--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So if you understand that where there is…" description: "\"“So if you understand that where there is a search for pleasure there must be pain, live that way if you want to, but don't just slip into it. If you w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_joy_so-if-you-understand-that-where-there-is_2642452.jpg" --- # So if you understand that where there is a search for… ![“So if you understand that where there is a search for pleasure there must be pain, live that way if you want to, but don't just slip into it. If you want to end pleasure, though, which is to end pain, you must be totally attentive to the whole structure of pleasure - not cut it out as monks and…” quote by Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_joy_so-if-you-understand-that-where-there-is_2642452.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_joy_so-if-you-understand-that-where-there-is_2642452.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/192/jiddu-krishnamurti-249_joy_so-if-you-understand-that-where-there-is_2642452.jpg) > ““So if you understand that where there is a search for pleasure there must be pain, live that way if you want to, but don't just slip into it. If you want to end pleasure, though, which is to end pain, you must be totally attentive to the whole structure of pleasure - not cut it out as monks and sannyasis do, never looking at a woman because they think it is a sin and thereby destroying the vitality of their understanding - but seeing the whole meaning and significance of pleasure. Then you will have tremendous joy in life. You cannot think about joy. Joy is an immediate thing and by thinking about it, you turn it into pleasure. Living in the present is the instant perception of beauty and the great delight in it without seeking pleasure from it.”” [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. Pleasure and pain are linked; true joy arises from fully observing pleasure without trying to control it. **In simple terms:** Joy comes from observing pleasure, not seeking it. Key Takeaway Observe pleasure without grasping; let joy arise naturally. Themes joy pleasure mindfulness presence Mood calm insightful Type spiritual psychological When to use this quote - meditation - creative work - relationships - daily routines Key Concepts Buddhist philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does it mean to “see” pleasure fully? - How can you stay present without seeking pleasure? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can turn observation into another form of desire. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [End Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-pleasure-991044/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Joy In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy-in-life/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Living in the present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-in-the-present/) [Nonfiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonfiction/) [Perception of beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception-of-beauty/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Pleasure Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-pain/) [Seeking Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeking-pleasure-575116/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Think Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-joy-453226/) ## Related quotes > [Living in the present is the instant perception of beauty and the great delight in it without seeking pleasure from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/living-in-the-present-is-the-instant-perception-of-beauty-and-the/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Are these things good for any other reason except that they end in pleasure, and get rid of and avert pain? Are you looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/are-these-things-good-for-any-other-reason-except-that-they-end-in/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“He would never know, just as the people we buy the newspaper from and then fantasize about all night have no idea that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/he-would-never-know-just-as-the-people-we-buy-the-newspaper-from-and/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [Pain is filtered in a poem so that it becomes finally, in the end, pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strand/pain-is-filtered-in-a-poem-so-that-it-becomes-finally-in-the-end/) [Mark Strand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strand/) > [The end of pleasure is to support the offices of life, to relieve the fatigues of business, to reward a regular action, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-collier/the-end-of-pleasure-is-to-support-the-offices-of-life-to-relieve-the/) [Jeremy Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-collier/) > [“His wide mouth falls into amused lines. “Everything dies. There’s no way to stop that tide. In the end, all we have is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-aguirre/his-wide-mouth-falls-into-amused-lines-everything-dies-there-s-no-way/) [Ann Aguirre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-aguirre/) > [Reading is a pleasure, but to finish reading, to come to the blank space at the end, is also a pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashbery/reading-is-a-pleasure-but-to-finish-reading-to-come-to-the-blank/) [John Ashbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashbery/) > [Life is both pleasure and pain, is it not? But why should we cling to pleasure and avoid pain? Why not merely live with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/life-is-both-pleasure-and-pain-is-it-not-but-why-should-we-cling-to/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [So through identification you have pleasure and pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/so-through-identification-you-have-pleasure-and-pain/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [All pleasure is a vice, for seeking pleasure is what everybody does in life, and the only dark vice is doing what everybody does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/all-pleasure-is-a-vice-for-seeking-pleasure-is-what-everybody-does-in/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [“Human beings, he argued, are not hardwired for seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. They want meaning. In spite of what we say, we don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-goins/human-beings-he-argued-are-not-hardwired-for-seeking-pleasure-and/) [Jeff Goins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-goins/) > [“All pleasure is a vice because seeking pleasure is what everyone does in life, and the worst vice of all is to do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/all-pleasure-is-a-vice-because-seeking-pleasure-is-what-everyone-does/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/i-am-now-quite-cured-of-seeking-pleasure-in-society-be-it-country-or/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [At the heart of our desires is eternal happiness without the slightest hint of misery. You could say that we are pleasure seekers; however,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-cole-whittaker/at-the-heart-of-our-desires-is-eternal-happiness-without-the/) [Terry Cole-Whittaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-cole-whittaker/) > [All the suffering in the world comes from seeking pleasure for oneself. All the happiness in the world comes from seeking pleasure for others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shantideva/all-the-suffering-in-the-world-comes-from-seeking-pleasure-for/) [Shantideva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shantideva/) ## 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 Joy quotes > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [“When you finally realize your gifts and talents, joy and satisfaction come as you walk in your purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanya-richards-ross/when-you-finally-realize-your-gifts-and-talents-joy-and-satisfaction/) [Sanya Richards-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanya-richards-ross/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/) [Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [Safin, in his way, is very talented. It is a joy to watch them play; it is tennis of a very high quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-krajicek/safin-in-his-way-is-very-talented-it-is-a-joy-to-watch-them-play-it/) [Richard Krajicek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-krajicek/) > [The writings of latter-day prophets clearly teach that the sorrows and sufferings endured by Adam and Eve upon their leaving the Garden of Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-k-judd/the-writings-of-latter-day-prophets-clearly-teach-that-the-sorrows/) [Daniel K Judd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-k-judd/) > [“Start the daily practice of joyful living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/start-the-daily-practice-of-joyful-living/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have touched with a sense of art some people-they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-have-touched-with-a-sense-of-art-some-people-they-felt-the-love-and/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [“Reverend Veronica Goines sums this up as, “Peace is joy at rest, and joy is peace on its feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/reverend-veronica-goines-sums-this-up-as-peace-is-joy-at-rest-and-joy/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [Be in a state of gratitude for everything that shows up in your life. Be thankful for the storms as well as the smooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/be-in-a-state-of-gratitude-for-everything-that-shows-up-in-your-life/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Spiritually, life is a festival, a celebration. Joy is of the essence of life;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/spiritually-life-is-a-festival-a-celebration-joy-is-of-the-essence-of/) [Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/) [Browse all 15,003 Joy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So if you understand that where there is a search for pleasure there must be pain, live that way if you want to, but don't just slip into it. If you want to end pleasure, though, which is to end pain, you must be totally attentive to the whole structure of pleasure - not cut it out as monks and sannyasis do, never looking at a woman because they think it is a sin and thereby destroying the vitality of their understanding - but seeing the whole meaning and significance of pleasure. Then you will have tremendous joy in life. You cannot think about joy. Joy is an immediate thing and by thinking about it, you turn it into pleasure. 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