What do you think?
Rate this book
丕賱丨乇賷丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賵丕賱兀禺賷乇丞
賵購賱丿 噩賵丿賵 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 Judo Krishnamurti 賮賷 丕賱賴賳丿 賮賷 丕賱毓丕賲 1895貙 賵賮賷 爻賳 丕賱孬丕賱孬丞 毓卮乇丞貙 鬲亘賳鬲賴 丕賱噩賲毓賷丞 丕賱賳賷賵氐賵賮賷丞貙 丕賱鬲賷 丕毓鬲亘乇鬲賴 "丕賱賲毓賱賾賲 丕賱毓丕賱賲賷" 丕賱賯丕丿賲 丕賱匕賷 賰丕賳鬲 鬲亘卮乇 亘賴貙 賵賷夭睾 賰乇賷卮鬲丕賲賵乇鬲賷 亘爻乇毓丞 賰賲毓賱賾賲 賯賵賷貙 賱丕 賷爻丕賵賲 賵睾賷乇 賯丕亘賱 賱賱鬲氐賳賷賮貙 賵賱賲 鬲乇鬲亘胤 兀丨丕丿賷孬賴 賵賰鬲丕亘丕鬲賴 亘兀賷 丿賷賳貙 賵賱丕 鬲賳鬲賲 賱丕 廿賱賶 丕賱卮乇賯 賵賱丕 廿賱賶 丕賱睾乇亘貙 賵廿賳賲丕 廿賱賶 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賰賱賴貙 乇賮囟 亘賯賵丞 丕賱氐賵乇丞 丕賱乇爻賵賱賷丞貙 賵賮賷 丕賱毓丕賲 1929 丨賱賾 丕賱賲賳馗賲丞 丕賱囟禺賲丞 賵丕賱賲賲賾賵賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 亘購賳賷鬲 丨賵賱賴貙 賲毓賱賳丕賸 兀賳 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 "兀乇囟 賱丕 胤乇賷賯 廿賱賷賴丕"貙 賵賱丕 賷賲賰賳 丕賱賵氐賵賱 廿賱賷賴丕 毓亘乇 兀賷 丿賷賳 乇爻賲賷 兀賵 賮賱爻賮丞 兀賵 胤丕卅賮丞.
乇賮囟 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賮賷賲丕 鬲亘賯賶 賲賳 丨賷丕鬲賴 氐賵乇丞 丕賱賲毓賱賾賲 丕賱鬲賷 丨丕賵賱 丕賱丌禺乇賵賳 兀賳 賷囟賮賵賴丕 毓賱賷賴貙 賵賵丕氐賱 噩匕亘 噩賲賴賵乇 賰亘賷乇 賮賷 兀賳丨丕亍 丕賱毓丕賱賲貙 賱賲 賷丿毓 兀賷丞 爻賱胤丞 丕賵 賲乇噩毓賷丞貙 賵賱賲 賷乇睾亘 亘兀賷 丨賵丕乇賷賷賳貙 賵鬲丨丿孬 丿賵賲丕賸 賰賮乇丿 廿賱賶 賮乇丿 丌禺乇貙 賵賮賷 噩賵賴乇 鬲毓丕賱賷賲賴 賴賳丕賰 賮賰乇丞 兀賳 丕賱鬲睾賷乇丕鬲 丕賱噩賵賴乇賷丞 賮賷 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 兀賳 鬲丨丿孬 廿賱丕 毓亘乇 鬲丨賵賷賱 賵毓賷 丕賱賮乇丿.
卮丿賾丿 亘廿爻鬲賲乇丕乇 毓賱賶 丕賱丨丕噩丞 廿賱賶 丕賱賲毓乇賮丞 丕賱匕丕鬲貙 賵賮賴賲 丕賱鬲兀孬賷乇丕鬲 丕賱鬲賯爻賷賲賷丞 賵丕賱賲賯賷賾丿丞貙 賵賯丿 兀卮丕乇 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 丿賵賲丕賸 廿賱賶 丕賱丨丕噩丞 丕賱賲賱丨賾丞 賱賱廿賳賮鬲丕丨貙 廿賱賶 鬲賱賰 "丕賱賮爻丨丞 丕賱賵丕爻毓丞 賮賷 丕賱丿賲丕睾 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賵噩丿 賮賷賴丕 胤丕賯丞 睾賷乇 賯丕亘賱丞 賱賱鬲氐賵賾乇"貙 賵亘丿丕 賰丕賳 鬲賱賰 丕賱賮爻丨丞 賴賷 賲賳亘毓 廿亘丿丕毓賴 賵丕賱賲賮鬲丕丨 賱賮賴賲 鬲兀孬賷乇賴 丕賱賲丨賮夭賾 賮賷 毓丿丿 賵丕爻毓 賵賲鬲賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱亘卮乇.
丨丕睾囟乇 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賮賷 兀賳丨丕亍 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賰丕賮丞 廿賱賶 丕賳 賵丕賮鬲賴 丕賱賲賳賷賾丞 賮賷 丕賱毓丕賲 1986 賮賷 爻賳 丕賱鬲爻毓賷賳貙 賵賯丿 丨賮馗鬲 兀丨丕丿賷孬賴 賵丨賵丕乇丕鬲賴 賵賷賵賲賷丕鬲賴 賵乇爻丕卅賱賴 賮賷 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 爻鬲賷賳 賰鬲丕亘丕賸 賵賮賷 賲卅丕鬲 賲賳 丕賱兀賯乇丕囟 丕賱賲囟睾賵胤丞.
賵賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 丕賱匕賷 賷購鬲乇噩賲 賱兀賵賱 賲乇丞 廿賱賶 丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 賷賮賰賾賰 兀丨丿 兀亘乇夭 丕賱賲毓賱賲賷賳 丕賱乇賵丨賷賷賳 賮賷 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱毓卮乇賷賳 丕賱乇賲賵夭 賵丕賱乇賵丕亘胤 丕賱賲夭賷賮丞 賮賷 丕 賱亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 丕賱賳賯賷丞 賵丕賱丨乇賷丞 丕賱鬲丕賲丞 廿賳 丕賱丨乇賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 賷鬲丨丿孬 毓賳賴丕 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賴賷 丕賱鬲禺賱氐 賲賳 丕賱廿賴鬲賲丕賲 丕賱兀賳丕賳賷 亘丕賱匕丕鬲 賵丨丕賱賲丕賸 賷丨賯賯 丕賱亘卮乇 丨乇賷鬲賴賲 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賷鬲禺賱氐賵賳 賲賳 丕賱廿爻鬲丨賵丕匕丕鬲 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓賷丞 丕賱賲丿賲乇丞.
賮賷 賰鬲丕亘 丕賱丨乇賷丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賵丕賱兀禺賷乇丞 賷賳丕賯卮 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 賲鬲賳賵毓丞 鬲卮賲賱 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞貙 賵丕賱禺賵賮貙 賵丕賱孬乇孬乇丞貙 賵丕賱噩賳爻貙 賵賱賰賳賴 賷毓賵丿 亘廿爻鬲賲乇丕乇 廿賱賶 賲賮賴賵賲賴 丕賱噩賵賴乇賷 賮賷 丕賱丨乇賷丞 賵賴賳丕 賷氐亘丨 亘丨孬 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賴賵 亘丨孬 丕賱賯丕乇卅 賲賲丕 賷丨丿孬 鬲兀孬賷乇丕賸 賴丕卅賱丕賸.
乇賮囟 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賮賷賲丕 鬲亘賯賶 賲賳 丨賷丕鬲賴 氐賵乇丞 丕賱賲毓賱賾賲 丕賱鬲賷 丨丕賵賱 丕賱丌禺乇賵賳 兀賳 賷囟賮賵賴丕 毓賱賷賴貙 賵賵丕氐賱 噩匕亘 噩賲賴賵乇 賰亘賷乇 賮賷 兀賳丨丕亍 丕賱毓丕賱賲貙 賱賲 賷丿毓 兀賷丞 爻賱胤丞 丕賵 賲乇噩毓賷丞貙 賵賱賲 賷乇睾亘 亘兀賷 丨賵丕乇賷賷賳貙 賵鬲丨丿孬 丿賵賲丕賸 賰賮乇丿 廿賱賶 賮乇丿 丌禺乇貙 賵賮賷 噩賵賴乇 鬲毓丕賱賷賲賴 賴賳丕賰 賮賰乇丞 兀賳 丕賱鬲睾賷乇丕鬲 丕賱噩賵賴乇賷丞 賮賷 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 兀賳 鬲丨丿孬 廿賱丕 毓亘乇 鬲丨賵賷賱 賵毓賷 丕賱賮乇丿.
卮丿賾丿 亘廿爻鬲賲乇丕乇 毓賱賶 丕賱丨丕噩丞 廿賱賶 丕賱賲毓乇賮丞 丕賱匕丕鬲貙 賵賮賴賲 丕賱鬲兀孬賷乇丕鬲 丕賱鬲賯爻賷賲賷丞 賵丕賱賲賯賷賾丿丞貙 賵賯丿 兀卮丕乇 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 丿賵賲丕賸 廿賱賶 丕賱丨丕噩丞 丕賱賲賱丨賾丞 賱賱廿賳賮鬲丕丨貙 廿賱賶 鬲賱賰 "丕賱賮爻丨丞 丕賱賵丕爻毓丞 賮賷 丕賱丿賲丕睾 丕賱鬲賷 鬲賵噩丿 賮賷賴丕 胤丕賯丞 睾賷乇 賯丕亘賱丞 賱賱鬲氐賵賾乇"貙 賵亘丿丕 賰丕賳 鬲賱賰 丕賱賮爻丨丞 賴賷 賲賳亘毓 廿亘丿丕毓賴 賵丕賱賲賮鬲丕丨 賱賮賴賲 鬲兀孬賷乇賴 丕賱賲丨賮夭賾 賮賷 毓丿丿 賵丕爻毓 賵賲鬲賳賵毓 賲賳 丕賱亘卮乇.
丨丕睾囟乇 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賮賷 兀賳丨丕亍 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賰丕賮丞 廿賱賶 丕賳 賵丕賮鬲賴 丕賱賲賳賷賾丞 賮賷 丕賱毓丕賲 1986 賮賷 爻賳 丕賱鬲爻毓賷賳貙 賵賯丿 丨賮馗鬲 兀丨丕丿賷孬賴 賵丨賵丕乇丕鬲賴 賵賷賵賲賷丕鬲賴 賵乇爻丕卅賱賴 賮賷 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 爻鬲賷賳 賰鬲丕亘丕賸 賵賮賷 賲卅丕鬲 賲賳 丕賱兀賯乇丕囟 丕賱賲囟睾賵胤丞.
