Questioner:

What is real freedom, and how is one to acquire it?

KRISHNAMURTI:

Real freedom is not something to  be acquired,  it is the outcome of intelligence. You cannot  go out and buy freedom in  the market. You cannot get it by reading a book, or by listening  to someone talk. Freedom comes with intelligence.

But what is intelligence?

Can there be intelligence when there is fear, or when the mind is  conditioned? When your mind  is  prejudiced, or when you think you are a marvellous human  being, or when  you are very ambitious  and want to  climb the ladder of success, worldly or spiritual, can there  be intelligence? When you are concerned about yourself, when you  follow or worship somebody, can there be intelligence?

Surely, intelligence comes when you understand and break away from all this stupidity. So you have to set about it; and the first thing is to be aware that your mind is not free. You  have to observe how  your mind is bound by all these things, and then there is the beginning of intelligence, which brings freedom. You have to find the answer for  yourself.

What is the use of someone else being free when  you are not,  or of  someone else having  food when you are hungry? To be creative, which is to have real  initiative, there must be freedom; and for freedom there must be intelligence. So you  have to inquire and find out what is preventing intelligence.  You have to investigate life,  you have to question social values, everything, and not accept anything because you  are frightened.

J Krishnamurti, Lifeahead