The quote suggests that the act of assigning a name or label to an experience or entity immediately destroys its living essence. When you call something 'anger,' 'joy,' or even 'a tree,' you are no longer experiencing the raw phenomenon itself, but rather a concept, a memory, or a definition that you have superimposed upon it. This is the surface meaning: the word becomes a barrier to the reality it purports to describe.

From a non-dual perspective, particularly as explored by Krishnamurti, this 'killing' refers to the mind's tendency to categorize and conceptualize, which is a function of the conditioned self. The self, built on accumulated knowledge and memory, seeks to understand the world by fitting it into pre-existing frameworks. This process of naming is the very mechanism by which the mind creates a separation between the observer and the observed, between 'me' and 'that.' True perception, in this view, is direct, unmediated awareness – a state where the mind is silent, free from the burden of labels and judgments. It's about seeing what is, without the interference of what you think it is or what you've been told it is. This is akin to the Zen concept of 'beginner's mind,' where one approaches experience with fresh eyes, unclouded by prior knowledge.

In your life: Try to observe a strong emotion or a recurring thought without labeling it. Simply notice the sensations and the mental activity as it arises and passes, without naming it 'sadness' or 'worry.' See what happens when you allow the experience to be fully present without the filter of a word.