By Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

27 Pages | Reprinted 2002 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170591678.

Leadbeater was a highly developed clairvoyant and the author of over thirty books on the spiritual life and the psychic nature of man.

From page 2:

” Naturally the work of every Lodge has its public side. There are lectures given to the public and opportunities offered for them to ask questions; all this is good and necessary. But every Lodge, which is worthy of the name, is also doing something far higher than any work on the physical plane, and this higher work can only be done in its own primary meetings. Furthermore, it can be done only if these meetings are properly conducted and entirely harmonious. ” 

Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

67 Pages | Sixth edition 2012 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170595717.

Dreams are part of common experience, yet a mystery that is little understood. Psychologists and others, who are ignorant of the human being’s true constitution, ranging across several subtle levels, are only groping to learn their significance. Leadbeater, an eminent clairvoyant and author of many books, explains in the manual how human consciousness functions when the body is asleep and how it is affected by the experiences in the physical and the subtle worlds. These experiences take shape as dreams of different kinds – true, prophetic, symbolical, confused and so on.

The author emphasizes the importance of mastery over thought processes and lower passions in order to respond to the influences of the true Self within. The last thoughts before going to sleep must be about pure and holy things. Then dreams will not disturb the serene and joyful experience of higher worlds.

By Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854 – 1934).

241 Pages | First Quest Edition 1986, 3rd printing 1995 | Softcover | Quest Books, USA | ISBN: 0835606090.

Ancient Mystic Rites is Leadbeater absorbing in-depth study of the Mystery Schools of Egypt, Greece, Judea and Europe in the Middle Ages, up to the emergence of Co-Masonry in the twentieth century. During his lifetime, Leadbeater used his rare capacity for clairvoyance or ‘seeing’ beyond the physical plane for many purposes. He observed and recorded the sub-atomic structure of a number of elements before science had the capacity to determine such things. He described the forms and colors created as a result of our thoughts and the shapes and colors of the human subtle body.

Drawing on these abilities as well as on historical records, Leadbeater relates in this book fascinating, previously unknown facts about the Mystery Schools and their practices and beliefs. His observations and reflections point up many similarities among these schools in spite of distance and time  – a common ‘Mystery-bond’ running through otherwise disparate cultures. As Leadbeater shows, these Ancient Rites have emerged in this century as Freemasonry.

By Eunice and Felix Layton.

178 Pages | Revised edition 1988 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN 083560635x.

Formerly published as Theosophy: Key to Understanding (1967), this book is based on many talks the authors have presented in lectures and classes throughout the United States and in various other countries. They provide answers to basic human questions, such as:

• Is there some meaning to existence?
• Is there life after death?
• Will we live again?
• How can we find inner peace?

With their wide background of experience, Mrs. and Mr. Layton are able to bring a common sense approach to the metaphysical concepts of Theosophy and relate them to the problems of people in their daily lives.

From Chapter 15 – ‘Release Your Imprisoned Splendor’ (p. 170 & 171):

” How beautifully the book ends, having gone through all these other qualifications. For it concludes with this reminder: ‘Of all the qualifications, love is the most important, for if it is strong enough in a man, it forces him to acquire all the rest, and all the rest without it would never be sufficient . . . He who is on the Path exists not for himself or herself, but for others; he/she has forgotten him/herself, in order that he may serve them.

This the test of where every individual, including each of us, stands in the evolutionary process. To the degree that we forget ourselves in the service of others, to that same degree have we begun to release this imprisoned splendor. “

By Eunice and Felix Layton.

178 Pages | First edition 1994 | Hardcover | The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN 8170592402.

Formerly published as Theosophy: Key to Understanding (1967), this book is based on many talks the authors have presented in lectures and classes throughout the United States and in various other countries. They provide answers to basic human questions, such as:

• Is there some meaning to existence?
• Is there life after death?
• Will we live again?
• How can we find inner peace?

With their wide background of experience, Mrs. and Mr. Layton are able to bring a common sense approach to the metaphysical concepts of Theosophy and relate them to the problems of people in their daily lives.

