers a better approach:
“Do you ask what you should avoid more than anything else? A crowd.”
“Clothe yourself in the mind of a great man; stand aside for a while from the opinions of the common crowd.“ — Seneca
This is easier to recognize and apply. When you follow any group fanatically and think that they are taking the truest approach, then you’re in danger. You must seek the right way instead of following a group just because it’s more crowded. When you do, you’ll often feel alone.
I often felt that I didn’t belong to a group I was in. Yet, it didn’t help me find “the right way” so far. Maybe finding it is chasing the impossible; it’s not achievable. When we get closer to it, we can feel that it’s wrong. We can think that life’s meaning should be something else. I don’t know.
However, I’m also happy to let this search go. Instead of seeking my life’s purpose, I’m happy to try getting rid of my cultural and religious backgrounds and waiting for life to show itself—accepting that I won’t be able to achieve everything in life according to any group’s definition and will never passionately follow a single path.
Maybe that’s what Krishnamurti talks about…
