Collected Works of J.Krishnamurti, v. 1: The Art of Listening

by J. Krishnamurti

Until the end of his life at the age of ninety, Krishnamurti-the world teacher-traveled the world speaking as a private person. The rejection of all spiritual and psychological authority, including his own, is a fundamental theme. A major concern is the social structure and how it conditions the individual. The emphasis in his talks and writings is on the psychological barriers that prevent clarity of perception. Because his subject is all-embracing, the Collected Works which are in 18 Volumes, are of compelling interest. Within his talks in any one year. Krishnamurti was not able to cover the whole range of his vision, but broad amplifications of particular themes are found throughout these volumes. In them he lays the foundations of many of the concepts he used in later years. The Collected Works contain Krishnamurti`s previously published talks, discussions, answers to specific questions, and writings for the years 1933 through 1967. They are an authentic record of his teachings, taken from transcripts of verbatim shorthand reports and tape recordings. Jiddu Krishnamurti was born in 1895 of Brahmin Parents in South India. At the age of fourteen he was proclaimed the coming World Teacher by Annie Besant, then President of the Theosophical Society, an international organization that emphasized the unity of world religions. Mrs. Besant adopted the boy and took him to England, where he was educated and prepared for his coming role. In 1911 a new worldwide organization was formed with Krishnamurti as its head, solely to prepare its members for hisadvent as World Teacher. In 1929, after many years of questioning himself and the destiny imposed upon him, Krishnamurti disbanded this organization, Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path. My only concern is to set men absolutely, unconditionally free. Until he end of his life at the age of ninety, Krishnamurti traveled the world speaking as a private person. The rejection of all spiritual and psychological authority, including his own, is a fundamental theme. A major concern is the social structure and how it conditions the individual. The emphasis in his talks and writings is on the psychological barriers that prevent clarity of perception. In the mirror of relationship, each of us can come to understand the content of his own consciousness, which is common to all humanity. We can do this, not analytically, but directly in a manner Krishnamurti describes at length. In observing this content we discover within ourselves the division of the observer and what is observed. He points out that this division, which prevents direct perception, is the root of human conflict. His central vision did not waver after 1929, but Krishnamurti strove for the rest of his life to make his language even more simple and clear. There is a development in his exposition. From year to year he used new terms and new approaches to his subject, with different nuances. Because his subject is all embracing, the Collected Works are of compelling interest. Within his talks in any one year, Krishnamurti was not able to cover the whole range of his vision, but broad amplifications of particular themes are found throughout these volumes. In them he lays the foundations of many of the concepts he used in later years. The Collected Works containKrishnamurti`s previously published talks, discussions, answers to specific questions, and writings for the years 1933 through 1967. They are an authentic record of his teachings, taken from transcripts of verbatim shorthand reports and tape recordings.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Ebooks

210 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 1991

About the author

Jiddu 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.

This author also writes under: Jiddu Krishnamurti

Reviews

[Toppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a series of talks delivered in the early 30s by a 'life coach' (he would be unimpressed with being called a 'guru' or 'spiritual master'). He espouses the need for people to increase their awareness so that they may be 'intelligent'. Greater present moment awareness results in dissolution of barriers to leading a fulfilling life. He sees things such as religions and gurus as being hindrances to our evolving. He highlights that most people are seeking to escape the pain and conflict of life, whereas he states that it is within the conflict and trauma that we have the greatest opportunity for seeing the 'truth' of things.
I enjoyed much of the read as there was some degree of resonance with what he was saying. There was however a fair amount of repetition given he was answering similar questions in different places. This wasn't necessarily a negative issue as many of the things he was saying were abstruse.

[indah]

I actually learn things that are not merely re-affirmations of what (I believe) I know about listening, awareness, and being in the present moment.

- We never runs out of Hows, not as much as attempts to understand the Whys (which, can get so individualized/specialized). Teachings to him create disharmony. Teachings make us start seeing things in fragments, depending on which guru is talking, we are slowly losing our own faith and ability to see an event in its completeness, which again, for each person can get so personalized. - Be wary of wants or desires, disciplines, principles, self-analyzing, meditation, setting goals, facing choices, consistency; go ahead and have those but be wary when they start distracting or limiting the flow of life/full of expresion of life/intelligent comprehension of the present/completeness of action (there, I compile all the words he used to describe continuity or completeness!).
- Be aware of your actions; are they born out from the harmony between the mind and the heart? Or are they taken because you want to get rid of pain, suffering, emptiness? But Pain, suffering, emptiness are part of our nature.
- Don't quickly jump to an action, a solution, a conclusion, but rather be aware of what triggers you to perform any action at all. An action that is not born out of harmony between the mind and the heart will only serve temporary gains or fixings.

So, stream through life freely. Naive? Maybe. For a person who is so used to planning and analyzing (me...), this sounds very discomforting.

Living in the age of absurdity and utter chaos, his words kinda make sense. So many repetitions in this book and I get why people called him not being straightforward, but I think it served a purpose or it needed to be like that.

[Ariadna73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

But you can be shown the path. This enlightening book shows you a very interesting way to tranquilize ourselves. I love it and it teaches me something new every day. I think I will take A LONG time to read it; but I am not reading it like any other book I have read; and it is helping me a lot. I think that reading is all about that.

I loved this book and I think it is current in any season. I finished it and am ready for the next one.

[Francis Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Room for thought

Points out that self awareness teaches us more than analysis and introspection. The easy way is to listen to advice and accumulate knowledge instead of dire t observation.

[Валин Кантнер · Rating 5 out of 5]

insightful and calming- opens the mind and allows one to look at being from a new (better?) perspective

[David Kurth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent collection of his talks.