From Chapter 15 – ‘Release Your Imprisoned Splendor’ (p. 170 & 171):

” How beautifully the book ends, having gone through all these other qualifications. For it concludes with this reminder: ‘Of all the qualifications, love is the most important, for if it is strong enough in a man, it forces him to acquire all the rest, and all the rest without it would never be sufficient . . . He who is on the Path exists not for himself or herself, but for others; he/she has forgotten him/herself, in order that he may serve them.

This the test of where every individual, including each of us, stands in the evolutionary process. To the degree that we forget ourselves in the service of others, to that same degree have we begun to release this imprisoned splendor. “

Translated by Richard Laurence.

192 Pages | 1995, Secret Doctrine Reference Series | Softcover | Wizards Bookshelf, San Diego, U.S.A. | ISBN: 091351067x.

In the  year 1773, after a period of almost total obscurity lasting 1500 years, the Scottisch explorer, James Bruce, discovered in what is now Ethiopia, The Book of Enoch. He writes:

‘Amongst the articles I consigned to the library at Paris was a very beautiful and magnificent copy of the prophesies of Enoch, in large quarto.; another is amongst the books of scripture, that I brought home., standing immediately before the Book of Job, which is its proper place in the Abyssinian Cannon: and a third copy I presented to the Bodleian Library at Oxford, by the hands of Dr. Douglas, the Bishop of Carlisle’. 

It rested there, forgotten, until 1821 when Laurence issued his first translation of which there were many editions, culminating in the revised edition of 1883, compiled from notes in his estate. As a former professor of Hebrew at Oxford, Laurence’s familiarity with Kabbalah and the Zohar (as shown in the introductions of earlier editions) gave him unique qualifications that were especially useful in translating a work of this type. The very profound and encyclopedic work on comparative religion and hermetic philosophy. The Secret Doctrine by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, refers to this edition on 37 occasions. It is reprinted here verbatim.

By Mencius (372–289 BC or 385–303 or 302 BC), translation and introduction by D.C. Lau.

280 Pages | First published 1970 | Paperback | Penguin Books, London | ISBN: 0140442286.

With an introduction by D.C. Lau.

” The Mencius is the most beautifully written and perhaps the most authorative of the Four Books that make up the essential Confucian corpus. “

As centralized government replaced feudalism in China, the ideas of Confucius (551 – 479 B.C.) faced the challenge of increasing cynicism. It was Mencius, in the years just after 320 B.C., who adapted them to the new age and thus helped to formulate a Confucian orthodoxy that has remained deeply influential ever since. Whether he is expounding his doctrine of the basic goodness of human nature – the ‘original heart’, which can be lost or overwhelmed by our selfish impulses – developing his method of argument by analogy or offering strikingly modern views on the duties of the subjects and their rulers and the evils of war, Mencius is always fascinating and often profound. This superb translation, complete with a masterly Introduction and Appendices on the historical and philosophical background, presents him directly to the English reader.

By Stephen Larsen, Foreword by Phil Cousineau.

248 Pages | Copyright 2007 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608503.

The revered images and sacred narratives of the world’s religions render existence meaningful. However, when interpreted literally rather than symbolically, the spiritual essence of religion loses its creative potential and can become a destructive force. Fundamentalists of any faith, says author Stephen Larsen, are in a rapture of certainty, secure in their righteous belief and an exclusive convenant with God. Our world today is embroiled in a ‘clash of fundamentalisms’ as predicted by the great mythologist Joseph Campbell, and, in the words of Dr. Huston Smith, ‘all -isms end up in schisms.’

Such thinking exists not only in religion and the ‘other’ but in all of us – cultural creatives, left-wingers, scientists, and secularists alike. We all have an inner fundamentalist: It can originate right there in the amygdala, a tiny, almond-sized organ in the midbrain, that triggers the fight-or-flight response to danger. It also originates in the tendency to split thinking and feeling that exists throughout the brain. Larsen shows us how to free our minds by identifying polarized thinking in ourselves as well as others. He suggests a ‘natural spirituality’: the awareness of the God force in everything, the humility to admit mistakes, flexibility instead of rigidity, and a willingness to tolerate differences.