賵賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 丕賱匕賷 賷購鬲乇噩賲 賱兀賵賱 賲乇丞 廿賱賶 丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱毓乇亘賷丞 賷賮賰賾賰 兀丨丿 兀亘乇夭 丕賱賲毓賱賲賷賳 丕賱乇賵丨賷賷賳 賮賷 丕賱賯乇賳 丕賱毓卮乇賷賳 丕賱乇賲賵夭 賵丕賱乇賵丕亘胤 丕賱賲夭賷賮丞 賮賷 丕 賱亘丨孬 毓賳 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞 丕賱賳賯賷丞 賵丕賱丨乇賷丞 丕賱鬲丕賲丞 廿賳 丕賱丨乇賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 賷鬲丨丿孬 毓賳賴丕 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賴賷 丕賱鬲禺賱氐 賲賳 丕賱廿賴鬲賲丕賲 丕賱兀賳丕賳賷 亘丕賱匕丕鬲 賵丨丕賱賲丕賸 賷丨賯賯 丕賱亘卮乇 丨乇賷鬲賴賲 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賷鬲禺賱氐賵賳 賲賳 丕賱廿爻鬲丨賵丕匕丕鬲 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓賷丞 丕賱賲丿賲乇丞.
賮賷 賰鬲丕亘 丕賱丨乇賷丞 丕賱兀賵賱賶 賵丕賱兀禺賷乇丞 賷賳丕賯卮 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 賲鬲賳賵毓丞 鬲卮賲賱 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞貙 賵丕賱禺賵賮貙 賵丕賱孬乇孬乇丞貙 賵丕賱噩賳爻貙 賵賱賰賳賴 賷毓賵丿 亘廿爻鬲賲乇丕乇 廿賱賶 賲賮賴賵賲賴 丕賱噩賵賴乇賷 賮賷 丕賱丨乇賷丞 賵賴賳丕 賷氐亘丨 亘丨孬 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賴賵 亘丨孬 丕賱賯丕乇卅 賲賲丕 賷丨丿孬 鬲兀孬賷乇丕賸 賴丕卅賱丕賸.
279 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
848 people are currently reading
8561 people want to read
About the author
J. Krishnamurti
1,252听books4,149听followersJiddu Krishnamurti was born on 11 May 1895 in Madanapalle, a small town in south India. He and his brother were adopted in their youth by Dr Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical Society. Dr Besant and others proclaimed that Krishnamurti was to be a world teacher whose coming the Theosophists had predicted. To prepare the world for this coming, a world-wide organization called the Order of the Star in the East was formed and the young Krishnamurti was made its head.
In 1929, however, Krishnamurti renounced the role that he was expected to play, dissolved the Order with its huge following, and returned all the money and property that had been donated for this work.
From then, for nearly sixty years until his death on 17 February 1986, he travelled throughout the world talking to large audiences and to individuals about the need for a radical change in humankind.
Krishnamurti is regarded globally as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers of all time. He did not expound any philosophy or religion, but rather talked of the things that concern all of us in our everyday lives, of the problems of living in modern society with its violence and corruption, of the individual's search for security and happiness, and the need for humankind to free itself from inner burdens of fear, anger, hurt, and sorrow. He explained with great precision the subtle workings of the human mind, and pointed to the need for bringing to our daily life a deeply meditative and spiritual quality.
Krishnamurti belonged to no religious organization, sect or country, nor did he subscribe to any school of political or ideological thought. On the contrary, he maintained that these are the very factors that divide human beings and bring about conflict and war. He reminded his listeners again and again that we are all human beings first and not Hindus, Muslims or Christians, that we are like the rest of humanity and are not different from one another. He asked that we tread lightly on this earth without destroying ourselves or the environment. He communicated to his listeners a deep sense of respect for nature. His teachings transcend belief systems, nationalistic sentiment and sectarianism. At the same time, they give new meaning and direction to humankind's search for truth. His teaching, besides being relevant to the modern age, is timeless and universal.
Krishnamurti spoke not as a guru but as a friend, and his talks and discussions are based not on tradition-based knowledge but on his own insights into the human mind and his vision of the sacred, so he always communicates a sense of freshness and directness although the essence of his message remained unchanged over the years. When he addressed large audiences, people felt that Krishnamurti was talking to each of them personally, addressing his or her particular problem. In his private interviews, he was a compassionate teacher, listening attentively to the man or woman who came to him in sorrow, and encouraging them to heal themselves through their own understanding. Religious scholars found that his words threw new light on traditional concepts. Krishnamurti took on the challenge of modern scientists and psychologists and went with them step by step, discussed their theories and sometimes enabled them to discern the limitations of those theories. Krishnamurti left a large body of literature in the form of public talks, writings, discussions with teachers and students, with scientists and religious figures, conversations with individuals, television and radio interviews, and letters. Many of these have been published as books, and audio and video recordings.
In 1929, however, Krishnamurti renounced the role that he was expected to play, dissolved the Order with its huge following, and returned all the money and property that had been donated for this work.
From then, for nearly sixty years until his death on 17 February 1986, he travelled throughout the world talking to large audiences and to individuals about the need for a radical change in humankind.
Krishnamurti is regarded globally as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers of all time. He did not expound any philosophy or religion, but rather talked of the things that concern all of us in our everyday lives, of the problems of living in modern society with its violence and corruption, of the individual's search for security and happiness, and the need for humankind to free itself from inner burdens of fear, anger, hurt, and sorrow. He explained with great precision the subtle workings of the human mind, and pointed to the need for bringing to our daily life a deeply meditative and spiritual quality.
Krishnamurti belonged to no religious organization, sect or country, nor did he subscribe to any school of political or ideological thought. On the contrary, he maintained that these are the very factors that divide human beings and bring about conflict and war. He reminded his listeners again and again that we are all human beings first and not Hindus, Muslims or Christians, that we are like the rest of humanity and are not different from one another. He asked that we tread lightly on this earth without destroying ourselves or the environment. He communicated to his listeners a deep sense of respect for nature. His teachings transcend belief systems, nationalistic sentiment and sectarianism. At the same time, they give new meaning and direction to humankind's search for truth. His teaching, besides being relevant to the modern age, is timeless and universal.
Krishnamurti spoke not as a guru but as a friend, and his talks and discussions are based not on tradition-based knowledge but on his own insights into the human mind and his vision of the sacred, so he always communicates a sense of freshness and directness although the essence of his message remained unchanged over the years. When he addressed large audiences, people felt that Krishnamurti was talking to each of them personally, addressing his or her particular problem. In his private interviews, he was a compassionate teacher, listening attentively to the man or woman who came to him in sorrow, and encouraging them to heal themselves through their own understanding. Religious scholars found that his words threw new light on traditional concepts. Krishnamurti took on the challenge of modern scientists and psychologists and went with them step by step, discussed their theories and sometimes enabled them to discern the limitations of those theories. Krishnamurti left a large body of literature in the form of public talks, writings, discussions with teachers and students, with scientists and religious figures, conversations with individuals, television and radio interviews, and letters. Many of these have been published as books, and audio and video recordings.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
May 15, 2025
This is the book that finally led me out of a lifetime in which I was constantly badgered to accept a tiny box of mediocrity for my sad lot鈥�
And gave me a New Life in the Golden Years of my Seventies -
And a Fresh Start in Life.
A Second Childhood!
The First And Last Freedom, to Krishnamurti, is the first and last encounter (in this world) with the Sheer Energy that drives us all.
Moses, in the Old Testament, tells us this early in the Book of Exodus: it is the Fire that Consumes the soul (the Burning Bush) without End, and without consuming it.
This is the first revelation of the Divine to a human in the Bible.
Saint John of the Cross - in the Counter Reformation - uses the same metaphor in his Dark Night of the Soul, elsewhere calling this experience the mortal wounding of the Soul in ecstasy.
Krishnamurti of course downplays the mysticism, for he says the experience is here and now.
It was for him a fact of life. The ecstasy was nonetheless real.
What are we to make of this?
Well, he says our constant conversations with ourselves drive this experience into exile, in a neurotypical world. Neurotypicality is logical.
How?
This is interesting, for we know the self we experience in deep REM sleep is experienced by almost another person...
Yet when we wake up our automatic discursive reasoning and questioning BLOCKS the energy that rested and moved us.
We become grey and listless beings. Thus, neurotypical to a T.
So could the sleeping self teach us how to experience this energy more vitally and renew our lives?
He affirms this idea. Our thought is robotic. It makes us a stranger to ourselves. The way of meditation and contemplation, however, RECONNECTS US WITH OUR DREAMING SELVES.
He says this truth is in fact not conceptual but comes from a deeper source - the being of Pure Being.
Yet we are now cut off from it!
***
His argument seems sound. But where does that put us?
Is our view of reality inadequate?
Well, he says that mankind somewhere along the way made a wrong turn.
A turn into a Dead End.
We have to learn to relearn our whole lives through OPENNESS TO LIFE.
***
Weighty thoughts indeed, but I for one feel up to the challenge.
My intentions are to now reconsider all his books in my collection - books which I read attentively between 1985 and 1994.
They cover many printed pages of text.
Follow me on my voyage, if you would like to join me.
It promises to be rewarding.
In the eighties I wasn't yet ready for Krishnamurti -
But I now see I have adopted his wonderful non-partisan methodology as my own!
And it Works.
At 74, I鈥檝e found my niche in Neurodiversity.
And gave me a New Life in the Golden Years of my Seventies -
And a Fresh Start in Life.
A Second Childhood!
The First And Last Freedom, to Krishnamurti, is the first and last encounter (in this world) with the Sheer Energy that drives us all.
Moses, in the Old Testament, tells us this early in the Book of Exodus: it is the Fire that Consumes the soul (the Burning Bush) without End, and without consuming it.
This is the first revelation of the Divine to a human in the Bible.
Saint John of the Cross - in the Counter Reformation - uses the same metaphor in his Dark Night of the Soul, elsewhere calling this experience the mortal wounding of the Soul in ecstasy.
Krishnamurti of course downplays the mysticism, for he says the experience is here and now.
It was for him a fact of life. The ecstasy was nonetheless real.
What are we to make of this?
Well, he says our constant conversations with ourselves drive this experience into exile, in a neurotypical world. Neurotypicality is logical.
How?
This is interesting, for we know the self we experience in deep REM sleep is experienced by almost another person...
Yet when we wake up our automatic discursive reasoning and questioning BLOCKS the energy that rested and moved us.
We become grey and listless beings. Thus, neurotypical to a T.
So could the sleeping self teach us how to experience this energy more vitally and renew our lives?
He affirms this idea. Our thought is robotic. It makes us a stranger to ourselves. The way of meditation and contemplation, however, RECONNECTS US WITH OUR DREAMING SELVES.
He says this truth is in fact not conceptual but comes from a deeper source - the being of Pure Being.
Yet we are now cut off from it!
***
His argument seems sound. But where does that put us?
Is our view of reality inadequate?
Well, he says that mankind somewhere along the way made a wrong turn.
A turn into a Dead End.
We have to learn to relearn our whole lives through OPENNESS TO LIFE.
***
Weighty thoughts indeed, but I for one feel up to the challenge.
My intentions are to now reconsider all his books in my collection - books which I read attentively between 1985 and 1994.
They cover many printed pages of text.
Follow me on my voyage, if you would like to join me.
It promises to be rewarding.
In the eighties I wasn't yet ready for Krishnamurti -
But I now see I have adopted his wonderful non-partisan methodology as my own!
And it Works.
