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Freedom From The Known Jiddu Krishnamurti, 128 pages Review: In this raw look at a greater truth, the late Krishnamurti examines an existence of self that lies beyond the made up, second-hand personality that most people identify with. Krishnamurti does an excellent job at helping us to see the traps that go along with accepting any outside authority as the ultimate truth. He makes a strong point that by merely “paying attention,” we can start to tap into a greater intelligence that we all innately posses. Throughout this work of art, he shows us that by transcending the intellect, the conditioned and programmed self, which is distorted and limited, we experience more clarity, insight, peace, awareness, and realization.

Book Review by Amazon Reprinted With Permission

Book Description

Krishnamurti shows how people can free themselves radically and immediately from the tyranny of the expected, no matter what their age--opening the door to transforming society and their relationships.


From the Publisher

Krishnamurti shows how people can free themselves radically and immediately from the tyranny of the expected, no matter what their age--opening the door to transforming society and their relationships.


About the Author

Total Freedom is both an introduction to Krishnamurti and an essential, extensive collection. It includes selections from his early work to his later Krishnamurti to Himself: His Last Journal, and his valuable insight into the nature of the self, meditation, sex, love, and the mysteries of life and death. Revealing his core teachings in all their eloquence and power, these writings incite us to recognize the "Truth is a pathless land," to accept no spiritual authority--not even himself--and to think critically, that we may free our minds and see clearly on our own personal journey.


Excerpt

Excerpted from Freedom from the Known by Jiddu Krishnamurti. Copyright © 1975. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved

Chapter One

Man's Search-The Tortured Mind-the Traditional Approach-The Trap of Respectability-The Human Being and the Individual-The Battle of Existence The Basic Nature of Man --Responsibility --Truth Self --transformation --Dissipation of Energy--Freedom from Authority

Man has throughout the ages been seeking something beyond himself, beyond material welfare--something we call truth or God or reality, a timeless state --something that cannot be disturbed by circumstances, by thought or by human corruption.

Man has always asked the question: what is it all about? Has life any meaning. at all? He sees the enormous confusion of life, the brutalities, the revolts, the wars, the endless divisions of religion, ideology and nationality, and with a sense of deep abiding frustration he asks, what is one to do, what is this thing we call living, is there anything beyond it?

And not finding this nameless thing of a thousand names which he has always sought, he has cultivated faith-faith in a savior or an ideal-and faith invariably breeds violence.

In this constant battle which we call living, we try to set a code of conduct according to the society in which we are brought up, whether it be a Communist society or a so-called free society; we accept a standard of behavior as part of our tradition as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or whatever we happen to be. We look to someone to tell us what is right or wrong behavior, what is right or wrong following this pattern our conduct and thought, and in our thinking become mechanical, our responses automatic. We can observe this very easily in ourselves.

For centuries we have been spoon-fed by our teachers, by our authorities, by our books) our saints. We say, 'Tell me all about it--what lies beyond the hills and the mountains and the earth?' and we are satisfied with their descriptions, which means that we live on words and our life is shallow and empty. We are second-hand people. We have lived on what we have been told, either guided by our inclinations, our tendencies, or compelled to accept by circumstances and environment. We are the result of all kinds of influences and there is nothing new in us, nothing that we have discovered for ourselves; nothing original, pristine, clear.

Throughout theological history we have been assured by religious leaders that if we perform certain rituals, repeat certain prayers or mantras, conform to certain patterns, suppress our desires, control our thoughts, sublimate our passions, limit our appetites and refrain from sexual indulgence, we shall, after sufficient torture of the mind and body, find something beyond this little life. And that is what millions of so-called religious people have done through the ages, either in isolation, going off into the desert or into the mountains or a cave or wandering from village to village with a begging bowl, or, in a group) joining a monastery, forcing their minds to conform to an established pattern. But a tortured mind, a broken mind, a mind which wants to escape from all turmoil, which has denied the outer world and been made dull through discipline and conformity--such a mind, however long it seeks, will find only according), to its own distortion.

So to discover whether there actually is or is not something beyond this anxious, guilty, fearful, competitive existence, it seems to me that one must have a completely different approach altogether. The traditional approach is from the periphery inwards, and through time, practice and renunciation, gradually to come upon that inner flower, that inner beauty and love-in fact to do everything to make oneself narrow, petty and shoddy; peel off little by little; take time; tomorrow will do, next life will do-and when at last one comes to the centre one finds there is nothing there, because one's mind has been made incapable, dull and insensitive.

Having observed this process, one asks oneself, is there not a different approach altogether--that is, is it not possible to explode from the centre?

The world accepts and follows the traditional approach. The primary cause of disorder in ourselves is the seeking of reality promised by another; we mechanically follow somebody who will assure us a comfortable spiritual life. It is a most extraordinary thing that although most of us are opposed to political tyranny and dictatorship, we inwardly accept the authority, the tyranny, of another to twist our minds and our way of life. So if we completely reject, not intellectually but actually, all so-called spiritual authority, all ceremonies, rituals and dogmas, it means that we stand alone and are already in conflict with society; we cease to be respectable human beings. A respectable human being cannot possibly come near to that infinite, immeasurable, reality.

You have now started by denying something absolutely false --the traditional approach-but if you deny it as a reaction you have created another pattern in which you will be trapped; if You tell yourself intellectually that this denial is a very good idea but do nothing about it, You cannot go any further. If you deny it, however) because you understand the stupidity and immaturity of it, if YOU reject it with tremendous intelligence, be-cause You are free and not frightened, you will create a great disturbance in yourself and around you but you will step out of the trap of respectability. Then you will find that you are no longer seeking. That is the first thing to learn-not to seek. When you seek you arc really only window-shopping.

The question of whether or not there is a God or truth or reality or whatever you like to call it, can never be answered by books, by priests, philosopher's or saviors. Nobody and nothing can answer the question but you yourself and that is why you must know yourself- Immaturity lies only in total ignorance of self.




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