From Chapter Nine – ‘Natural Religion’ (p. 211 & 212):

INCANTATIONS TO THE HIDDEN GOD

” How you drove a chariot in battle
How you walked as a pilgrim,
one-eyed and with a broad flopped hat,
How one day you went naked
black and female and wore
a terrible necklace of skulls
to wake us up.
How you danced wearing
a bear mask.
How you went down into the
Underworld, to sit as a Judge of men.
How, hawk-winged,
you carried the sun to its zenith.
How as a beautiful youth you died again an again,
how many times have we wept for you,
sung holy dirges, and made sweet things
for your birth.
We were the voice from the whirlwind,
You were the golden calf,
and He who threw down the calf.
You were Mother of us all,
and how many times you wept
for all your children.
The fire from your terrible waking eye
ignited the God of Love
to holy ash.
When you dance your Rapture
the universe becomes a burning ground.
Let those who feel that day is upon us
Learn to find patience and compassion for
All that live in our fragile, beautiful world.
Let us use your terrible sword to slay our egos,
not our brothers. “

By Medicine Grizzlybear Lake.

199 Pages | Copyright 1991, third printing 1993| Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606678.

Many claim to be healers and spiritual teachers: the author is both. Here he explains how a person is called to be a medicine man or woman and the trials and tests of a candidate. Lake gives an exciting glimpse into the world of Native American Shamanism. He was trained by numerous Native American teachers, including Rolling Thunder, and has conducted hundreds of ceremonies and lectures.

From the Introduction (p. 1):

” Traditional Native healers were the people, who provided medical leadership for the c0mmunity in the past, for most Native tribal systems. They were the seers, visionairies, doctors and counselors for the people. They advised the people about good health practices, which were medico-religious in nature, and they taught them to develop spiritually. When the people became sick, the Native healer doctored them. And if the healer did not have an answer to a particular problem, he or she would seek a vision by consulting with the Great Creator and spirits to find solutions. During such times the shaman could often see into the future. In some ways, that is what I am trying to share here. “

By Gary Lachman.

341 Pages | Second Quest Edition 2006 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608480.

‘The Struggle with a Master of Mystery and Power’.

P.D. Ouspensky’s brilliant work, In Search of the Miraculous, was the first to interpret the psychology of G.I.Gurdjieff, the early twentieth-century esoteric master, who still commands a global following today. Yet, Gurdjieff once dismissively described Ouspensky as ‘nice to drink vodka with, but a weak man‘, and some consider their meeting the overwhelming catastrophe of Ouspensky’s life.

This book highlights Ouspensky’s own passionate mysticism, in stark contrast to Gurdjieff’s idea of ‘man as machine’. Ouspensky was an accomplished philosopher in his own right. What attracted him to Gurdjieff in the first place and why did he later reject him? Had Gurdjieff turned toward black magic? And why did Ouspensky continue teaching the ideas of a man he had repudiated?

The answers follow in a mystical adventure story, that will enthrall everyone interested in the farthest reaches of being human. This new edition includes an afterword on the author’s own work in Gurdjieff’s system.

From the Introduction (p. 1):

” The Seeker and the Sly Man

In 1915 a man of uncertain origin appeared in Moscow and gathered a core of devoted followers, students of his strange and unsettling system of esoteric doctrine and psychological development. In his mid-forties, with his shaved head, Mongol-like mustache, piercing eyes, and unnerving composure, he exuded an atmosphere of mystery, power, and knowledge, and those who had accepted him as their teacher followed his instructions without question. Eager to expand his operations, he placed an advertisement in in a Moscow newspaper announcing an unusual ballet entitled ‘The Struggle of the Magicians’. The advertisement attracted the attention of a brilliant writer, who was himself a student of the occult, as well as a theoretician of the higher dimensions of consciousness. Recently the writer had returned from an extended journey to the East, where he had unsuccessfully sought out traces of forgotten knowledge and lost wisdom and his lectures on his travels attracted thousands, eager for a taste of worlds beyond. 

