Book by J. Krishnamurti: Life Ahead, On Learning and Search for A Meaning

[Rasheed]

 Author: Jiddu Krishnamurti 

 Book: Life Ahead: On Learning and Search for A Meaning

My comment: Very powerful book. It encourages reader to start questioning, and not merely accepting. The most important thing which I got out from this book is that, Jiddu suggests that young people should be in a state of revolt, in a state of inquiry, as opposed to, what everyone around me (Including parents, family, school teachers, literally everyone...) told me, which was: Shut up, you are ‘too young’ to think about this, too young to meditate, just go out and play video games, eat pizza, and go to clubs, with your peers. For me, this was extremely inspiring and eye-opening, therefore I think this book will be worthy of everyone’s time.

 One of my favorite paragraph: ‘ While you are young you should awaken within yourself the flame of discontent; you should be in a state of revolution. This is the time to inquire, to discover, to  grow; therefore insist that  your parents and your teachers educate you properly. Do not be satisfied merely to sit in a classroom and absorb information about this king or that war.  Be discontented, go to  your teachers and inquire, find out. If they are not intelligent,  by inquiring you will help them to be intelligent; and when you leave the school you will be growing into maturity, into real freedom. Then you will continue to learn right through life till you die, and you will be a happy, intelligent human being.’

[Rasheed]

 How my behavior changed after reading this book:

- Competition cease to exist. After really understanding the nature of competition, which is explained in the book, my awareness of it really helped me. 

- I started to practice more awareness. Krishnamurti imposes importance of awareness many times in the book.

- Ambition...I stopped wanting to become somebody, instead I started examining who I am and start becoming my authentic delf. Author clearly explained how bad ambition really is.

- I stopped comparing myself to anything and anyone. Comparative mind is a weak mind. I became aware of that after reading the book.

- Book encouraged me to do what I really love to do, to take action, not to get something, but because I love to do it. That's true greatness. 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Rasheed

[Petals]

I read it quite a long time ago, but there is one sentence that I remember:

"The ambitious man is the most frightened of man because he is afraid to be what he is." 

It's a great book. I would recommend it to those who want to read something 'spiritual' but at the same time something grounded and not 'far out'.

Edited October 12, 2019 by Petals

[Pernani]

Does it tackle the problem of meaninglessness in life and being lost ? 

[Petals]

@Pernani not explicitly I think.

the other Krishnamurti - UG  says:

"If the idea of the 'meaningful' is dropped, then you will see meaning in whatever you are doing in daily life." 

I like that. maybe it helps you.

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by Petals

[Pernani]

On 10/18/2019 at 2:20 PM, Petals said:

@Pernani not explicitly I think.

the other Krishnamurti - UG  says:

"If the idea of the 'meaningful' is dropped, then you will see meaning in whatever you are doing in daily life." 

I like that. maybe it helps you.

 

I like that too... Although I am still attached to only caring about "meaningful" things therefore I find it hard to see the meaning in everything around me

[en-el hak]

Currently reading it. Favorite quote so far:

But what is truth? Is truth some extraordinary mystery, something far away, unimaginable, abstract? Or is truth something which you discover from moment to moment, from day to day? If it can be accumulated, gathered through experience, then it is not truth; for behind this gathering lies the same spirit of acquisitiveness. If it is something far away which can be found only through a system of meditation, or through the practice of denial and sacrifice, again it is not truth for that also is a process of acquisitiveness.
...
Truth is not something which you can gather, accumulate, store up and rely on as a guide. That is only another form of possession. And it is very difficult for the mind not to acquire, not to store up. When you realize the significance of this, you will find out what an extraordinary thing truth is. Truth is timeless, but the moment you capture it - as when you say, "I have found truth, it is mine" - it is no longer truth.