Jiddu Krishnamurti – How to Live in This World | Hacker News Reader

Jiddu Krishnamurti – How to Live in This World

jkrishnamurti.org

26 pointstruth_seeker22 comments

I got about 40% in and got bored. He's mostly just trying to rephrase the questions asked to him and shifts the topic to whatever he wants to talk about.

Some of the stuff I found somewhat interesting and realistic -- like his claim that many end-states of systems are predetermined due to us clearly seeing their inputs but we still want those end-states to be different, which causes us misery -- but most of his words are kind of shallow and no actual solution is proposed.

I get the idea: I can't change the world so I should change my perception of it in order to avoid misery. I get that and partially subscribe to it. But I'm not ready to become like one of these stoners with moronic sheepish smiles: "the world is how it is, man, don't worry about it".

So none of us should ever attempt a change in the world then? I don't buy it.

Thus, not my thing for the moment.

I would go one more level meta and say that your will to change the world is also part of what you see.

The end goal is to be an impartial observer of your mental state as well for the world around you.

I have managed this a few small periods in my life and I'll admit it's much better for the mental health.

That being said, I swung too far in the direction "meh, won't try anything" while there and I didn't like it.

I don't find it impossible to be impartial and without expectations but I also found it extremely boring.

You must read it with relax mind. Do some outdoor sports activity and get tired physically , take a rest for few minutes and then read it.

Spoiler Alert : Towards the end of the blog, he actually telling you the real meaning of Vipassana or how to live meditative life.

The problem is that this relaxed mind state kind of expects you to not expect anything which I find problematic. But likely haven't tried well enough, dunno.

JK is not easy man to understand. His approach was VIA NEGATIVA i.e. he will never tell HOW to do it rather what NOT to do ! When we ask HOW, it strengthens the mind and he does not want that to happen.

Reading his books "Freedom from the known" and "Think on these things" might help you to get closer to him.

That's the problem though, I want to be enticed to know more and this article achieves exactly the opposite.

Thanks for the recommendation, appreciate it.

I went in a Krishnamurti binge last year. I most liked his conversations with physicist David Bohm, a good friend of his: https://www.bohmkrishnamurti.com/

I found some of his books tiring after a while. Good stuff though generally.

I feel like this sort of stuff is useful if you renounce the world and sit in an ashram reflecting everyone's questions back towards them, but carries very little applicable use that can make a difference in someone's life.

If someone has these sorts of questions, what is the point in my life etc, I recommend something much more actionable such as CBT. It will start having results right away, and save you have to work out metaphysical riddles first.

No, JK was very much against ashram and traditional Guru-disciple bonding. He is pursuing to renounce our projection about he world which comes from memory and thoughts, not the world itself.

" Don’t bother about freedom.

First, see that you are in prison: the social prison, economic prison, political prison, religious prison, the prison which you have created yourself out of your desire, ambition, fears and pleasures.

When you understand your prison, the prison that thought collectively and individually has created, the prison of our confusion, misery and suffering, when you understand that, look at it, go into it, see the structure and the nature of it, then out of that comes freedom. Then it is not a reward. One who is seeking a reward is never free. "

- Public Talk 4 in Santa Monica, California, 24 March 1974

Can we get some background on this?

In the late 1800's there was increasing interest in mysticism and eastern religions in the West. One lady, Helena Blavatsky an Ukrainian co-founded a movement called Theosophy which made it's way to India and merged with a mish-mash of Indian nationalists and Hindu philosophers around 1880-1890.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Blavatsky#India:_1879%E...

As a young boy JD Krishamurthy (born 1895 in south India) was picked by leaders of the Theosophical Society of India as a 'vehicle' for an expected World Teacher. JDK quickly gained a following and wrote profound philosophical books that people found hard to understand which only increased his popularity among those seeking Eastern mysticism.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiddu_Krishnamurti

Like many Indian godmen and spiritual entrepreneurs, JD Krishnamurthy set out for the most lucrative market for his work: California. He spent the rest of his life churning out psychobabble and settled in lovely Ojai valley (having an affair with his best friend's wife). For a sampling of JDK's profound wisdom you should check out his quotes [3].

Here's a sampling:

“One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.” ― Krishnamurti

“Real learning comes about when the competitive spirit has ceased.” ― J. Krishnamurti

“Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay.” ― J. Krishnamurti

[3] https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/850512.J_Krishnamurt...

You left out the fact that JK rejected the notion of a world teacher and disbanded that particular association. He also rejected theosophy as a whole, and any organization that claims to know any such thing as a “Truth”.

It’s interesting that he would reject the money and power that came with it just because he didn’t believe in it. Most godmen and “spiritual entrepreneurs” wouldn’t.

Nevertheless, his writings are incoherent word soups and an utter waste of time.

This lack of clarity in Krishnamurti's material was recognized even by David Bohm himself [1], but he also claimed that K made a great contribution to the study of consciousness.

See David Moody's The Unconditioned Mind, chapter 15.

Just because you can't comprehend something doesn't mean that no one can.

I can’t get into his writings, but I know others that do (and I am not talking about Naval Ravikant). So a waste of just our time, perhaps, and yet cannot be dismissed.

No disrespect meant but this reminds me when I took a 7g mushroom dose. I felt like a capital G guru and my friends would come to me for wisdom.

It takes a lot of dedication to get there without drugs

Here is another quote:

"Do not repeat after me words that you do not understand. Do not merely put on a mask of my ideas, for it will be an illusion and you will thereby deceive yourself."

> Having an affair with his best friend's wife.

Was that also part of his profound wisdom? kek

Thank you for the summary. The quotes certainly resonate.

Doesn’t sound like it. Seems like a cheap shot from the GP since I’m not sure what the relevance is.

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