At 74, I鈥檝e found my niche in Neurodiversity.
December 9, 2011
Out of every "spiritual" book I have read, this one takes the cake. Krishnamurti takes a more philosophical and psychological approach to why we're miserable. Unlike most other books, Krishnamurti doesn't shove pseudo-wisdom in your face and tell you what you need to do to attain enlightenment. He makes rational observations. The result is similar to reading a Dostoevsky novel. You will notice things about yourself that you absolutely hate. You will become more in touch with yourself - which in the authors mind, is society; and by changing yourself, you are changing society for the better.
April 10, 2019
Really, last freedom?
Well, reading books like these certainly help you understand different perspectives on 'your' life but they do lead you into more and more conundrum and you become uncertain about yourself and your actions.
Why does one seek freedom? To be free from something that either enslaves you or compels you to do something wrong - morally or prima-facie. However, to seek last freedom is to liberate yourself from the cycle of birth and death (Gita). Sri Krishna told that you can do it either by being a Yogi or simply by being a Karma-Yogi and to do that, in either way, you don't need to hate yourself. Just be and continue the being.
Well, reading books like these certainly help you understand different perspectives on 'your' life but they do lead you into more and more conundrum and you become uncertain about yourself and your actions.
Why does one seek freedom? To be free from something that either enslaves you or compels you to do something wrong - morally or prima-facie. However, to seek last freedom is to liberate yourself from the cycle of birth and death (Gita). Sri Krishna told that you can do it either by being a Yogi or simply by being a Karma-Yogi and to do that, in either way, you don't need to hate yourself. Just be and continue the being.
September 5, 2011
Several years ago, I came to the conclusion that no form of government could limit itself sufficiently and therefore there is no hope that a geographic monopoly on the use of force with the right to demand taxes under threat of violence (ie., government) could result in a free and just society. For example, I could see the futility of restoring the US Constitution since that is the document that led to this state in actuality, whether the document is ideal or flawed. I then came across a book called, Democracy the God that Failed, by Hans-Hermann Hoppe, and was shocked and exhilarated to find he had the same idea (his final chapter being called "The Fallacy of Limited Government"), and he had much more to back it up than my musings.
Once I realized this truth, I was convinced that people just didn't see it--they were duped and if they could be made to understand they would reject this system of violence and exploitation in favor of a libertarian anarchy of private law and it's resultant order and peace. After a few years of proselytizing, I concluded that people aren't being duped by the system, they are buying into the system, usually compromising objective principles for mere scraps. So my inquiry evolved into, What is wrong with people?? Why are they like this? And concluded there is no hope for a just and peaceful society if the vast majority of people don't want it.
Krishnamurti, a philosopher of Indian origin and tradition, attempts to answer this question. His claim is that we are all operating with the sole focus of the self and its context in time and place--this results in competition, conflict, and the constant promotion of one's own self over all others, even those closest to us. He further claims, as does the Dalai Lama and many others, that the only hope is the internal transformation of individuals, and finally he seems to believe that this may be possible to a great enough extent to change society.
Krishnamurti offers as a "fact" that ALL institutions are designed to exclude others and provide a group through which individuals feel better able to dominate those outside the group (or maybe even those within it). He rejects the state and religions in the same breath, not drawing the crucial distinction between physically forced participation (as in the state) and voluntary participation (as in religions), as I always have. He may be right in that most people voluntarily buy into the state for the same reasons they buy into religions, and that the source of this buy-in is the same in both cases and that this is the fundamental sickness that leads to evil, hatred, war, injustice, or even merely the continuous serving of the self above all.
Krishnamurti exhorts us to become aware of the activities of the mind--not to become introspective, not to condemn or to judge, but simply to become aware of the mind and the origin of the thoughts. He claims that this awareness itself changes the process and the mind can no longer engage in its self-centered machinations. I tried to be "aware" in this way for a couple of days and found both that it is possible and that it was heading toward Krishnamurti's promised "liberation," but it took such a tremendous amount of concentration that I question whether self-supporting people can really do this and still function economically.
I am still trying to determine if I believe his solution is the only solution (and I'm leaning toward saying that I do) and am also trying to determine if it could actually happen (and I'm leaning toward thinking that it can't).
If you are ready to really think, this book is worth reading, regardless of your ultimate conclusions.
Once I realized this truth, I was convinced that people just didn't see it--they were duped and if they could be made to understand they would reject this system of violence and exploitation in favor of a libertarian anarchy of private law and it's resultant order and peace. After a few years of proselytizing, I concluded that people aren't being duped by the system, they are buying into the system, usually compromising objective principles for mere scraps. So my inquiry evolved into, What is wrong with people?? Why are they like this? And concluded there is no hope for a just and peaceful society if the vast majority of people don't want it.
Krishnamurti, a philosopher of Indian origin and tradition, attempts to answer this question. His claim is that we are all operating with the sole focus of the self and its context in time and place--this results in competition, conflict, and the constant promotion of one's own self over all others, even those closest to us. He further claims, as does the Dalai Lama and many others, that the only hope is the internal transformation of individuals, and finally he seems to believe that this may be possible to a great enough extent to change society.
Krishnamurti offers as a "fact" that ALL institutions are designed to exclude others and provide a group through which individuals feel better able to dominate those outside the group (or maybe even those within it). He rejects the state and religions in the same breath, not drawing the crucial distinction between physically forced participation (as in the state) and voluntary participation (as in religions), as I always have. He may be right in that most people voluntarily buy into the state for the same reasons they buy into religions, and that the source of this buy-in is the same in both cases and that this is the fundamental sickness that leads to evil, hatred, war, injustice, or even merely the continuous serving of the self above all.
Krishnamurti exhorts us to become aware of the activities of the mind--not to become introspective, not to condemn or to judge, but simply to become aware of the mind and the origin of the thoughts. He claims that this awareness itself changes the process and the mind can no longer engage in its self-centered machinations. I tried to be "aware" in this way for a couple of days and found both that it is possible and that it was heading toward Krishnamurti's promised "liberation," but it took such a tremendous amount of concentration that I question whether self-supporting people can really do this and still function economically.
I am still trying to determine if I believe his solution is the only solution (and I'm leaning toward saying that I do) and am also trying to determine if it could actually happen (and I'm leaning toward thinking that it can't).
If you are ready to really think, this book is worth reading, regardless of your ultimate conclusions.
October 31, 2020
丨丕賵賱 丕賱賰丕鬲亘 噩丕賴丿賸丕 廿賷氐丕賱 兀賮賰丕乇賴 丕賱賮賱爻賮賷丞 毓亘乇 丕賱鬲賰乇丕乇 丕賱賲賲賱 賮賷 賰賱 賮氐賱.
丕賯鬲亘丕爻丕鬲
鈥溬囐嗀з� 賮賳 賮賷 丕賱廿氐睾丕亍. 賰賷 賷賰賵賳 丕賱賲乇亍 賯丕丿乇賸丕 毓賱賶 丕賱廿氐睾丕亍貙 賷噩亘 兀賳 賷鬲禺賱賾賶 毓賳 丕賱丌乇丕亍 丕賱賲爻亘賯丞鈥�.
鈥溬嗀� 賲丨賵噩賵亘賵賳 亘丕賱賲爻亘賯丕鬲貙 爻賵丕亍 賰丕賳鬲 丿賷賳賷丞 兀賵 乇賵丨賷丞 兀賵 賳賮爻賷丞 兀賵 毓賱賲賷丞貨 兀賵 賲丨噩賵亘賵賳 亘丨丕賱丕鬲 賯賱賯賳丕 丕賱賷賵賲賷丞貙 賵乇睾亘丕鬲賳丕貙 賵賲禺丕賵賮賳丕. 賵亘毓丿 兀賳 鬲氐賷乇 賴匕賴 丨噩丕亘賸丕 賳氐睾賷. 亘丕賱鬲丕賱賷貙 賳丨賳 賳氐睾賷 賮賷 丕賱賵丕賯毓 廿賱賶 囟噩賷噩賳丕貙 賵廿賱賶 氐賵鬲賳丕 丕賱禺丕氐貙 賵賱賷爻 廿賱賶 賲丕 賷購賯丕賱鈥�.
鈥溫ヘ柏� 賯賷賱 兀孬賳丕亍 丕賱丨丿賷孬 兀賷 卮賷亍 賷毓丕乇囟 胤乇賷賯鬲賰賲 賮賷 丕賱鬲賮賰賷乇 賵廿賷賲丕賳賰賲貙 兀氐睾賵丕貨 賱丕 鬲賯丕賵賲賵丕. 賷賲賰賳 兀賳 鬲賰賵賳賵丕 毓賱賶 氐賵丕亘貙 賵賷賲賰賳 兀賳 兀賰賵賳 賲禺胤卅賸丕貙 廿匕丕 賲丕 兀氐睾賷賳丕 賵賮賰賾乇賳丕 賲毓賸丕 賮廿賳賳丕 爻賳賰鬲卮賮 賲丕 賴賷 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞. 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 賱兀丨丿 兀賳 賷賲賳丨賰賲 丕賱丨賯賷賯丞. 賷賳亘睾賷 兀賳 鬲賰鬲卮賮賵賴丕貨 賵賱賰賷 鬲賰鬲卮賮賵賴丕貙 賷賳亘睾賷 兀賳 鬲賰賵賳 賴賳丕賰 丨丕賱丞 匕賴賳賷丞 賮賷賴丕 廿丿乇丕賰 賲亘丕卮乇. 鬲睾賷亘 丕賱丨丕賱丞 丕賱匕賴賳賷丞 丨賷賳 鬲賵噩丿 賲賯丕賵賲丞貙 賵丨丕乇爻貙 賵丨賲丕賷丞. 賱丕 賷兀鬲賷 丕賱賮賴賲 廿賱丕 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 賰賵賳賰 賵丕毓賷賸丕 賱賲丕 賴賵 賲賵噩賵丿鈥�.
噩賵丿賵 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷.
July 1, 2017
I love this Indian philosopher. A nugget from him;
鈥淚t is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.鈥�
鈥淚t is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.鈥�
January 23, 2024
Someone once gave me this book for no reason known to me. Then began the madness and transformation of my life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2013
When my mentor recommended that I read Jiddu Krishnamurti's works, I thought they would be Deepak Chopra-esque pseudo-profound books, and so it was with a sense of dread that I picked up "The First and Last Freedom" (or in my case, downloaded the PDF). Instead, I was taken aback by the rational introspection the author presents. This is a book that has the potential to be life-changing. Everything within it is sensible and even obvious, and many times I found Krishnamurti completing thoughts that I had already started having (God being used for gratification, for instance, or people only seeking what they already know). Some ideas are still difficult for me to grasp conceptually, though he fills the books with real-life scenarios and examples that do help relate experience to theory, and many I would never have even considered if it were not for this book.
The only difficulty, then, is implementing what he says. I found keeping an alert mind for even an hour, without "desiring" anything, to be extremely difficult. In a way, it showed me the necessity of religion, because surely it is not realistic to expect most people to have such a hold over their thought process? It is certainly easier to concentrate on God than to cultivate "choiceless awareness". Yet the few moments I did manage to be aware and alert were just as he said - without conflict.
