Inward Revolution Bringing About Radical Change in the World

never the described. And as we are going to find out together, we must be
serious, because this is not an entertainment, this is not something that you can
discuss by arguing, opposing one opinion against another. Opinions have no
value. What has value, what has significance, is to observe actually what is, not
only outwardly but also inwardly, to see what is actually taking place. Therefore
there is no interpretation, no conclusion, but mere observation. What we are
going to do is observe what is actually going on, both outwardly in the world and
also inwardly.
When you perceive what is actually, then you can do something about it, but
if you observe what is with a series of conclusions, a series of opinions,
judgments, formulas, you will never understand what is. That is clear, isn’t it? If
you observe the world as a Hindu or as a Muslim or as a Christian, then
obviously you cannot see clearly. And we have to see together very, very clearly,
objectively, sanely. If we can observe very clearly, that in itself is a form of
discipline. We are using that word discipline not in its orthodox sense. The very
meaning of that word is “to learn.” The root of that word means “to learn”; not to
conform, not to control, not to suppress, but to learn and to see very clearly what
is happening inwardly and what is happening outwardly, to see that this is a
unitary movement, not a separate movement; to see it as whole, not divided.
What is actually happening outwardly all over the world? What is actually
taking place? Not the interpretation or the explanation or the cause of what is
taking place, but what is actually happening? If a madman were to arrange the
affairs of the world, he couldn’t do worse. That is a simple, obvious fact.
Sociologically, economically, culturally, there is disintegration. Politicians have
not been able to solve problems; on the contrary, they are increasing them.
Countries are divided—the affluent societies and the so-called undeveloped
countries. There is poverty, war, conflict of every kind. There is no social
morality; what is considered social morality is immorality. All the religious
organizations, with their beliefs, with their rituals, with their dogmas, are really
separating people, which we can see obviously. If you are a Hindu and I am a
Muslim, we must be against each other. We may tolerate each other for a few
days, but basically, inwardly, we are against each other. So where there is
division, there must be conflict, not only outwardly but also inwardly. You can
see exactly what is going on in this unfortunate world, the extraordinary
development of technology, social changes, permissiveness, all that. And
inwardly we are a mass of contradictions.
Please, as I said, do observe yourself; watch yourself, not what the speaker is
saying. Listen to what the speaker is saying as a way of observing yourself. Look
at yourself as though you are looking at yourself in a mirror. Observe what is
actually going on, not what you would like it to be. You see, don’t you, that there
is great confusion, contradiction, conflict, a great deal of sorrow, and the pursuit
of pleasure ideologically as well as sensuously? There is sorrow, confusion,
conflict, occasional flashes of joy, and so on. That is actually what is taking
place.
So our problem is, Can all this be radically changed? Can there be an inward,
and therefore an outward, revolution? Because we cannot possibly go on with our