Approached by a student of the mysterious teacher, after much solicitation, the writer agreed to meet with the master. Yet the earnest seeker of Wisdom was dismayed to find that the place of his encounter was not one he might have expected. For it was not in an incense-filled Ashram of a holy guru, but in a cheap back-street cafe, frequented by prostitutes and petty thieves, that the writer P.D. Ouspensky first met the remarkable man G.I. Gurdjieff. Thus was set in motion the long, complex and fascinating history of the esoteric teaching known as ‘The Fourth Way’. “

By Dora Kunz (1904 – 1999).

333 Pages | First Quest Edition 1995 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835607143.

A spiritual revolution is underway in health care. More and more doctors, nurses, and counselors are recognizing that health means treating the soul and psyche as well as the body. In this new edition of a classic collection, the best minds in holistic healing explore the spiritual basis of the alternative health care movement.

From Chapter I: ‘Healing as World View (p. 1):

” Is healing a process related to the nature of the cosmos? The authors in this section, a physician and two professors, argue that it is:

” We interact with the universe in ways that are profound. ”  – Larry Dossey.

” A person becomes whole physically, emotionally, mentally and at deeper levels, resulting ideally in an integration with the underlying inward powers of the universe “.  – Weber.

” To be whole is to be encompassed by the sense of the divine in the divine cosmos “. – Skolimowski.

Thus health and disease are placed in a cosmic setting. “

By Dora van Gelder-Kunz (1904 – 1999).

195 Pages | A Quest Original, first edition 1991, second printing 1996 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606716.

This book, an original study of the human aura, includes 19 paintings that depict the emotional energies, which surround each person. The changes that occur from infancy to old age are illustrated by the auras of specific people. The pictures also show changes, that occur in the aura in illness. The author worked with Juanita Donahoo to produce the striking paintings in full color. The Personal Aura presents a fresh view of these subtle aspects of the human constitutionm which are hidden from most of us. It offers helpful suggestions for changing difficult emotional patterns.

From Chapter 8: ‘Healing and the Possiblities for Change and Growth’ (p. 166):

” The effects of healing upon the patient’s aura can be quite dramatic. First, the influx of emotional energy causes the aura to expand. When this happens, it starts up the process of eliminating some of the disturbances and blockages in the aura, and thus reduces anxiety. Anxiety produces frightening mental images. But if imagery is used together with the healing, there will be a simultaneous effect; the immune system will be strengthened through the influx of etheric energy, and as the frightening image dissipate, the aura will slowly regain its integration and recover its health. ” 

By Prof. C. Kunhan Raja.

123 Pages | First edition 1956, second reprint 1984 | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 0835675718.

In translating the Dhammapada, there is one great difficulty in so far as there are many words on which scholars differ widely about their meaning and there is also considerable difference of view regarding the general purport of the passages in many cases. I have given my own rendering, after a careful study of the text with other texts of a related nature.

[…]

This book is accepted as a Buddhistic Text. But it is not at all anti-Hindu. It is really an Indian text. There is nothing in this text to which any orthodox Hindu can take any objection. Most of the ideas contained here are found also in Hindu Texts like the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā and the Mahābhārata.

From page 113:

” divā tapati ādicco rattim ābhāti candimā

sannaddho khattiyo tapati jhāyī tapati brāhmaṇo 

atha sabbam ahorattaṁ buddho tapati tejasā

The Sun shines by the day, the Moon illumines the night;

a Kshatriya (Warrior, from Sanskrit kṣatra) with armour shines, a Brahmin shines in meditation.

Then all the days and the nights, Buddha illumines with his lustre. “

By Alvin Boyd Kuhn.

218 Pages | Published in 1976 | Hardcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835600157.

In this powerful book the author confronts the reader with many challenges regarding the orthodox approach to the life of Jesus and the history of Christianity. He points his critical finger at many of the rigid dogmas as well as the rigid dogmas as well as the literal interpretation of Biblical stories, which he asserts have created bigotry and mental servitude and stifled a real understanding of the Christian message.

For Dr. Kuhn the true meaning of Christianity is to be found in its mystical teaching. He calls for a revival of the effort to discover the esoteric significance of the Christian heritage, to understand the allegorical method of Biblical interpretation, and to find behind the myths, dramas, synbolks and allegories, the spiritual vision which they embody. Then, there will occur, he says, a new birth for Christianity and a new enlightenment.

From Chapter 21 – ‘Death Throes and Birth Pangs’ (p. 212):

” The spiritual science of every age has attempted to set forth the rationale of man’s approach to God, and God’s availability to man. A causal chain proceeds from the transcendent being of God through the complex orders of principalities and powers, archangels and angels to man. As the symbolism has it, the bodies of higher gods suffer dismemberment so that the fragments of their power may nourish the beings on the planes below. This is the true Eucharist, the true bread broken for all Souls. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986).

132 Pages | First edition 2002, reprinted in 2004 | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation, India | ISBN: 8187326395.

This book consists of six talks, that Krishnamurti gave at Indian Universities of Technology between 1969 – 1984.

Krishnamurti’s chief concern here is to awaken students to the fact that the pursuit of knowledge does not liberate man from his ignorance of himself. While knowledge is indispensable, it also creates the illusion that we have the intelligence to meet the challenges of life. This makes us neglect the vast and subtle field of the human psyche. This perspective comes through clearly in these talks, which therefore have significance not just for the young, but also for parents, teachers, and all those interested in the deeper issues of life.

From page 39:

” So if we come back to the fundamental question: what is ignorance? Ignorance, is this unawareness of the whole structure of and nature of the mind, the brain and of all its movement; that is the very essence of ignorance. You learn from books and from your professors, pass examinations, get a few degrees and get a job – that is nothing. That is necessary in this mad world, but to be totally unaware of the extraordinary movement, the beauty, the subtlety, the quickness of all that inward movement, to be unconscious, to be unaware of it is not only ignorance; it brings its own destruction. “

Door Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

272 Pages | Published in 2001, Books on Living for Teens – Volume I. The 2005 edition is available here | Softcover | Krishnamurti Publications of America, Ojai California | ISBN: 188800424X.

Dutch translation: Wat Doe JIJ Met Je Leven?! – Jonge Mensen en Relaties, Opleiding, Toekomstig Werk en de Zin van Je Leven | Eerste druk 2003, tweede druk 2004 | Softcover | Ank-Hermes B.V., Deventer | ISBN: 9020283006

Teens learn for themselves about their relationship to the self, to each other, family, work, society, the world, and the meaning and purpose of life. Through paying attention rather than accepting the authority of their conditioning, they can find out for themselves about love, sex, marriage, the meaning of work, money, ambition and competition and, by changing the violence in themselves, they can change the world.

See for yourself that:

• Each fear, anger, escape into drugs multiplied by six billion creates the world.
• If we end our own mental pain, we can affect the pain of the world.
• We are taught skills to make a living, not in living itself.
• The purpose of life and its joys is discovered by paying attention to what you think, do and feel in daily life.

Krishnamurti spoke to young people all over the world and founded schools in California, England and India. ‘When one is young‘, he said, ‘one must be revolutionary, not merely in revolt . . . to be psychologically revolutionary means non-acceptance of any pattern’.

From Chapter 3 – ‘Thought, the Thinker and the Prison of the Self’ (p. 33):

Thought Can Never Be Free

” So we must understand very clearly that our thinking is the response of memory, and memory is mechanistic. Knowledge is ever incomplete, and all thinking born of knowledge is limited, partial, never free. So there is no freedom of thought. But we can begin to discover a freedom, which is not a process of thought, and in which the mind is simply aware of all its conflicts and of all the influences impinging on it. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

264 Pages | Published in 2001; available here. This is the 2005 Edition| Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation of America | ISBN: 8187326352.

Dutch translation: Wat Doe JIJ Met Je Leven?! – Jonge Mensen en Relaties, Opleiding, Toekomstig Werk en de Zin van Je Leven | Eerste druk 2003, tweede druk 2004 | Softcover | Ank-Hermes B.V., Deventer | ISBN: 9020283006.

What Are You Doing With Your Life? Brings together excerpts from Krishnamurti’s books, and represents the first anthology of its kind, that offers the young a systematic approach to his vision of education and life. Krishnamurti, whose life and teachings have spanned the greater part of the 20th century, is regarded by many as one who has had the most profound impact on human consciousness in modern times.

