The Other Side of Belief Interpreting U.G. Krishnamurti

by Mukunda Rao, U.G. Krishnamurti

Trapped between a dead past and an unborn future, the human animal has, since the dawn of time, asked these two questions who am i and why am i here these are the questions which propelled the author to the doors of the most subversive man in human historyug krishnamurti and the outcome of that encounter is this exceptional book from the foreword by mahesh bhatt described as the thinker who shuns thought, ug krishnamurti is the most enigmatic and iconoclastic anti-guru of our times his conviction that doubt is the other side of belief emerged from an uncompromising negation of everything that can be expressed, not from a desire for some comfy dialectical thesis the other side of interpreting ug krishnamurti is a candid and refreshing chronicle of ugs life and the evolution of his radical outlook and ideas tracing the development of ugs notion of enlightenment as a series of biological mutations devoid of mystical or religious connotations, mukunda rao weaves a complex portraitof a man who doesnt hesitate to challenge and demolish societys most cherished and comforting values and ideals, but nonetheless commands a most fervent respect and veneration from multitudes of admirers ug has always been adamant that life must be described in pure and simple physical and physiological terms so that it is de-psychologized and demystified he underwent, in his own words, a a series of bodily metamorphoses that catapulted him into the unique state of the declutched mind this book gives the reader a vivid description of ugs cellular revolution and an intensely personal insight into ugs unflinching and relentless insistence on freedom from the stranglehold of thought with a foreword by mahesh bhatt, film-maker and lifelong admirer of ug, the other side of belief offers a searching exploration of the incredible charisma of a man who has transformed the lives of people all over the world

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

350 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Arun Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eill take a lot of time to process this. Total negation of all thoughts but I am thinking this while writing...

[Dean Paradiso · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent biography on UG- the guru of anti-gurus, which seems to convey the flavour of both the teachings and the man. This certainly isn't a feel-good book, and the somewhat tragic (especially relationship-wise) and somewhat banal life of UG detailed in this book lends itself to an understanding of how UG came up with his sledgehammer philosophy before 'the calamity' and how it adjusted after. Some details on his actual teachings are given at the end of the book.

Although he gets full points for his capacity to blast away at cherished beliefs and ritual, while opening the question of what life and spirituality really means.. at the same time his ideas and pourings forth leave a lot to be desires, and should be taken with a grain of sale. His views on meditation, for instance, are extremely limited and seem to indicate his belief that meditation is a practice for controlling the mind by will, or submitting it to mantras etc., thus strengthening the ego's hold on the practitioner.

Unfortunately, many of UG's ideas are a product of his cultural upbringing in India, long stays with the TS in both India and the US, and his constant living in the shadow of J.Krishnamurti, who features in a large part of this book.
Overall, a good read for those interested in UG's life and teaching. However, for serious spiritual seekers, or those unwilling to settle for a deterministic, nihilist view on spirituality, enlightenment and spiritual practice, UG's legacy will probably be a dead-end road.

[Johnny Cordova · Rating 1 out of 5]

The autobiographical part of this book is interesting, then things turn bad when the author ventures into “interpreting” UG’s worldview. Too much parroting, no real insight… it’s often difficult to discern between the author’s opinions and those of UG’s. I abandoned at page 200.

As for UG himself, an “anti-guru” who’s woken up on the wrong side of the bed is at first refreshing, but upon closer inspection he seems to understand infinity while missing divinity. I don’t doubt that he underwent a legitimate transformation. But some transformations birth abominations.

This is not to say that I think UG Krishnamurti was an abomination, but I am walking away from this read with the feeling that he lacked real appreciation for the sacred.

[Harshita Pandey · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I use this knowledge that I have gained through this book to negate and wipe out all the knowledge and history of mankind from my mind? (Do I even really want to?)A thought observing another thought and thinking of it's own extinction which in turn strengthens it's survival even more.

"Knowledge gives birth to experience which in turn strengthens the belief in knowledge." ~ U.G. Krishnamurti

A constant loop! Better keep UG's word in my mind and try not to get too caught up in all of this.

[Neeraj Pandey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Society has put before you the ideal of a 'perfect man'. No matter in which culture you were born, you have scriptural doctrines and traditions handed down to you to tell you how to behave. You are told that through due practice you can even eventually come into the state attained by the sages, saints and saviours of mankind. And so you try to control your behaviour, to control your thoughts, to be something unnatural.”

[Nad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating inquiry into the life, ramblings and anti-teachings of the enigmatic UG Krishnamurti. The emphasis to stay critical of everyone and everything, even your own self is emphatic and reality shifting. Mukunda Rao has done his best to not put UG on a pedestal, even though he succumbs to that mystique in some places. Overall, it was super complete and well written.

[Shameen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well , this was a long read for me.
It is definitely not a feel good book but quite any interesting one. the questions that have been there always wont be answered, I am glad and I wont bother any more.

[Tarun · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book had a huge impact on my life . makes you question every little thing in life . Mysticism meets nihilism .

[Sandeep Kailay]

Fuck

[Nishit Gajjar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book covering entire spectrum of U.G's life with some of the historic events going on in the world along with it! Even a bit of information about some well known human beings is also covered in this one.

The title! "The other side of belief" = what? ;)