--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Meditation is not a withdrawal from life…" description: "\"Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself.\" — Jiddu Krishnamurti" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_life_meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life_924787.jpg" --- # Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a… ![“Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself.” quote by Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_life_meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life_924787.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_life_meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life_924787.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_life_meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life_924787.jpg) > “Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself.” [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meditation is active self‑inquiry, not escape, leading to deeper self‑understanding **In simple terms:** Meditation helps you understand yourself, not avoid life Key Takeaway Practice mindful observation to know your inner patterns Themes self‑knowledge mindfulness philosophy Mood calm thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - stress management - creative work - personal development - conflict resolution Key Concepts consciousness non‑attachment inner peace Questions to Reflect On - What does self‑understanding enable? - How to integrate insight into daily life? A Different Perspective Meditation alone cannot solve external problems without action ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-meditation-508481/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Meditation Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-process-735977/) [Meditation Withdrawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-withdrawal-968929/) [Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Understanding Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding-oneself-480199/) [Withdrawal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/withdrawal/) [Withdrawal Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/withdrawal-life-1459999/) ## Related quotes > [“Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself. And, when one begins to understand oneself, not only the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalidas-joshi/meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life-meditation-is-a-process-of-2/) [Kalidas Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalidas-joshi/) > [Meditation is not a process of learning how to meditate; it is the very inquiry into what is meditation. To inquire into what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-not-a-process-of-learning-how-to-meditate-it-is-the/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Meditation is the process of understanding your own mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-the-process-of-understanding-your-own-mind/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that understanding in action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/magick-is-the-science-of-understanding-oneself-and-one-s-conditions/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [“I do not know where this mania for understanding oneself has come from, he said, but it clearly exerts a powerful hold on people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-josipovici/i-do-not-know-where-this-mania-for-understanding-oneself-has-come/) [Gabriel Josipovici](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-josipovici/) > [“To help others realize reality, one must realize it for themselves first. Without total understanding of oneself you can not help others to understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-g-ortiz/to-help-others-realize-reality-one-must-realize-it-for-themselves/) [Kenneth G. Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-g-ortiz/) > [“As people like sharing pieces of their history, let us listen to how they speak, what they say, but precisely what they “mean.” By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/as-people-like-sharing-pieces-of-their-history-let-us-listen-to-how/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [To gain an overall understanding of oneself does not require looking outward - it requires the strength of looking inward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-gain-an-overall-understanding-of-oneself-does-not-require-looking/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Life is what we made out of it's self, to fall into the darkest of them all and to be able to knock on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariny/life-is-what-we-made-out-of-it-s-self-to-fall-into-the-darkest-of/) [Mariny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariny/) > [According to Ayurvedic principles, by understanding oneself, by identifying one's own constitution, and by recognizing sources of doshic aggravation, one can not only follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasant-lad/according-to-ayurvedic-principles-by-understanding-oneself-by/) [Vasant Lad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasant-lad/) > [Understanding others is knowledge, Understanding oneself is enlightenment; Conquering others is power, Conquering oneself is strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/understanding-others-is-knowledge-understanding-oneself-is/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [A miracle is understanding oneself. The rest is just knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-papian/a-miracle-is-understanding-oneself-the-rest-is-just-knowledge/) [Ruben Papian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-papian/) > [The greatest help to spiritual life is meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-greatest-help-to-spiritual-life-is-meditation/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Meditation is nothing but a way to learn how to do a thing totally - once you have learnt, make your whole life a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/meditation-is-nothing-but-a-way-to-learn-how-to-do-a-thing-totally/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“I strongly believe that the first step you need to take to eliminate certain problems from your life is through meditation sessions. During meditation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/i-strongly-believe-that-the-first-step-you-need-to-take-to-eliminate/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) ## More by Jiddu Krishnamurti > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I have only one purpose: to make people free, to urge them towards freedom, to help them to break away from all limitations, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-have-only-one-purpose-to-make-people-free-to-urge-them-towards/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Its beautiful to be alone. To be alone does not mean to be lonely. it means the mind is not influenced and contaminated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/its-beautiful-to-be-alone-to-be-alone-does-not-mean-to-be-lonely-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Knowing the cause of something is not going to help you to be free of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/knowing-the-cause-of-something-is-not-going-to-help-you-to-be-free-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Whatever discipline you exercise should be based on the goal your child is eventually to reach, namely, freedom and happiness. I would show him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/whatever-discipline-you-exercise-should-be-based-on-the-goal-your/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/begin-where-you-are-read-every-word-every-phrase-every-paragraph-of/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Without discontentment, without revolt, you can never attain harmony. It is a necessary stage, which must be gone through by everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/without-discontentment-without-revolt-you-can-never-attain-harmony-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Meditation is a state of mind which looks at everything with complete attention, totally, not just parts of it. And no one can teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-a-state-of-mind-which-looks-at-everything-with-complete/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Learning is the very essence of humility . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/learning-is-the-very-essence-of-humility/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [We need tremendous energy to bring about a psychological change in ourselves as human beings, because we have lived far too long in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/we-need-tremendous-energy-to-bring-about-a-psychological-change-in/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“Life is a movement, a constant movement in relationship; and thought, trying to capture that movement in terms of the past, as memory, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/life-is-a-movement-a-constant-movement-in-relationship-and-thought/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“Meditation is like going to a well, the waters of which are inexhaustible, with a pitcher that is always empty. The pitcher can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-like-going-to-a-well-the-waters-of-which-are/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [The observer is the observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/the-observer-is-the-observed/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [When we stop fighting with ourselves, we aren't creating anymore conflict in our mind. Then our mind can for the first time relax and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/when-we-stop-fighting-with-ourselves-we-aren-t-creating-anymore/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [A lily or a rose never pretends, and its beauty is that it is what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-lily-or-a-rose-never-pretends-and-its-beauty-is-that-it-is-what-it/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) [Explore all 807 Jiddu Krishnamurti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) [Deanna L. Lawlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-l-lawlis/) > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jiddu Krishnamurti" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life-meditation-is-a-process-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life-meditation-is-a-process-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_life_meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life_924787.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_life_meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life_924787.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/296/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_life_meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life_924787.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Meditation is not a withdrawal from life. Meditation is a process of understanding oneself.” — Jiddu Krishnamurti", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jiddu Krishnamurti", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Meditation is not a withdrawal from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life-meditation-is-a-process-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-not-a-withdrawal-from-life-meditation-is-a-process-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```