This source explores the complex movement of desire and its overwhelming power in human life. Krishnamurti explains that desire is not only awakened by external objects, such as cars, houses, or gardens, but also by internal psychological images and ideologies, like the pursuit of heaven, liberation, or non-violence. The birth of desire follows a specific mechanical process:
- Seeing, Contact, and Sensation: The process begins with seeing an object, followed by physical contact and then a natural, healthy sensation.
- The Interference of Thought: Sensation becomes desire only when thought intervenes to create an image of one's self possessing, driving, or enjoying the object.
- The Birth of Desire: Desire is born at the exact moment thought creates this image based on the sensation.
Krishnamurti argues that trying to control or suppress desire is ineffective because the "controller" is simply another form of desire seeking a different result. Instead, he suggests slowing down the process to observe the "gap" or interval between the sensation and the activity of thought. By being extraordinarily alert to this movement, an individual can understand the whole nature of desire rather than becoming its slave