From Chapter I – ‘What Are You’:

” What is the relationship between you and the misery, confusion within and around you? Undoubtly, this confusion and misery did not appear by themselves. You and I gave birth to them, not a capitalist, communist or fascist society, but you and I have created them in relation to each other. What you are from the inside, is from the outside projected on the world.  What you are, what you think and what you feel, what you do in daily life, is projected outwardly shaping this world. […] What you are is the world, and so your problem is the problem of the world. This certainly is a simple and fundamental fact, right? Seemingly, we forget this all the time in relation to a single or many human beings. We would like to make a change by means of a system or revolution of ideas based on a system, yet forget; you and I create society and cause chaos or establish order by the way in which we live our lives. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

171 Pages | Published in 1977, first published in Gollancz Paperbacks 1985; this edition was first published in 1991 | Softcover | Victor Gollancz Ltd., London | ISBN: 0575037652.

Truth and Actuality consists of both talks and dialogues by J. Krishnamurti. It opens with three discussions taken from a longer series with the eminent theoretical physicist Dr. David Bohm; these deal with the problem of truth, the actuality in which we live as perceived by the senses, reality as appears to our consciousness, and the relationship between them.

In the main part of the book, Krishnamurti considers how man’s consciousness is made up of all sorts of misconceptions about the ‘me’, or the ego centre; he also points out how solidly conditioned it is. ‘You cannot go through reality to come to truth; you must understand the limitation of reality, which is the whole process of thought’, he says. The book ends with some questions and answers which throw light on certain issues previously touched upon.

From Chapter 9 – ‘The Sacred, Religion, Meditation’ (p. 144 & 145):

” The many religions throughout the world have said that there is an enduring, everlasting truth, but the mere assertion of truth has little significance. One has to discover it for oneself, not theoretically, intellectually or sentimentally, but actually find out if one can live in a world that is completely truthful. We mean by religion the gathering together of all energy to investigate into something: to investigate if there is anything sacred. That is the meaning we are giving it, not the religion of belief, dogma, tradition or rituals with their hierarchical outlook. But we are using the word ‘religion’ in the sense: to gather together all energy, which will then be capable of investigating if there is a truth, which is not controlled, shaped, or polluted by thought. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

171 Pages | Published in 1977, reprinted in 1992, 1995, 2000 & 2003 | Krishnamurti Foundation India | Softcover | ISBN: 8187326182.

Truth and Actuality consists of both talks and dialogues by J. Krishnamurti. It opens with three discussions taken from a longer series with the eminent theoretical physicist Dr. David Bohm; these deal with the problem of truth, the actuality in which we live as perceived by the senses, reality as appears to our consciousness, and the relationship between them.

In the main part of the book, Krishnamurti considers how man’s consciousness is made up of all sorts of misconceptions about the ‘me’, or the ego centre; he also points out how solidly conditioned it is. ‘You cannot go through reality to come to truth; you must understand the limitation of reality, which is the whole process of thought’, he says. The book ends with some questions and answers which throw light on certain issues previously touched upon.

From Chapter 9 – ‘The Sacred, Religion, Meditation’ (p. 144 & 145):

” The many religions throughout the world have said that there is an enduring, everlasting truth, but the mere assertion of truth has little significance. One has to discover it for oneself, not theoretically, intellectually or sentimentally, but actually find out if one can live in a world that is completely truthful. We mean by religion the gathering together of all energy to investigate into something: to investigate if there is anything sacred. That is the meaning we are giving it, not the religion of belief, dogma, tradition or rituals with their hierarchical outlook. But we are using the word ‘religion’ in the sense: to gather together all energy, which will then be capable of investigating if there is a truth, which is not controlled, shaped, or polluted by thought. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986), edited by Rajagopalacharya Desikacharya (commonly D. Rajagopal) (1900–1993).

258 Pages | Copyright 1964, first Perennial Library Edition 1970, reissued 1989 | Sofcover | Harper Perennial – A Division of Harper Collins Publishers, New York | ISBN: 0060916095.

