Commentaries on Living: First Series

Were I allowed only three spiritual books they would be the three that comprise Krisnamurti's "Commentaries on Living." (The 4th would likely be Tolle's "The Power of Now.") Krishnamurti's message is basically that understanding comes through experiencing without thought. This involves increasingly dropping one's storyline, the fiction derived from a dead past and projected onto a fantasy future, and opening to the non-recurring present of now. This is not a place arrived at by "trying" and those who are involved in religious practice may take serious offense. These books need not be read sequentially. Each contains many chapters or topics, one to four pages long. They tend to begin with setting the scene of the present moment, then lead to a visit from a seeker with a question. K's responses are often counter-intuitive and baffling and it was not until poking away at him for many years, trying many paths and arriving at a fairly advanced age that I began to at least start to get it... The path is that there is no path. We will find peace less through trying than from letting go, find wisdom less by seeking than by letting it happen, or not, on its own time. Thought is definitely the enemy of enlightenment...

The content of the essays rate a higher rating - but the format - a rather random collection of Krishnamurti's teachings in no apparent order or grouping - make the book a tougher read than it needed to be. Krishnamurti's writing style is often observant of nature or recollecting a conversation with a seeker. As such, the reader can often see the experience in the mind's eye and internalize the teaching. There is much wisdom here - but the table of contents will prove to be a very useful piece of the book if you are looking for some specific insight.

Didn't hold interest

Have entire series...Krishnamurti is the best...a thinker.

An excellent window to the World of Jiddu Krishnamurthi's thoughts. Every emotion that one can generate, every thought that may arise, every doubt that can arise in one's self, unfold in this series of Commentaries. Each chapter is a spiritual treat and retreat !! Easily my book for a spiritual retreat what with all the loaded powerpacked ideas that mirrors nay reveals the real "you" and you feel it is a story of your life that is unfolding and that is how it must be !!

This collection of a bunch of very short commentaries misses its mark. The commentaries open up with Krishnamurti laying down a setting and/or background of the people concerned with the topics presented. Then, they just crumble away into short, mostly ambiguous, commentaries. If you aren't familiar with Krishnamurti's terminology & philosophy, these commentaries can be very confusing. If you are familiar with him, you'd probably agree that they flat-out aren't very good for the most part. I did brighten in finding some of his ideas expressed quickly & to the point, in ways not spoken in other works. But, for the most part, I thought the majority missed their mark.

What's not to like. Buy it.

Das Buch ist eine gute Info-Quelle, gut strukturiert aber ein bisschen viel herum geschrieben. Es hätte kürzer und kompakter sein können.

Among the best of K

Krishnamurti lives in this book. Can change the psyche of mankind.