Bøger af J. (J. Krishnamurti) Krishnamurti

Six talks given in September 1956, taken from The Collected Works of J. Krishnamurti, Volume X of XVII.

"What is necessary is to examine unemotionally, not merely intellectually...the intellect doesn't solve any problem; it can only invent a lot of ideas, theories, nor can emotion dissipate the urgency of the problems that one has to face and resolve. What is necessary, it seems to me, is a mind that is capable of examination. To examine there must be freedom from personal views, with a mind that is not guided by one's own temperament, inclination, nor is compelled by circumstances.....it seems to me that one must look at them, not as an individual, but as a human being..the human being supercedes the individual...human beings have the same common factor of sorrow, of joy, of unresolved miseries, despairs, the immense loneliness of modern existence, the utter meaninglessness of life as it is lived now throughout the world;if we could consider these problems as human beings... then perhaps we can intelligently, with care, resolve our problems."

"Only in peace can a human being flower in goodness - not in war, not in violence, not in disorder, but only when there is a deep abiding peace. And to understand this whole phenomenon of hate, destruction and disorder, one has to enquire not merely intellectually - because such an enquiry is futile, worthless and has no meaning whatsoever - but actually what order means, what violence means, and the significance of peace; one has to enquire non-verbally, non-intellectually - [intellectual inquiry] really has very little meaning, because most of us have read or indulged in theory what peace should be, how to get rid of violence, and how to establish order.." Krishnamurti gave these talks in India and Europe. The talks span the whole of human existence, exploring what it means to live rightly in a world full of confusion and misery.

In these Talks, given in India and Saanen, Krishnamurti speaks to the necessity for a new way of looking, thinking and being in the world. "What is the effect or value of an individual changing? How will that transform the whole current of human existence? What can an individual do?...... there is no such thing as an individual consciousness; there is only consciousness of which we are a part. You might segregate yourself and build a wall of a particular space called the `me'. But that `me' is related to the whole, that `me' is not separate. And in transforming that particular section, that particular part, we will affect the whole of consciousness. And I think this is very important to realize: that we are not talking about individual salvation or individual reformation, but about being aware of the particular in relation to, the total. Then out of that realization comes action which will affect the whole."

"In this volume, Krishnamurti takes great care to elucidate this necessity of a revolution within our consciousness where the problem lies before we expect any kind of revolutionary change outside of ourselves. Krishnamurti posits that if the politicians and scientists wanted to end starvation in the world it could be done. "" It could be done, but they are not going to do it as long as their thinking is based on nationalism, on motives of their own personal profit. And even if this far-reaching outward change were brought about, it seems to me that the problem is much deeper."" ""The problem is not merely starvation, war, the brutality of man to man; it is the crisis in our own consciousness. Fundamentally the problem lies within."""

This first volume covers talks given in Italy, Norway, and India. Krishnamurti begins with the statement "Friends, I should like you to make a living discovery, not a discovery induced by the description of others... I am not going to try to describe what to me is truth, for that would be an impossible attempt. One cannot describe or give to another the fullness of an experience. Each one must live it for himself."

The answer to the question, What are you Seeking?, is simple: We want to find truth, God, everlasting peace. The real question, says Krishnamurti, is: 'Why do you seek at all?' (p. 328) Knowing conflict, repression, self-doubt, and fear as consistent companions, we naturally wish for them to come to an end. So begins the search for relief, the search for everlasting peace--through ideas, religions, self-help, self-analysis, etc., and we think of this search as a right action towards finding what we are looking for. But do we know what we are looking for, or are we merely seeking relief from what is happening presently? Are we seeking at that point only an idea, the supposed opposite of the emotion that we are experiencing now? It is the search that maintains the present emotion and its projected opposite in a state of mutually co-existent conflict, inherently.

Krishnamurti delivered these Talks at Rajghat - Benares, on the banks of the Ganges River, during the month of December 1952, to boys and girls, of the ages of 9 to 20. Krishnamurti begins by putting forth the following questions to the students: "Why are you learning history, mathematics, geography? Have you ever thought of why you go to schools and colleges? Is it not very important to find out why you are crammed with information, with so-called knowledge? What is all this so-called education? Your parents send you here because they have taken certain degrees and have passed certain examinations. Have you ever asked yourselves why you are here, and have the teachers themselves asked you why you are here? Do the teachers themselves know why they are here?"

In these talks, given in Ojai and India, Krishnamurti discusses the nature of the observer. He states in the beginning, "to understand the confusion and misery that exist in ourselves, and in the world, we must first find clarity within ourselves and this clarity comes about through right thinking...Right thinking comes with self knowledge. Without understanding yourself, you have no basis for thought; without self-knowledge what you think is not true."

When Krishnamurti''s Notebook first became available in 1976, it was soon realised that it was a spiritually unique document giving his perceptions and experiences and describing his states of consciousness. It is a kind of diary but one that is little concerned with the day to day process of living, though very much aware of the natural world.

Contains a series of 8 lectures, given in Ojai, California in 1955 by Krishnamurti. This volume addresses issues such as: the nature of violence; the problem of change; the conditioning of the mind; how to achieve peace; the nature of worship and spiritual practice; and how to really listen.