This book challenges everything I have been taught, and I recommend it to anyone who is finding religion to be rather shallow. It is not a hard read, and I will certainly be re-reading it some time in the near future. Perhaps it requires some more maturity and life experiences, as I could tell while reading that I was missing things, and it is hard to reconcile the blatant truth of this with the accepted truth of society. Nevertheless, for me, "The First and Last Freedom" clarifies a great many issues in an unexpectedly practical manner.
The only difficulty, then, is implementing what he says. I found keeping an alert mind for even an hour, without "desiring" anything, to be extremely difficult. In a way, it showed me the necessity of religion, because surely it is not realistic to expect most people to have such a hold over their thought process? It is certainly easier to concentrate on God than to cultivate "choiceless awareness". Yet the few moments I did manage to be aware and alert were just as he said - without conflict.
This book challenges everything I have been taught, and I recommend it to anyone who is finding religion to be rather shallow. It is not a hard read, and I will certainly be re-reading it some time in the near future. Perhaps it requires some more maturity and life experiences, as I could tell while reading that I was missing things, and it is hard to reconcile the blatant truth of this with the accepted truth of society. Nevertheless, for me, "The First and Last Freedom" clarifies a great many issues in an unexpectedly practical manner.
July 4, 2019
丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 讴乇蹖卮賳丕 賲賵乇鬲蹖 亘賴 亘乇乇爻蹖 賲賮丕賴蹖賲蹖 趩賵賳 丕丿乇丕讴貙 诏賵卮 丿丕丿賳貙 匕賴賳貙 夭賲丕賳 賵... 賲蹖 倬乇丿丕夭丿. 賳讴鬲賴 噩丕賱亘 讴鬲丕亘 賴丕蹖 讴乇蹖卮賳丕 賲賵乇鬲蹖 倬乇丿丕禺鬲 亘賴 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿睾丿睾賴 丕賳爻丕賳 丕賲乇賵夭 丿乇 賵乇丕蹖 卮賴乇鬲貙 賲丕丿蹖丕鬲 賵... 丕爻鬲. 倬乇爻卮 賵 倬丕爻禺 賴丕蹖 丕賳鬲賴丕蹖蹖 讴鬲丕亘 賳蹖夭 噩丕賱亘 鬲賵噩賴 丕爻鬲... 诏賵蹖蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 亘賴 賲孬丕亘賴 蹖 蹖讴 倬乇爻卮诏乇 丕爻鬲 賵 丌賳 爻賵丕賱 賴丕貨 鬲賲丕賲丕 爻賵丕賱 賴丕蹖 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 賳蹖夭 賲蹖 亘丕卮丿...丕蹖賳讴賴 鬲丨賵賱 趩蹖爻鬲責 匕賴賳 趩诏賵賳賴 亘賴 丌乇丕賲卮 賲蹖 乇爻丿責 毓卮賯 趩賴 鬲毓亘蹖乇蹖 丿丕乇丿 賵...!
讴鬲丕亘"丕賵賱蹖賳 賵 丌禺乇蹖賳 乇賴丕蹖蹖" 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 丕夭 丕賳丿蹖卮賴 賴丕貙 爻禺賳乇丕賳蹖 賴丕 賵 鬲毓賱蹖賲丕鬲 孬亘鬲 卮丿賴"讴乇蹖卮賳丕 賲賵乇鬲蹖"(1895_1986)丕爻鬲.
丕夭 噩賲賱賴 賲锟斤拷丕丨孬蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘賴 丌賳 賴丕 倬乇丿丕禺鬲賴 賲蹖 卮賵丿 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳 亘賴 賮乇丿 賵 丕噩鬲賲丕毓貙 丕蹖丿賴 賵 毓賲賱貙 丕毓鬲賯丕丿貙 讴賵卮卮貙 鬲賳丕賯囟貙 禺賵丿 趩蹖爻鬲責貙 鬲乇爻 賵...丕卮丕乇賴 讴乇丿.
丕夭 噩賲賱賴 賳讴丕鬲 賲孬亘鬲 丌賲賵夭賴 賴丕蹖 讴乇蹖卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲蹖 倬乇丿丕禺鬲 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿睾丿睾賴 丕賳爻丕賳 丕賲乇賵夭蹖 丕爻鬲. 诏賵蹖蹖 卮賴乇鬲貙 賲丕丿蹖丕鬲 賵... 賴賳賵夭 賯丿乇鬲 亘乇丌賵乇丿賳 賳蹖丕夭賴丕蹖 丿乇賵賳蹖 丕賵 乇丕 賳丿丕乇賳丿 亘賳丕亘乇丕蹖賳 诏丕賲 丕賵賱 卮賳丕禺鬲 禺賵丿 賵 丿乇賵賳蹖丕鬲 禺賵丿 丕爻鬲.
鬲噩乇亘賴 賲賳 丕夭 禺賵丕賳丿賳 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇 诏丕賲 丕賵賱 卮蹖賵賴 蹖 噩丕賱亘 倬乇爻卮 賵 倬丕爻禺 丌賳 亘賵丿 趩乇丕 讴賴 丕蹖賳 卮蹖賵賴 鬲丕 倬丕蹖丕賳 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 乇丕 賲卮鬲丕賯丕賳賴 亘乇 丌賳 賲蹖 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 丕丿丕賲賴 丿賴丿. 賲亘丨孬 賲卮丕賴丿賴 賵 賲卮丕賴丿賴 匕賴賳 丕夭 賯爻賲鬲 賴丕蹖 噩丕賱亘 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘賵丿. 丕蹖賳讴賴 趩胤賵乇 丿乇 賴賳诏丕賲 禺卮賲 亘鬲賵丕賳蹖 賲卮丕賴丿賴 诏乇 亘丕卮蹖 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 噩丕賱亘 亘賵丿.
丕賲丕 亘毓丿 丕夭 倬丕蹖丕賳 讴鬲丕亘 賴賲趩賳丕賳 爻賵丕賱 賴丕 賵 卮讴 賴丕蹖蹖 倬蹖乇丕賲賵賳 丌賲賵夭賴 賴丕蹖卮 丿乇 匕賴賳賲 亘丕賯蹖 賲丕賳丿. 丕夭 賳馗乇 賲賵乇鬲蹖 丌丿賲蹖 夭賲丕賳蹖 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳丿 亘賴 讴賲丕賱 亘乇爻丿 讴賴 亘賴 丿賵乇賴 讴賵丿讴蹖 賵 胤亘蹖毓鬲 亘丕夭诏乇丿丿. 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丕蹖賳 丕賳丿蹖卮賴 亘爻蹖丕乇 賳夭丿蹖讴 亘賴 爻賴乇丕亘 爻倬賴乇蹖 丕爻鬲 賵 鬲丕 丨丿 夭蹖丕丿蹖 乇賲丕賳鬲蹖讴 賵 卮丕毓乇丕賳賴. 蹖丕 诏丕賴蹖 丌夭丕丿蹖 丕乇丕丿賴 丕賳爻丕賳 乇丕 賳丕丿蹖丿賴 賲蹖 诏蹖乇丿 賵 丕賳爻丕賳 乇丕 趩賵賳 賲賵噩賵丿蹖 賲蹖 倬賳丿丕乇丿 讴賴 鬲丨鬲 鬲丨賲蹖賱 丕乇夭卮 賴丕蹖 噩丕賲毓賴 丕爻鬲.
蹖丕 爻賵丕賱 賴丕蹖蹖 賳馗蹖乇 丕蹖賳讴賴 丕诏乇 匕賴賳 賵 禺丕胤乇賴 亘丿 賵 賲囟乇 賴爻鬲賳丿 倬爻 鬲丨賵賱 亘乇丕蹖 趩賴 賳蹖丕夭 丕爻鬲責 賵 趩乇丕 丕氐賱丕 丕蹖賳 爻丕禺鬲丕乇 讴賱蹖 亘賴 丕賵 丿丕丿賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲責 亘禺丕胤乇 丕蹖賳 讴賴 乇賳噩 亘讴卮丿責 賮讴乇 賲蹖 讴賳賲 诏丕賴蹖 卮丕蹖丿 毓賱賲 倬丕爻禺 亘賴鬲乇蹖 亘丿賴丿.
讴鬲丕亘"丕賵賱蹖賳 賵 丌禺乇蹖賳 乇賴丕蹖蹖" 賲噩賲賵毓賴 丕蹖 丕夭 丕賳丿蹖卮賴 賴丕貙 爻禺賳乇丕賳蹖 賴丕 賵 鬲毓賱蹖賲丕鬲 孬亘鬲 卮丿賴"讴乇蹖卮賳丕 賲賵乇鬲蹖"(1895_1986)丕爻鬲.
丕夭 噩賲賱賴 賲锟斤拷丕丨孬蹖 讴賴 丿乇 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘賴 丌賳 賴丕 倬乇丿丕禺鬲賴 賲蹖 卮賵丿 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳 亘賴 賮乇丿 賵 丕噩鬲賲丕毓貙 丕蹖丿賴 賵 毓賲賱貙 丕毓鬲賯丕丿貙 讴賵卮卮貙 鬲賳丕賯囟貙 禺賵丿 趩蹖爻鬲責貙 鬲乇爻 賵...丕卮丕乇賴 讴乇丿.
丕夭 噩賲賱賴 賳讴丕鬲 賲孬亘鬲 丌賲賵夭賴 賴丕蹖 讴乇蹖卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲蹖 倬乇丿丕禺鬲 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲蹖 丕爻鬲 讴賴 丿睾丿睾賴 丕賳爻丕賳 丕賲乇賵夭蹖 丕爻鬲. 诏賵蹖蹖 卮賴乇鬲貙 賲丕丿蹖丕鬲 賵... 賴賳賵夭 賯丿乇鬲 亘乇丌賵乇丿賳 賳蹖丕夭賴丕蹖 丿乇賵賳蹖 丕賵 乇丕 賳丿丕乇賳丿 亘賳丕亘乇丕蹖賳 诏丕賲 丕賵賱 卮賳丕禺鬲 禺賵丿 賵 丿乇賵賳蹖丕鬲 禺賵丿 丕爻鬲.
鬲噩乇亘賴 賲賳 丕夭 禺賵丕賳丿賳 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿乇 诏丕賲 丕賵賱 卮蹖賵賴 蹖 噩丕賱亘 倬乇爻卮 賵 倬丕爻禺 丌賳 亘賵丿 趩乇丕 讴賴 丕蹖賳 卮蹖賵賴 鬲丕 倬丕蹖丕賳 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 乇丕 賲卮鬲丕賯丕賳賴 亘乇 丌賳 賲蹖 丿丕乇丿 讴賴 丕丿丕賲賴 丿賴丿. 賲亘丨孬 賲卮丕賴丿賴 賵 賲卮丕賴丿賴 匕賴賳 丕夭 賯爻賲鬲 賴丕蹖 噩丕賱亘 丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 亘賵丿. 丕蹖賳讴賴 趩胤賵乇 丿乇 賴賳诏丕賲 禺卮賲 亘鬲賵丕賳蹖 賲卮丕賴丿賴 诏乇 亘丕卮蹖 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 噩丕賱亘 亘賵丿.
