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Exploration into Insight
Dialogues argue the nature of the human mind, consciousness, freedom from the constraints of memory, and the perceptions of reality
- GenresNonfiction
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
J. Krishnamurti
1,339 books4,412 followersJiddu 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 6, 2017
Formato da dialoghi su temi specifici, come la consapevolezza, la coscienza, l'io, ecc. A suo modo molto interessante.
January 1, 2016
What a funny book! It presents a series of dialogues among Krishnamurti, the teacher, and his friend-students. The dialogues start with some kind of question, such as "Could we discuss one of the chief blockages to understanding, that is, the factor of self-centered activity?"
So the friend-students start talking to the question, fumbling about and going nowhere, while Krishnamurti slowly infiltrates the discussion with his insights.
The conclusions to these questions are always a finger that points to the enlightenment of experience: a place beyond consciousness or thought, a place spontaneous and free, outside of time, disengaged completely from the power of the past and its neverending mechanical, repetitive, futile process of desiring and seeking satisfaction. (If this sounds cool to you, you would really enjoy this book. The dialogue is challenging, but the author comes to the conclusions convincingly. Perhaps you would discover more about the enlightened state of mind.)
Purify your life.
Keep your house clean.
Act for the sake of the action itself.
Remember: "Wanting enlightenment" is an oxymoron.
If you want to challenge yourself on the above points, I don't mean to dissuade you from reading this book. Krishnamurti is brilliant as such philosophers go. Give it a try.
So the friend-students start talking to the question, fumbling about and going nowhere, while Krishnamurti slowly infiltrates the discussion with his insights.
The conclusions to these questions are always a finger that points to the enlightenment of experience: a place beyond consciousness or thought, a place spontaneous and free, outside of time, disengaged completely from the power of the past and its neverending mechanical, repetitive, futile process of desiring and seeking satisfaction. (If this sounds cool to you, you would really enjoy this book. The dialogue is challenging, but the author comes to the conclusions convincingly. Perhaps you would discover more about the enlightened state of mind.)
Purify your life.
Keep your house clean.
Act for the sake of the action itself.
Remember: "Wanting enlightenment" is an oxymoron.
If you want to challenge yourself on the above points, I don't mean to dissuade you from reading this book. Krishnamurti is brilliant as such philosophers go. Give it a try.
November 15, 2024
vision
image of the birdy
profound
image of the num num
honestly, it flows like that in the French
March 30, 2011
These particular dialogs focused on group discussions on a variety of topics, familiarity with J. Krishnamurti's works is recommended. Several of the participants in the discussions were argumentative and while listening to Krishnamurti were not listening to each other, and it seemed a rather clumsy discussion that typically wouldn't lead to anything insightful (for themselves or for the reader). The title is a bit misleading, Arguing with Pupul Jayakar would have been more apt.
Want to Read
January 31, 2018From the foreword:
J. Krishnamurti Exploration into Insight Foreword
These dialogues extend over a wide range of subjects. For over 30 years, a group of people from various disciplines, backgrounds and pursuits, deeply concerned with the enormity of the challenge facing humanity and with one central interest, the unfoldment of the self through the perceptive field of self-knowledge, have gathered around J. Krishnamurti to undertake together, through dialogue, the investigation of the structure and nature of man's mind and consciousness and the energy resources that lie dormant within man's being. The concern in these dialogues is the freedom of the mind from the bondages of memory and time, a mutation in consciousness and the arising of insight that gives deep roots of steadiness to the mind.
In the world today, scientific and technological revolution has unharnessed undreamt-of resources of power and knowledge. However, man has failed to discover in himself the sources of wisdom and compassion. What is needed is an inner revolution in the psyche of man. The insight that man lacks is the apprehension that he is the maker of his problems and that the root of this problem-making machinery is his mind. It is in this area of perception that the ultimate freedom of man lies.
J. Krishnamurti Exploration into Insight Foreword
These dialogues extend over a wide range of subjects. For over 30 years, a group of people from various disciplines, backgrounds and pursuits, deeply concerned with the enormity of the challenge facing humanity and with one central interest, the unfoldment of the self through the perceptive field of self-knowledge, have gathered around J. Krishnamurti to undertake together, through dialogue, the investigation of the structure and nature of man's mind and consciousness and the energy resources that lie dormant within man's being. The concern in these dialogues is the freedom of the mind from the bondages of memory and time, a mutation in consciousness and the arising of insight that gives deep roots of steadiness to the mind.
In the world today, scientific and technological revolution has unharnessed undreamt-of resources of power and knowledge. However, man has failed to discover in himself the sources of wisdom and compassion. What is needed is an inner revolution in the psyche of man. The insight that man lacks is the apprehension that he is the maker of his problems and that the root of this problem-making machinery is his mind. It is in this area of perception that the ultimate freedom of man lies.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews