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The First and Last Freedom Paperback – March 26, 1975
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Krishnamurti is a leading spiritual teacher of our century. In The First and Last Freedom he cuts away symbols and false associations in the search for pure truth and perfect freedom. Through discussions on suffering, fear, gossip, sex and other topics, Krishnamurti’s quest becomes the readers, an undertaking of tremendous significance.
- Print length288 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper & Row
- Publication dateMarch 26, 1975
- Dimensions5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
- ISBN-109780060648312
- ISBN-13978-0060648312
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About the Author
J. Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was a renowned spiritual teacher whose lectures and writings have inspired thousands. His works include On Mind and Thought, On Nature and the Environment, On Relationship, On Living and Dying, On Love and Lonliness, On Fear, and On Freedom.
Product details
- ASIN : 0060648317
- Publisher : Harper & Row; Later prt. edition (March 26, 1975)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 288 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9780060648312
- ISBN-13 : 978-0060648312
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.31 x 0.65 x 8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #95,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #125 in Religion & Philosophy (Books)
- #692 in Meditation (Books)
- #2,507 in Personal Transformation Self-Help
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
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 mankind 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 man-made belief systems, nationalistic sentiment and sectarianism. At the same time, they give new meaning and direction to mankind'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.
More information about Krishnamurti’s life can be found in the biographies written by Mary Lutyens and Pupul Jayakar.
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Customers find the book thought-provoking and revealing fundamentals of human psyche. They describe it as an amazing, wonderful read for spiritual souls with great content. Readers praise the writing quality as lucid and remarkable.
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Customers find the book thought-provoking and inspiring. They say it reveals the fundamentals of human psyche, philosophy, and self-examination. Readers appreciate the author's passion for living and genuine curiosity about other perspectives.
"...was 18 and read it with an open mind, open heart, and genuine curiosity of the perspectives of not only other cultures but specifically other humans..." Read more
"...One of the classics to understand JK teachings" Read more
"...learned the mess of the human psyche in order to teach; he was a deeply religious and poetic man, evident from his few talks after his realisation..." Read more
"...Krishnamurti has a fascinating history. He was born in colonial India next to the headquarters of the occult Theosophical Society...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They say it's a great guide for spiritual seekers, with good content on living in the moment and self-study. Readers mention it's a must-read for every spiritual soul.
"I found this book when I was 18 and read it with an open mind, open heart, and genuine curiosity of the perspectives of not only other cultures but..." Read more
"...This is an incredible book with tremendous insights, I wish everyone could read this book and transform society into a more healthy and sane..." Read more
"...the best book for a first timer is 'freedon from the known' or (advise?)to the children of india which ins'your parents want you to come to my..." Read more
"...Other then that, it's a great book on the art of living in the moment and self-study...." Read more
Customers find the writing clear and insightful. They appreciate the author's unique perspective and common sense. Overall, readers describe the book as an eye-opener that provides enlightenment without effort.
"...This book is a staple in my like now. Beautiful work by a truly amazing mind." Read more
"...awakening, but looking only at what I do know, this book is full of marvellous writing that can help one to look in new ways and at new things...." Read more
"...Huxley's foreword is remarkable enough, then Mr. K takes you on a journey through the philosophical, spiritual and moral tangle we know as &#..." Read more
"Extremely relevant for now with the confusion and chaos going around...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2023I found this book when I was 18 and read it with an open mind, open heart, and genuine curiosity of the perspectives of not only other cultures but specifically other humans and their experiences. This book is a staple in my like now. Beautiful work by a truly amazing mind.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2021Why do so many people still look to Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism etc for wisdom and truth? How sad it would be if in 2000 years noting new has come along that is as true as those things. And because of the impact of time, translation, censorship and the rest, the old texts are more or less meaningless to a person today, other than to become the object of their fetishising and idolising.
I don’t know if there is such a thing as ultimate truth, god, awakening, but looking only at what I do know, this book is full of marvellous writing that can help one to look in new ways and at new things.
Krishnamurti doesn’t give us something new to believe in, but asks again and again, in modern intelligible English, to look into ourselves.
Whatever is possible for a spiritual teacher to impart, and I’m not sure it is all that much, this book offers as much as any book can.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2023This book is one of the earliest copies and is in great condition. One of the classics to understand JK teachings
- Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2006JK was a mystery. His life story was dramatic and his teaching controversial - so many people found his talks transforming and yet many also were disillusioned. I myself, who was too young, foolish and too far away to see the man when he was alive, have been puzzled by the fact that supposedly no one who studies his talks was deeply transformed, sadly admitted by JK himself.
But how could we measure his merit as a teacher by that fact alone? Twenty years after he died, everytime I read his words, the man came alive, sharp, passionate, uncompromising and compassionate.
He came to the earth pure and clean, and he learned the mess of the human psyche in order to teach; he was a deeply religious and poetic man, evident from his few talks after his realisation and before he disbanded the Order, but in order to talk to a wider audience, "his beloved" was reduced to "the nameless" or "that immensity" in his later talks, with only a very slight touch at the end of talk; he didn't study any religious traditons, not even the Bhagavad Gita, and his talks were all his own, which perhaps explains why many people found his talks hard to grasp, because they can't be put into any familiar systems which we have learned before.
How can we judge him or measure him? He reached and touched more people than anyone else in modern times; his talked "from the ground up", from this drab of life everyone lives instead of exclusively to long time spiritual seekers; and his words are the best guards against superstition, which goes hand in hand with spirituality.
I salute you, Sir !
- Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2011I tried to read a book by Krishnamurti over thirty years ago when I first became interested in Eastern spirituality and philosophy. I remembered that his writing style was dry and repetitive, and that one of the early comments he made was, "Don't read books." I followed his advice, at least in regard to his book that I was reading. Recently, however, I became interested in the ideas of the physicist David Bohm, by reading WHOLENESS AND THE IMPLICATE ORDER, and discovered that he had co-written a book with Krishnamurti. On reading THE FIRST AND LAST FREEDOM I rediscovered that his writing is dry and repetitive, confusing, and not especially helpful. Although I find that I agree with nearly all of his opinions, or he agrees with mine since I had them before reading this book, I came by my opinions without being "enlightened." It is always gratifying to find that someone more or less famous agrees with my opinions. But if these opinions have any value, they must be passed on to other people in a way that people who do not already share these opinions might be influenced by them. I find it hard to believe that Krishnamurti's writing is likely to be able to do this. Perhaps someone younger would find him more helpful, but I suspect that they will like him because he is understood to be enlightened and expresses ideas that they already share with him. I like him for those reasons myself.
Krishnamurti has a fascinating history. He was born in colonial India next to the headquarters of the occult Theosophical Society. Charles Leadbeater and Annie Besant, the leaders of this society encountered him and raised him under their tutelage, convinced that he was the vehicle for the messianic World Teacher, and organized the worldwide "Order of the Star" in support of this belief. As a young man Krishnamurti denounced his saviorhood and the concept of gurus as guides to absolute truth. His idea was that unconditional psychological freedom is within the reach of everyone - though just how this can be achieved is not made clear in this book.
Though Krishnamurti had the reputation of being enlightened, he asserted that this was meaningless because only someone who was enlightened could determine whether or not he had realized reality. It is quite likely also true that only one who has realized reality can grasp the teaching of one who is enlightened - if there is such a thing a being enlightened. Other enlightened teachers, Paramahansa and Hawkins for instance, explain that in the enlightened state one can see that everything is perfect and beautiful. We only see disease and murder as ugly and evil because we judge them with our limited minds. If this is true - and I know it is not -- then I prefer self-deception. Krishnamurti, at least I understand him, does not have this view of reality. We are miserable because we lack intelligence, but our lack of intelligence is not in itself perfect and beautiful. "What leads to a better life is intelligence; and there cannot be intelligence if there is belief, if there are class divisions, if the means of production are in the hands of a few, if there are isolated nationalities and sovereign governments" (206). He sounds like a revolutionary, and he was concerned that the present crisis - the one in 1954 - was without precedent because it dealt with ideas. The greatest calamity is "to use ideas as a means to transform man" (146). Enlightened people are supposed to eschew the notion of being revolutionaries. On the other hand, he advises against judging and comparing as this leads to duality and isolation. Krishnamurti wants a world free of ideas. Right-thinking comes with self-knowledge. Without understanding yourself, you have no basis for thought; without self-knowledge, what you think is not true" (12). We mistakenly identify ourselves with our beliefs and thereby use them to hide from ourselves.
Not only does Krishnamurti advise us not to read, we should also not pray, not meditate, not make any specific effort of any kind. Because these are all associated with ideas and will thereby lead to isolation and entrapment rather than freedom. "So the mind must be free of the known, which means the mind must be completely silent, not MADE silent. The mind that achieves silence as a result, as the outcome of determined action, of practice, of discipline, is not a silent mind" (207). But he never really explains how we should attain this silent mind, just that any actual effort we use will not achieve it. The eternal comes into being when the mind is blissful, with no thoughts either conscious or unconscious. I am by no means blissful, and my mind is full of constant pointless chatter, and I find that meditation helps quiet my mind and worries. I do not anticipate that meditation is going to lead me to the eternal, but it is at least somewhat more helpful than not making this effort. Since Krishnamurti insists that these efforts do not lead to the eternal, then he implies that all the gurus who claim to have achieved ultimate truth by these methods are deceiving themselves. This has also been my conclusion. But he also implies that he has achieved this blissful state. Maybe so, but he has no explanation of how he did, not anything useful to impart beyond advising us to be cautious of chaining ourselves to ideas.
"The very nature of the mind is to be dishonest, crooked, and incapable of facing facts" (228). We train it to be clever and mistake that for intelligence, and we honor cleverness, no matter how corrupt, and mock wisdom. Belief in God has no reality because this belief is just an idea and not the reality of God. Belief in God as idea rather than God as reality does not make you a better person. None of this is new, and simply stating it one more time accomplishes nothing.
Krishnamurti's advice is that one's transformation can only be NOW, from moment to moment, and transformation is simple: "seeing the false as the false and the true as the true" (286). Love and truth are identical and are the mental state when time has completely ceased. This is very heady but hardly helpful.
I shall read his dialogue with David Bohm and see what I think.
Top reviews from other countries
- Tabitha PetersReviewed in the Netherlands on February 19, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
I wasn't always able to grasp what Krishnamurti meant, but reading ths book made it easier
- AniyantaReviewed in India on May 19, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Great content on fine paper with hardbound
Book is awsome and paper quality is great. Its a hardbound book so keep it for a Kong time..
- TomekReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read, break through in human thought
Excellent, eye openning
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on February 24, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Clarity in Troubled Times
This book has been inspiring and helpful to me in exploring my values and in trying to find clarity in a troubled world. It seems that political turmoil abounds these days (late 2016/early 2017) and that very little of the information reported in the news can be considered positive. Reading Krishnamurti's thoughts in The First and Last Freedom provides me with a small oasis of calm and focus that I have been tremendously grateful for over the past few months. You do need to push through Krishnamurti's style and place these essays and lectures in their historical and geographical context or the writing may seem a bit too egocentric. However, it is remarkable how relevant these >60-year-old thoughts and perspectives are despite all that has changed. Whether you are seeking philosophical guidance, spiritual enlightenment, or cause for hope amidst social and political unrest, The First and Last Freedom will likely lead you to what you are looking for.
-
MASATOReviewed in Japan on March 16, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars 何も残らない
少しずつ読み続けて、2年程かかって読み終わりました。
読み終わって気付いたことは、
「何が書いてあったか全然思い出せない」ということです。
読んでいる最中は、その時その時でハッとする気付きが
あったと思うのですが、本の内容が記憶に残ってない。
せいぜいunderstandとawareが何度も出てきたような
気がする・・・程度です。
読後には見事に何も残っていないのですが、別にそれでいいと
思えるところが本書を読んだ後(書いてある内容を実行した後)
での一番の収穫?といえるかもしれません。