丕賲丕 亘毓丿 丕夭 倬丕蹖丕賳 讴鬲丕亘 賴賲趩賳丕賳 爻賵丕賱 賴丕 賵 卮讴 賴丕蹖蹖 倬蹖乇丕賲賵賳 丌賲賵夭賴 賴丕蹖卮 丿乇 匕賴賳賲 亘丕賯蹖 賲丕賳丿. 丕夭 賳馗乇 賲賵乇鬲蹖 丌丿賲蹖 夭賲丕賳蹖 賲蹖 鬲賵丕賳丿 亘賴 讴賲丕賱 亘乇爻丿 讴賴 亘賴 丿賵乇賴 讴賵丿讴蹖 賵 胤亘蹖毓鬲 亘丕夭诏乇丿丿. 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丕蹖賳 丕賳丿蹖卮賴 亘爻蹖丕乇 賳夭丿蹖讴 亘賴 爻賴乇丕亘 爻倬賴乇蹖 丕爻鬲 賵 鬲丕 丨丿 夭蹖丕丿蹖 乇賲丕賳鬲蹖讴 賵 卮丕毓乇丕賳賴. 蹖丕 诏丕賴蹖 丌夭丕丿蹖 丕乇丕丿賴 丕賳爻丕賳 乇丕 賳丕丿蹖丿賴 賲蹖 诏蹖乇丿 賵 丕賳爻丕賳 乇丕 趩賵賳 賲賵噩賵丿蹖 賲蹖 倬賳丿丕乇丿 讴賴 鬲丨鬲 鬲丨賲蹖賱 丕乇夭卮 賴丕蹖 噩丕賲毓賴 丕爻鬲.
蹖丕 爻賵丕賱 賴丕蹖蹖 賳馗蹖乇 丕蹖賳讴賴 丕诏乇 匕賴賳 賵 禺丕胤乇賴 亘丿 賵 賲囟乇 賴爻鬲賳丿 倬爻 鬲丨賵賱 亘乇丕蹖 趩賴 賳蹖丕夭 丕爻鬲責 賵 趩乇丕 丕氐賱丕 丕蹖賳 爻丕禺鬲丕乇 讴賱蹖 亘賴 丕賵 丿丕丿賴 卮丿賴 丕爻鬲責 亘禺丕胤乇 丕蹖賳 讴賴 乇賳噩 亘讴卮丿責 賮讴乇 賲蹖 讴賳賲 诏丕賴蹖 卮丕蹖丿 毓賱賲 倬丕爻禺 亘賴鬲乇蹖 亘丿賴丿.
March 13, 2008
In the Spring of every year, Krishnamurti would come speak under a large oak in a quiet grove near Ojai, California. We would take a blanket, spread it out on the grass, and listen. This book will give readers an idea of his thinking, but it was his silence that really penetrated and made us intrigued to know what he was saying.
October 3, 2015
禺賱丕氐丞 賮賰乇 丕賱賮賷賱爻賵賮 丕賱賴賳丿賷 噩賵丿賵 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷貙 賷賯毓 賮賷 噩夭卅賷賳貙 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱兀賵賱貙 賷賮賰賰 賮賷賴 賲毓馗賲 丕賱賲賮丕賴賷賲 賵丕賱兀賳賲丕胤 丕賱鬲賮賰賷乇賷丞貙 賵賷胤乇丨 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 丕賱賮乇丿 賵丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓貙 丕賱亘丨孬 丕賱賵噩賵丿賷貙 丕賱賮毓賱貙 賲賳丕亘毓 丕賱賮賰乇.. 賵睾賷乇賴.
兀賲丕 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賮賴賵 兀賴賲 丕賱兀爻卅賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 兀噩丕亘 毓賳賴丕 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賮賷 賱賯丕亍丕鬲賴 賲毓 賲乇賷丿賷賴.
賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賱賱丿乇丕爻丞貙 賵丕賱鬲兀賲賱貙 賵賷賯乇兀 毓賱賶 賲賴賱.
兀賲丕 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賮賴賵 兀賴賲 丕賱兀爻卅賱丞 丕賱鬲賷 兀噩丕亘 毓賳賴丕 賰乇賷卮賳丕賲賵乇鬲賷 賮賷 賱賯丕亍丕鬲賴 賲毓 賲乇賷丿賷賴.
賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賱賱丿乇丕爻丞貙 賵丕賱鬲兀賲賱貙 賵賷賯乇兀 毓賱賶 賲賴賱.
May 5, 2016
賰賵賳 兀賳賾 毓賳賵丕賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賵賲丨鬲賵丕賴貙 賲鬲胤丕亘賯丕賳 鬲賲丕賲賸丕貨 爻亘亘 賵噩賷賴賹 賱兀賲賳丨 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 禺賲爻 賳噩賲丕鬲 亘賱 兀賱賮賺 賲賳 禺賲爻.
賷丕 賱賴 賲賳 賰鬲丕亘! 賮賷賴 鬲賱鬲賯賷 亘賰. 賲賳 睾賷乇 卮丕卅亘丞貙 鬲鬲毓乇賮賰貙 鬲毓乇賮賰貙 賵鬲爻鬲賰卮賮賰. 賵賲賳 睾賷乇 兀賳 鬲賯鬲丨賲賰.
賷賳丕賯卮 賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賰乇賷卮賳丕 賲賵乇鬲賷 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 賲鬲賳賵毓丞 鬲卮賲賱 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞貙 丕賱禺賵賮貙 丕賱孬乇孬乇丞貙 丕賱賵丨丿丞 賵丕賱噩賳爻 賵睾賷乇賴丕 賲賳 丕賱賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 丕賱賰孬賷乇貙 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 賲禺鬲賱賮 鬲賲丕賲賸丕 毓賲丕 賳丿毓賵賴 亘賳賯丕卮. 廿匕 兀賳 賯乇丕亍丞 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 亘賲孬丕亘丞 噩賱爻丞 賳賯賷丞 鬲賱鬲賯賷 賮賷賴丕 亘乇賵丨賰 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 賱賲 賷爻亘賯 賱賰 賵兀賳 丕賱鬲賯賷鬲 亘賴丕.
廿賳賴 賰鬲丕亘賹 賲丨賲賱 亘丕賱胤賲兀賳賷賳丞貙 賰賷賮 賱丕 賵賴賵 賲賳 兀賵賱賶 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱鬲賷 兀賯乇兀賴丕 匕丕鬲 丕爻賲 毓賱賶 賲爻賲賶 亘賰賱 賲丕 鬲丨賲賱賴 丕賱賰賱賲丞 賲賳 賲毓賳賶.
丿賻毓購賵賰賲 丕賱丌賳 賲賳 賰賱 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱鬲賷 亘賷賳 賷丿賷賰賲貙 賵賱賵賯鬲賺 賯氐賷乇貙 賵廿亘丿兀賵丕 亘賯乇丕亍丞 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘貙 賱毓賱賰賲 鬲鬲賻丨乇賾乇賵賳 賵鬲購丨乇賾乇賵賳. 亘賱 爻鬲賮毓賱賵賳.
賷丕 賱賴 賲賳 賰鬲丕亘! 賮賷賴 鬲賱鬲賯賷 亘賰. 賲賳 睾賷乇 卮丕卅亘丞貙 鬲鬲毓乇賮賰貙 鬲毓乇賮賰貙 賵鬲爻鬲賰卮賮賰. 賵賲賳 睾賷乇 兀賳 鬲賯鬲丨賲賰.
賷賳丕賯卮 賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賰乇賷卮賳丕 賲賵乇鬲賷 賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 賲鬲賳賵毓丞 鬲卮賲賱 丕賱賲毓丕賳丕丞貙 丕賱禺賵賮貙 丕賱孬乇孬乇丞貙 丕賱賵丨丿丞 賵丕賱噩賳爻 賵睾賷乇賴丕 賲賳 丕賱賲賵囟賵毓丕鬲 丕賱賰孬賷乇貙 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 賲禺鬲賱賮 鬲賲丕賲賸丕 毓賲丕 賳丿毓賵賴 亘賳賯丕卮. 廿匕 兀賳 賯乇丕亍丞 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 亘賲孬丕亘丞 噩賱爻丞 賳賯賷丞 鬲賱鬲賯賷 賮賷賴丕 亘乇賵丨賰 毓賱賶 賳丨賵 賱賲 賷爻亘賯 賱賰 賵兀賳 丕賱鬲賯賷鬲 亘賴丕.
廿賳賴 賰鬲丕亘賹 賲丨賲賱 亘丕賱胤賲兀賳賷賳丞貙 賰賷賮 賱丕 賵賴賵 賲賳 兀賵賱賶 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱鬲賷 兀賯乇兀賴丕 匕丕鬲 丕爻賲 毓賱賶 賲爻賲賶 亘賰賱 賲丕 鬲丨賲賱賴 丕賱賰賱賲丞 賲賳 賲毓賳賶.
丿賻毓購賵賰賲 丕賱丌賳 賲賳 賰賱 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱鬲賷 亘賷賳 賷丿賷賰賲貙 賵賱賵賯鬲賺 賯氐賷乇貙 賵廿亘丿兀賵丕 亘賯乇丕亍丞 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘貙 賱毓賱賰賲 鬲鬲賻丨乇賾乇賵賳 賵鬲購丨乇賾乇賵賳. 亘賱 爻鬲賮毓賱賵賳.
June 26, 2014
I was reading this book with so much interest for the first 160 pages or so but, when i came to realize the totality of his belief- that the truth is a pathless land- it hit me: why would something entirely incommunicable be written in a book? That's where Krisnamurti's BELIEFS really fell apart for me.
I'd hand it to him, he speaks extremely clear and has a very sharp intellect. But, his assumptions, generalized conclusions and contradictions are enormous when one looks carefully. For example, he criticizes meditation as concentration for the sake of escape but fails to realize that people don't always concentrate to escape: others escape to concentrate. Big difference. And when he discusses a certain topic like fear, truth, boredom or belief and says how investigating them causes the problem to get worse or the confusion to continue, he asks the reader to experiment, to notice for him or her self how these function in their life-I.e, to INVESTIGATE. An impossible thing to do according to his assertions.
Another thing that is wrong with his thinking is that he thinks thinking will lead no where: that introspection is a distortion with the old: language which is really a distortion with past symbols and memories. I'm sure this is a very beautiful approach to reach Nirvana in Zen when one is meditating or what have you. But, there's a reason why Mahayana quickly become more popular that Theravata Buddhism: it embraced the entire being and not just the nothingness of reality but also the need to have devotion towards a person or image, recite prayers and mantras and create mandalas with so many beautifully intricate designs. In other words, it wasn't devoted to just the intellect. And no matter how hard he denies the redemptive power of the intellect, isn't that exactly what he's assuming by writing books and giving lectures?
Krisnamurti in a way reminds me of Socrates and The Buddha. He is willing to push people's buttons and get to the heart of an issue without over- intellectualizing. I admire that. But, if anything is to remain of his legacy, it would be about a man whose propagation of independence and individuality was necessitated by a TRUST in his authority.
I'd hand it to him, he speaks extremely clear and has a very sharp intellect. But, his assumptions, generalized conclusions and contradictions are enormous when one looks carefully. For example, he criticizes meditation as concentration for the sake of escape but fails to realize that people don't always concentrate to escape: others escape to concentrate. Big difference. And when he discusses a certain topic like fear, truth, boredom or belief and says how investigating them causes the problem to get worse or the confusion to continue, he asks the reader to experiment, to notice for him or her self how these function in their life-I.e, to INVESTIGATE. An impossible thing to do according to his assertions.
Another thing that is wrong with his thinking is that he thinks thinking will lead no where: that introspection is a distortion with the old: language which is really a distortion with past symbols and memories. I'm sure this is a very beautiful approach to reach Nirvana in Zen when one is meditating or what have you. But, there's a reason why Mahayana quickly become more popular that Theravata Buddhism: it embraced the entire being and not just the nothingness of reality but also the need to have devotion towards a person or image, recite prayers and mantras and create mandalas with so many beautifully intricate designs. In other words, it wasn't devoted to just the intellect. And no matter how hard he denies the redemptive power of the intellect, isn't that exactly what he's assuming by writing books and giving lectures?
Krisnamurti in a way reminds me of Socrates and The Buddha. He is willing to push people's buttons and get to the heart of an issue without over- intellectualizing. I admire that. But, if anything is to remain of his legacy, it would be about a man whose propagation of independence and individuality was necessitated by a TRUST in his authority.
January 31, 2016
"What you understand leaves no mark"
To meet every challenge fresh and without preconceived notions - this is the theme central to Krishnamurti's philosophy. It is a very powerful idea, one which we know works, and is central to spiritual gurus (like Osho, Thich Nhat Hanh, Eckhart Tolle) whose ideas are based around and constitute Eastern philosophy.
The method of tireless scrutiny he dictates is painfully honest. It requires great focus to develop such persistence in inspecting one's actions and urges, of which Krishnamurti was a master. He has a disdain for all the philosophical ideas one adheres to in hope of finding God. Such ways rely on numbing the brain down rather than opening it up to a creative intuition.
February 14, 2021
Dnf. Yeah, I'm done with this guy. I think he's talking out of his ass half the time, but nobody wants to acknowledge it.
October 18, 2017
I never read anything by Krishnamurti prior to picking up this book, I only watched some of his video recordings. I found him illuminating and precise, so I wanted to read an actual book.
I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, but then I started to realize that Krishnamurti is full of contradictions, even in the chapter on contradictions. They started piling up and I just had to drop the book halfway through, I couldn't stand reading it any further.
Obvious contradictions aside, he tends to present a lot of things as "obvious facts" without realizing that he himself is full of assumptions which aren't factual at all. And the entire idea about love? Ugh... So yeah, I didn't like it at all and I don't think I'll read anything from Krishnamurti again.
I enjoyed the first couple of chapters, but then I started to realize that Krishnamurti is full of contradictions, even in the chapter on contradictions. They started piling up and I just had to drop the book halfway through, I couldn't stand reading it any further.
Obvious contradictions aside, he tends to present a lot of things as "obvious facts" without realizing that he himself is full of assumptions which aren't factual at all. And the entire idea about love? Ugh... So yeah, I didn't like it at all and I don't think I'll read anything from Krishnamurti again.
April 29, 2025
Krishnamurti鈥檚 writing & talks have opened minds & touched hearts for many decades. There鈥檚 a simplicity to his writing and he obviously understood 鈥� in a non-academic way 鈥� much about the human mind & emotional reactions. His writings speak to something beyond these, as well: the fundamental relationship of a human to Being or God.
He spoke and wrote in a modern manner, and without jargon employed by specialists. Especially in his later years, he felt that an important aspect of his mission was to assist in freeing the minds of leaders and educators. He alluded to a personal and unique liberating process he'd experienced, rooted in a mode of ongoing mindfulness. He repeated the principles so much that, from talk to talk (and book to book), they began to seem aphoristic.
The reservation I鈥檝e long felt about his expression in books & recorded talks is that his circumstances of life were distinctly different from those of the vast majority of human beings. From his boyhood, when he was discovered by Theosophists in India in 1909, people fed him, sheltered him, and clothed him. When he emerged from the notions & expectations of the Theosophical Society, into his unique personal identity (and stretching through the rest of his life), he was still surrounded by supporters, many of them aristocrats.
After his early teens, Krishnamurti lived the lion's share of his life in Europe & America. He rejected Indian traditionalism, and saw himself as a modern man. In principle, he addressed contemporary world issues. Supporters ensured his writings would be published and made his travel arrangements. They provided a nice home in the countryside in Ojai, California, enabled his style as a gentleman, cooked his meals; they also managed things when he crashed a car, and arranged abortions to deal with pregnancies he'd engendered. It's as though the life risks he took were within quite a safeguarded sphere. All this is made plain in several biographical treatments of K鈥檚 life, one fairly thorough one being Roland Vernon鈥檚 Star in the East.
And too, some of 'Ks books are collections reporting his consultations with persons seeking his advice, usually expecting him to address their plight 鈥� for they felt unhappy. But was Krishnamurti 'in touch' in his conceptions, or opinions, or his advice? The ordinary modern person is very much engaged with efforts to maintain himself or herself, and surely many little & larger anxieties in life are born from the inherent challenges.
Yet I feel there鈥檚 a balancing influence in this particular book, namely the foreword by Aldous Huxley, someone suitably learned in history, depth-psychology, and social structures. And, too, Huxley was no stranger to family & economic life. All this, it seems to me, tended to make Huxley more broadly tolerant & practical in his opinions. Krishnamurti taught noble principles and useful psychological ideas, but those who met him often felt the man could be cold, supercilious, and somewhat deceitful. Huxley's life was distinctly one of compassion in action, and certainly that has some value.
He spoke and wrote in a modern manner, and without jargon employed by specialists. Especially in his later years, he felt that an important aspect of his mission was to assist in freeing the minds of leaders and educators. He alluded to a personal and unique liberating process he'd experienced, rooted in a mode of ongoing mindfulness. He repeated the principles so much that, from talk to talk (and book to book), they began to seem aphoristic.
The reservation I鈥檝e long felt about his expression in books & recorded talks is that his circumstances of life were distinctly different from those of the vast majority of human beings. From his boyhood, when he was discovered by Theosophists in India in 1909, people fed him, sheltered him, and clothed him. When he emerged from the notions & expectations of the Theosophical Society, into his unique personal identity (and stretching through the rest of his life), he was still surrounded by supporters, many of them aristocrats.
After his early teens, Krishnamurti lived the lion's share of his life in Europe & America. He rejected Indian traditionalism, and saw himself as a modern man. In principle, he addressed contemporary world issues. Supporters ensured his writings would be published and made his travel arrangements. They provided a nice home in the countryside in Ojai, California, enabled his style as a gentleman, cooked his meals; they also managed things when he crashed a car, and arranged abortions to deal with pregnancies he'd engendered. It's as though the life risks he took were within quite a safeguarded sphere. All this is made plain in several biographical treatments of K鈥檚 life, one fairly thorough one being Roland Vernon鈥檚 Star in the East.
And too, some of 'Ks books are collections reporting his consultations with persons seeking his advice, usually expecting him to address their plight 鈥� for they felt unhappy. But was Krishnamurti 'in touch' in his conceptions, or opinions, or his advice? The ordinary modern person is very much engaged with efforts to maintain himself or herself, and surely many little & larger anxieties in life are born from the inherent challenges.
Yet I feel there鈥檚 a balancing influence in this particular book, namely the foreword by Aldous Huxley, someone suitably learned in history, depth-psychology, and social structures. And, too, Huxley was no stranger to family & economic life. All this, it seems to me, tended to make Huxley more broadly tolerant & practical in his opinions. Krishnamurti taught noble principles and useful psychological ideas, but those who met him often felt the man could be cold, supercilious, and somewhat deceitful. Huxley's life was distinctly one of compassion in action, and certainly that has some value.
August 11, 2015
If you are familiar with "zen" then this book is a pure classic in that genus. To be more precise, this is not even a book in the strictest of senses; perhaps a series of discourse on wide range of topics including self-knowledge, awareness, desire, relationship, time, present-crisis, loneliness, suffering, sex, simplicity, meaning of life, transformation, and so on. Nonetheless, I got bored continuing from this subject matter to that not because the intrinsic contents were less appealing, but because of the fact that things became repetitious. Krishnamurti began by emphasizing on awareness, and then continued on this forever and ever.
Anyway, could there be a solution, "a way out", a remedy to this ever present chaos in this world through any means other than self awareness, by embracing zen, experiencing human life in the "now", from moment to moment, and being so aware that you would not even need a "way out"? I believe, the answer has to be NO. So, if you truly get what Krishnamurti is trying to put out there, you need not even read beyond first few chapters. It is that simple, as the title itself suggests awareness to be the first and the last freedom.
Another thing, Krishnamurti has utterly rubbished out knowledge, philosophy, beliefs, meditation and yoga in the form of escapism, words, language, dogmas (well, I was reminded of those inspirational twaddles you see these days on instagram/facebook quite a lot; though I adore some of them myself and wish them to keep on coming). However, I would like to quote the author on his view of how ego works. (though J Krishnamurti, throughout this book has hit out on words and labeled such quotes as coming out of an uncreative mind). He marked, "If I see the necessity of being clean, it is very simple; I go and wash. But if it is an ideal that I should be clean, then what happens? Cleanliness is then postponed or is superficial."
Although this book has not got much in store for gratification in terms of literary genius, it is one of those books that can change your life views, and give you a completely novel perspective to how you see your life. As many of the remarkable books on zen, this one too does not teach you anything at all, but instead help you unlearn awful lot of things that you have always been carrying heavily with you to little avail. In summary, the author makes a very humble request to just go with the flow, and experiment with being aware from moment to moment without any sense of justification. If you love, you love; if you are happy, you are happy; if you hate, you hate; if you are sad, just be sad, so miserably sad; if you are angry, be a complete anger, in totality, do not condemn, do not resist, but just be aware.
Anyway, could there be a solution, "a way out", a remedy to this ever present chaos in this world through any means other than self awareness, by embracing zen, experiencing human life in the "now", from moment to moment, and being so aware that you would not even need a "way out"? I believe, the answer has to be NO. So, if you truly get what Krishnamurti is trying to put out there, you need not even read beyond first few chapters. It is that simple, as the title itself suggests awareness to be the first and the last freedom.
Another thing, Krishnamurti has utterly rubbished out knowledge, philosophy, beliefs, meditation and yoga in the form of escapism, words, language, dogmas (well, I was reminded of those inspirational twaddles you see these days on instagram/facebook quite a lot; though I adore some of them myself and wish them to keep on coming). However, I would like to quote the author on his view of how ego works. (though J Krishnamurti, throughout this book has hit out on words and labeled such quotes as coming out of an uncreative mind). He marked, "If I see the necessity of being clean, it is very simple; I go and wash. But if it is an ideal that I should be clean, then what happens? Cleanliness is then postponed or is superficial."
Although this book has not got much in store for gratification in terms of literary genius, it is one of those books that can change your life views, and give you a completely novel perspective to how you see your life. As many of the remarkable books on zen, this one too does not teach you anything at all, but instead help you unlearn awful lot of things that you have always been carrying heavily with you to little avail. In summary, the author makes a very humble request to just go with the flow, and experiment with being aware from moment to moment without any sense of justification. If you love, you love; if you are happy, you are happy; if you hate, you hate; if you are sad, just be sad, so miserably sad; if you are angry, be a complete anger, in totality, do not condemn, do not resist, but just be aware.
February 17, 2015
鈥淭he self is a problem that thought cannot solve.鈥�
Reading Krishnamurti is often a disorienting experience. How to account for this?
One way is his writing/speaking style. The diction is as simple as can be, but the syntax is distinctively circular鈥搃n quoting him I often found myself glueing with ellipses fractions of multiple sentences. It鈥檚 almost as if the simplicity of his message undermines our linear way of understanding. Part of this is perhaps the fact that Krishnamurti is asking as much if not more than he鈥檚 telling. Our learning fails us before such introspection and we are left to confront the issue with only our selves.
Another is that, without being so conscious of it, we are used to getting backed into one corner or another when reading pedological literature. That is, we are conditioned to seek and receive the specific agenda the author is advancing so as to then take up a position in relation to it. Krishnamurti on the other hand is inviting, if not badgering us out of the corner, whatever it is, however cozy it might be. He challenges everything: institutions of religion, education, culture, ideas, thought, desire, even choice, effort, practice, cultivation, invitation鈥搉one can be of aid. And in the same stroke that he grants no outlet in lieu of oneself, he gives this action no label with which one can handle and thereby misuse it鈥揵e that by worship or dismissal. Ultimately we realize that the disorientation is by design. In a nutshell Krishnamurti is all challenge and no message.
Lastly then, is the ambiguity of just what that challenge is. Leaving us no shelter, even the shrewdest among us are confounded until we concede to what is ultimately a sentiment found in nearly any religion and philosophy: Know thy self. The great difference being that Krishnamurti鈥搕he cheeky bastard鈥搑ather then telling us what there is to know, insists this can only be done by: getting to know thy self. And yes, in this crazy world that is a revolutionary position.
鈥淲atch yourself鈥nderstand that any reaction is conditioned and that, through conditioning, there can be no freedom either at the beginning or the end鈥撯€�
Reading Krishnamurti is often a disorienting experience. How to account for this?
One way is his writing/speaking style. The diction is as simple as can be, but the syntax is distinctively circular鈥搃n quoting him I often found myself glueing with ellipses fractions of multiple sentences. It鈥檚 almost as if the simplicity of his message undermines our linear way of understanding. Part of this is perhaps the fact that Krishnamurti is asking as much if not more than he鈥檚 telling. Our learning fails us before such introspection and we are left to confront the issue with only our selves.
Another is that, without being so conscious of it, we are used to getting backed into one corner or another when reading pedological literature. That is, we are conditioned to seek and receive the specific agenda the author is advancing so as to then take up a position in relation to it. Krishnamurti on the other hand is inviting, if not badgering us out of the corner, whatever it is, however cozy it might be. He challenges everything: institutions of religion, education, culture, ideas, thought, desire, even choice, effort, practice, cultivation, invitation鈥搉one can be of aid. And in the same stroke that he grants no outlet in lieu of oneself, he gives this action no label with which one can handle and thereby misuse it鈥揵e that by worship or dismissal. Ultimately we realize that the disorientation is by design. In a nutshell Krishnamurti is all challenge and no message.
Lastly then, is the ambiguity of just what that challenge is. Leaving us no shelter, even the shrewdest among us are confounded until we concede to what is ultimately a sentiment found in nearly any religion and philosophy: Know thy self. The great difference being that Krishnamurti鈥搕he cheeky bastard鈥搑ather then telling us what there is to know, insists this can only be done by: getting to know thy self. And yes, in this crazy world that is a revolutionary position.
鈥淲atch yourself鈥nderstand that any reaction is conditioned and that, through conditioning, there can be no freedom either at the beginning or the end鈥撯€�
November 22, 2021
The First and Last Freedom by J. Krishnamurti is one of the most profound works that I have ever come across after Vivekananda. I have always been intrigued with relationship between thinker and thought. To some extent, I think, after reading this book, I have come close to the understanding of the mind鈥檚 duality, of course in terms of thinker and thought.
In a way, we are unaware of ourselves. We need to find ourselves free from any external conditioning and Krishnamurti in this epic work approaches us in a psychological way and help us take out ourselves from our own miseries.
Main idea in this book is about the inner workings of the mind. Krishnamurti says that we humans are a product of our own thoughts. We are fixed in a self-created patterns called thoughts. In a bigger picture we forget that thoughts are nothing but the events of past time. So, the only way to break free is to live in the present moment by observing constantly the way how our mind process information and surface desires.
The book is an interesting read. His advice of living life moment to moment is not easy but its worth giving a try. I strongly resonate with his idea of studying/observing the self before jumping directly into the affairs of the world. After all systems, techniques, ideas are created by others. If we all have different mindset, so should be the individual journey as well.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to transform oneself through rational introspection into clear thinking. It surely is a life-changing book.
More:
In a way, we are unaware of ourselves. We need to find ourselves free from any external conditioning and Krishnamurti in this epic work approaches us in a psychological way and help us take out ourselves from our own miseries.
Main idea in this book is about the inner workings of the mind. Krishnamurti says that we humans are a product of our own thoughts. We are fixed in a self-created patterns called thoughts. In a bigger picture we forget that thoughts are nothing but the events of past time. So, the only way to break free is to live in the present moment by observing constantly the way how our mind process information and surface desires.
The book is an interesting read. His advice of living life moment to moment is not easy but its worth giving a try. I strongly resonate with his idea of studying/observing the self before jumping directly into the affairs of the world. After all systems, techniques, ideas are created by others. If we all have different mindset, so should be the individual journey as well.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to transform oneself through rational introspection into clear thinking. It surely is a life-changing book.
More:
December 27, 2020
This is my K's third read and I just keep getting more impressed by the simplicity of his language, clarity of thought, and depth of inquiry. There are two parts to the book. The first part contains K's discourses on a variety of topics ranging from Simplicity to Fear to Desire and so on. Then the second part contains 38 questions followed by answers to those questions by K.
The broader points across K's books remain the same. One of the important ones is - self-knowledge or understanding of what is leads to ultimate freedom. Now the problem is that nobody can show you or tell you the path to self-knowledge, only you have to inquire/experiment with it to get there. If someone tells you the way, it is his or her self-projection of the reality - which is always conditioned by his or her experiences and can never lead You to be free. Reality, self-knowledge, or what you will, is not a fixed end in itself - and when it becomes a fixed end, it is no more reality. Reality is the unutterable, unmeasurable, and cannot be put down in words, which are always limited. Rather, Reality is living, thriving, moment-to-moment awareness.
Like other books of K, this is a book of inquiry and hence do expect an answer/solution to your problems from it - because there is none. There is just inquiry.
K always leaves you with something to think about. Do give it a read.
The broader points across K's books remain the same. One of the important ones is - self-knowledge or understanding of what is leads to ultimate freedom. Now the problem is that nobody can show you or tell you the path to self-knowledge, only you have to inquire/experiment with it to get there. If someone tells you the way, it is his or her self-projection of the reality - which is always conditioned by his or her experiences and can never lead You to be free. Reality, self-knowledge, or what you will, is not a fixed end in itself - and when it becomes a fixed end, it is no more reality. Reality is the unutterable, unmeasurable, and cannot be put down in words, which are always limited. Rather, Reality is living, thriving, moment-to-moment awareness.
Like other books of K, this is a book of inquiry and hence do expect an answer/solution to your problems from it - because there is none. There is just inquiry.
K always leaves you with something to think about. Do give it a read.
February 4, 2023
笑械泄 褔芯谢芯胁褨泻 蟹邪谢懈褕邪褦褌褜褋褟 写谢褟 屑械薪械 蟹邪谐邪写泻芯褞. 袙褨薪 谐芯胁芯褉懈褌褜 斜邪谐邪褌芯 褑褨泻邪胁芯谐芯 褌邪 锌芯屑褨褌薪芯 谐谢懈斜懈薪褍 写褍屑芯泻. 袨写薪邪泻 褖芯褋褜 薪械胁谢芯胁懈屑械 锌褉懈褋褍褌薪褦 褍 胁褋褜芯屑褍 褌械泻褋褌褨, 褨蟹 褔懈屑 褟 褋芯斜褨 谢芯谐褨褔薪芯 薪械 屑芯卸褍 写邪褌懈 褉邪写懈.
December 27, 2016
Challenging? Yes, in more ways than one. He repeats himself ad nauseam, to the point that the second half of the book uncannily resembles the first half. But the points he raises do challenge one's world view.
_____________
Every system is a standing temptation to take symbols too seriously, to pay more attention to words than to the realities for which the words are supposed to stand.
To understand the misery and confusion that exists within ourselves and the world, we must first find clarity within ourselves, and that clarity comes about through right thinking. This clarity to be organised, for it cannot be exchanged with another. Organised group thought is merely repetitive. Clarity is not the result of verbal assertion, but of intense self awareness and right thinking.
Understanding is now, not tomorrow. When you are interested in something, you do it instantaneously, there is immediate understanding, immediate transformation. The revolution is now, not tomorrow.
But as long as I am ignorant of myself, I have no basis for thought, for affection, for action.
Envy is one of the most destructive factors in relationship because envy indicates the desire for power, for position, and it ultimately leads to politics; both are closely related.
Memory is always in the past, and that memory is given life in the present by a challenge.
Take the people that believe strongly in anything, economic, social or spiritual; the process behind it is the psychological desire to be secure, and then the desire to continue.
Why not look at life as one permanent desire but as a series of fleeting desires always in opposition to each other?
Contradiction arises only when the mind has a fixed point of desire.
Compulsion of any kind can never lead to simplicity. The more you suppress, sublimate and substitute, the less there is simplicity.
The simple person sees directly, has a more direct experience, than the complex person.
The identification with something greater - the party, the country, the race, the religion, God - is the search for power. Because you in yourself are empty, dull, weak, you like to identify yourself with something greater.
It is interesting to realise that our lives are mostly spent in time, not chronological time, but in the sense of psychological memory. We live by time, we are the result of time. Our minds are the product of many yesterdays and the present is merely the passage of the past to the future.
To discover anything new you must start on your own; you must start on a journey completely denuded, especially of knowledge, because it is very easy, through knowledge and belief, to have experiences; but those experiences are merely the products of self-projection and therefore utterly unreal, false.
Introspection is a process in which there is no release because it is the process of transforming what is into something which is not.
Awareness is entirely different. Awareness is observation without condemnation. Awareness brings understanding, because there is no condemnation or identification but silent observation.
Many relationships are really a mutual search for gratification.
Relationship is really a process of self-revelation, which is a process of self-knowledge; in that revelation there are many unpleasant things, disquieting, uncomfortable thoughts, activities.
On boredom:
If you are not interested in why you are bored, you cannot force yourself to be interested in an activity, merely to be doing something like a squirrel going round in a cage.
What do we mean by understanding?
Understanding means giving right significance, right valuation, to all things. To be ignorant is to give wrong values; the very nature of stupidity is the lack of comprehension of right values.
And for the right values to come into being, you must understand the thinker.
It is only when we die each day to all that is old that there can be the new.
Naming is a very convenient way of disposing of things, and of people. If you do not give a label to people you are forced to look at them and then it is much more difficult to kill somebody.
_____________
Every system is a standing temptation to take symbols too seriously, to pay more attention to words than to the realities for which the words are supposed to stand.
To understand the misery and confusion that exists within ourselves and the world, we must first find clarity within ourselves, and that clarity comes about through right thinking. This clarity to be organised, for it cannot be exchanged with another. Organised group thought is merely repetitive. Clarity is not the result of verbal assertion, but of intense self awareness and right thinking.
Understanding is now, not tomorrow. When you are interested in something, you do it instantaneously, there is immediate understanding, immediate transformation. The revolution is now, not tomorrow.
But as long as I am ignorant of myself, I have no basis for thought, for affection, for action.
Envy is one of the most destructive factors in relationship because envy indicates the desire for power, for position, and it ultimately leads to politics; both are closely related.
Memory is always in the past, and that memory is given life in the present by a challenge.
Take the people that believe strongly in anything, economic, social or spiritual; the process behind it is the psychological desire to be secure, and then the desire to continue.
Why not look at life as one permanent desire but as a series of fleeting desires always in opposition to each other?
Contradiction arises only when the mind has a fixed point of desire.
Compulsion of any kind can never lead to simplicity. The more you suppress, sublimate and substitute, the less there is simplicity.
The simple person sees directly, has a more direct experience, than the complex person.
The identification with something greater - the party, the country, the race, the religion, God - is the search for power. Because you in yourself are empty, dull, weak, you like to identify yourself with something greater.
It is interesting to realise that our lives are mostly spent in time, not chronological time, but in the sense of psychological memory. We live by time, we are the result of time. Our minds are the product of many yesterdays and the present is merely the passage of the past to the future.
To discover anything new you must start on your own; you must start on a journey completely denuded, especially of knowledge, because it is very easy, through knowledge and belief, to have experiences; but those experiences are merely the products of self-projection and therefore utterly unreal, false.
Introspection is a process in which there is no release because it is the process of transforming what is into something which is not.
Awareness is entirely different. Awareness is observation without condemnation. Awareness brings understanding, because there is no condemnation or identification but silent observation.
Many relationships are really a mutual search for gratification.
Relationship is really a process of self-revelation, which is a process of self-knowledge; in that revelation there are many unpleasant things, disquieting, uncomfortable thoughts, activities.
On boredom:
If you are not interested in why you are bored, you cannot force yourself to be interested in an activity, merely to be doing something like a squirrel going round in a cage.
What do we mean by understanding?
Understanding means giving right significance, right valuation, to all things. To be ignorant is to give wrong values; the very nature of stupidity is the lack of comprehension of right values.
And for the right values to come into being, you must understand the thinker.
It is only when we die each day to all that is old that there can be the new.
Naming is a very convenient way of disposing of things, and of people. If you do not give a label to people you are forced to look at them and then it is much more difficult to kill somebody.
September 23, 2016
Krishnamurti is incredible. I read this shortly after reading 'Freedom from the Known.' Both books are more compilations of his speeches and writings than books written in book format, and thus overlap a lot and cover very similar themes. 'Freedom from the Known' is more of a direct dive into Krishnamurti's philosophy, whereas 'First and Last Freedom' half deep dive on his philosophy and half in the format of Krishnamurti answering very practical daily life questions.
On Krishnamurti's philosophy, my review from 'Freedom from the Known' is largely applicable here:
/review/show...
The Q&A format was the single biggest difference between the two books. Krishnamurti has an incredible ability to break down complex daily life questions, regarding religion, nationalism, sex, and just about anything else you can think of, into very simple pieces and address with correspondingly straightforward solutions. His basic answer to everything is to analyze any problem you have in your mind and break it down to its root causes, be it jealousy, insecurity, need to identify with something greater, etc. If you can analyze where your thoughts and feelings come from and what conditioning has built up in your mind throughout your life that causes conflict in your life (i.e. an ingrained desire to be rich and successful due to years of societal pressure to do so), you can dissolve that conflict in your mind and reach closer to truth.
Only critique would be that his ability to break problems down to their most basic elements means that his answers to 38 questions can tend to be a bit repetitive. That said, his thinking is so refreshing that I still flew through the Q&A section and plan on coming back to these two books regularly throughout my life. Couldn't recommend both of these books more to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of themselves.
On Krishnamurti's philosophy, my review from 'Freedom from the Known' is largely applicable here:
/review/show...
The Q&A format was the single biggest difference between the two books. Krishnamurti has an incredible ability to break down complex daily life questions, regarding religion, nationalism, sex, and just about anything else you can think of, into very simple pieces and address with correspondingly straightforward solutions. His basic answer to everything is to analyze any problem you have in your mind and break it down to its root causes, be it jealousy, insecurity, need to identify with something greater, etc. If you can analyze where your thoughts and feelings come from and what conditioning has built up in your mind throughout your life that causes conflict in your life (i.e. an ingrained desire to be rich and successful due to years of societal pressure to do so), you can dissolve that conflict in your mind and reach closer to truth.
Only critique would be that his ability to break problems down to their most basic elements means that his answers to 38 questions can tend to be a bit repetitive. That said, his thinking is so refreshing that I still flew through the Q&A section and plan on coming back to these two books regularly throughout my life. Couldn't recommend both of these books more to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of themselves.
October 5, 2021
I'm grateful for Bruce Lee's influence. Through his writings, I found that Krishnamurti had a profound impact on him. The philosopher has helped me also. I could sum everything I've learned into the practice of living moment to moment, and thinking moment to moment. Living in reality helps the mind see instead of think reality, and thinking reality, as in analyzing it, leads to misconceptions and delusion. We often project the past into the present, or miss something new we could learn because we project what we already know onto it.
September 19, 2017
Fantastic, but I read this too early. I'll come back to it in due time.
December 27, 2017
I felt that the book can be much more precise, without repeating the same thoughts in different ways. Had to skim through the pages very fast to understand what the author is basically trying to say.
April 11, 2020
Uncle JK was, and in a way still is, a great teacher.
April 26, 2020
mong s峄沵 膽峄峜 膽瓢峄 b岷 d峄媍h, 膽峄� 膽峄峜 l岷 m峄檛 l岷 n峄痑.
May 19, 2015
La libertad primera y 煤ltima es una recopilaci贸n de charlas que dio Jiddu Krishnamurti a lo largo de su vida sobre distintos temas existenciales; el amor, el sexo, la religion, el poder, el miedo, el deseo, el sufrimiento, la verdad, la libertad, el pensamiento, el conocimiento, la sencillez, el ego, el odio, la comprensi贸n, entre muchos otros.
Si hay alg煤n l铆der espiritual al que admire, ese es Jiddu Krishnamurti, su filosof铆a me parece de lo m谩s l贸gica y realista. Jiddu no nos viene a dar procedimientos a seguir, paso por paso, para resolver nuestros problemas, liberarnos del sufrimiento y alcanzar la felicidad. No nos propone creencias, disciplinas, m茅todos y todo ese tipo de cosas que muchas religiones, gur煤s y sistemas filos贸ficos nos llegan a querer vender. El pensamiento de Krishnamurti est谩 basado en la comprensi贸n de la psicolog铆a natural del ser humano, en el conocimiento de uno mismo y de lo que nos rodea. En entender como funciona nuestra mente, no por lo que alguien m谩s nos dice, sino por nuestra propia observaci贸n y comprensi贸n de lo real, a lo cual se llega con una mente en calma, libre de prejuicios e influencias ideol贸gicas externas. Esa es la verdadera inteligencia, la base para la resoluci贸n de muchos de nuestros problemas existenciales.
Si est谩n interesados en temas filos贸ficos, psicol贸gicos y espirituales, definitivamente les recomiendo leer a Jiddu Krishnamurti, y para leer su filosof铆a, que mejor que este libro que contiene la esencia de su pensamiento sobre gran variedad de temas existenciales. El 煤nico punto negativo que le veo es el hecho de que es una recopilaci贸n de extractos de sus charlas y no un libro escrito estrictamente por la mano de Jiddu Krishnamurti, esto hace que de repente haya temas un tanto inconclusos o repetici贸n de conceptos entre temas muy parecidos. A煤n as铆 decid铆 darle las cinco estrellas porque me parece excelente la sabidur铆a que contiene la filosof铆a de este autor, la cual puede despertar y abrir la mente de los lectores.
Si hay alg煤n l铆der espiritual al que admire, ese es Jiddu Krishnamurti, su filosof铆a me parece de lo m谩s l贸gica y realista. Jiddu no nos viene a dar procedimientos a seguir, paso por paso, para resolver nuestros problemas, liberarnos del sufrimiento y alcanzar la felicidad. No nos propone creencias, disciplinas, m茅todos y todo ese tipo de cosas que muchas religiones, gur煤s y sistemas filos贸ficos nos llegan a querer vender. El pensamiento de Krishnamurti est谩 basado en la comprensi贸n de la psicolog铆a natural del ser humano, en el conocimiento de uno mismo y de lo que nos rodea. En entender como funciona nuestra mente, no por lo que alguien m谩s nos dice, sino por nuestra propia observaci贸n y comprensi贸n de lo real, a lo cual se llega con una mente en calma, libre de prejuicios e influencias ideol贸gicas externas. Esa es la verdadera inteligencia, la base para la resoluci贸n de muchos de nuestros problemas existenciales.
鈥淓l hombre ha creado dentro de s铆 mismo a modo de barrera de seguridad, im谩genes religiosas, pol铆ticas, personales que se manifiestan en s铆mbolos, ideas y creencias. El peso de estas im谩genes domina el pensamiento del hombre, su relaci贸n, y su vida cotidiana. Estas im谩genes son la causa de nuestros problemas porque dividen a los seres humanos.鈥� - Krishnamurti
Si est谩n interesados en temas filos贸ficos, psicol贸gicos y espirituales, definitivamente les recomiendo leer a Jiddu Krishnamurti, y para leer su filosof铆a, que mejor que este libro que contiene la esencia de su pensamiento sobre gran variedad de temas existenciales. El 煤nico punto negativo que le veo es el hecho de que es una recopilaci贸n de extractos de sus charlas y no un libro escrito estrictamente por la mano de Jiddu Krishnamurti, esto hace que de repente haya temas un tanto inconclusos o repetici贸n de conceptos entre temas muy parecidos. A煤n as铆 decid铆 darle las cinco estrellas porque me parece excelente la sabidur铆a que contiene la filosof铆a de este autor, la cual puede despertar y abrir la mente de los lectores.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.