Whether writing about a conversation with someone, or describing a sunset, or giving a public talk, Krishnamurti seems to have a way of addressing his remarks, not just to his immediate audience, but to anyone, anywhere, who will listen; and there are many, all over the world, who are eager to listen. For what he says is without bias, and universal, and in a strangely moving way reveals te very roots of our human problems.

The material contained in this Volume Think on These Things (Dutch translation: Denk daar maar eens over) was originally presented in the form of talks to students, teachers and parents in India, but its keen penetration and lucid simplicity will be deeply meaningful to thoughtful people everywhere, of all ages, and in every walk of life. Krishnamurti examines with characteristic objectivity and insight the expressions of what we are pleased to call our culture, our education, religion, politics and tradition; and he throws much light on such basic motivations as ambition, greed and envy, the desire for security and the lust for power – all of which he shows to be deteriorating factors in human society.

From Chapter 3 – ‘Freedom and Love’ (p. 19):

” To be free we have to revolt against all inward dependence and we cannot revolt if we don’t understand why we are dependent. Until we understand and really break away from all inward dependence we can never be free, for only in that understanding can there be freedom. But freedom is not a mere reaction. Do you know what a reaction is? If I say something that hurts you, if I call you an ugly name and you get angry with me, that is a reaction – a reaction born of dependence; and independence is a further reaction. But freedom is not a reaction, and until we understand reaction and go beyond it, we are never free. “

254 pages | Paperback | Krishnamurti Foundation India, 2003

Tradition and Revolution consists of a series of dialogues on ancient Indian religious and philosophical themes. Man’s search for liberation, his ideas about the spiritual path and the goal, and various traditional concepts are dealt with in contemporary idiom. Krishnamurti’s concern is to bring out the experiential component behind these terms and to lead his listeners to heart of the human predicament. These dialogues are a profound investigation into the nature of consciousness, an exploration of the mind, itsmovement and its frontiers, and of that which lies beyond.

242 pages | Paperback | Krishnamurti Foundation India, 2004

The Way of Intelligence consists of a series of dialogues on ancient Indian religious and philosophical themes. The ideas of causality, of a guru as a spiritual guide, of the spiritual path and of the goal, of the search for liberation, and of sadhana or the right means thereto are all dealt with in a contemporary idiom. Throughout, Krishnamurti’s concern is to lay bare the experiential component behind these terms and to lead his audience to the heart of the human problem. These penetrating dialogues reveal Krishnamurti at the height of his power.

269 pages | Gebonden/Hardcover | Adyar Library Series, 1991

About the Book

CONTENTS

Page
INTRODUCTIONS vii
ABBREVIATIONS xv
UPANISAD TRANSLATION
1 Aksyupanisad (72) 1
2 Adhyatmopanisad (73) 10
3 Annapurnopanisad (70) 22
4 Atmopanisad (76) 70
5 Atmabodhopanisad (42) 76
6 Ekaksaropanisad (69) 79
7 Kausitaki Brahmana Upanisad(25) 82

164 pages | Paperback | Krishnamurti Foundation India, 1992

This is one of a series of theme books put together from Krishnamurti’s talks and writings. Providing a far-reaching basis for solving many of the world’s crises, the book brings together Krishnamurti’s most essential teachings on the individual’s relationship to other people, to society, and to life itself. The renowned teacher makes it clear that the way we handle personal crises and relationships links us to the problems of all people and has a larger, global meaning.

Door Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

246 Pages | First edition 1999 | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation India, Chennai | ISBN: 8187326085.

The Revolution from Within is the second in the series titled ‘Selections from the Decades’ and consists of twenty-three public talks that Krishnamurti gave between 1952 and 1959. Whereas in the 1940s, Krishnamurti had to address a variety of contemporary social and political issues, here his focus is primarily, if not solely, on a radical change in the mind and heart of every human being. What brings about such a change is not knowledge or reason, nor new ideas or ideals, or the pursuit of some religious goals; nor does it come about through effort and will. It is only in understanding ourselves completely that this transformation takes place.

From Chapter – ’23 August’ (p. 23 & 24):

” Unless there is a transformation at the centre, not substitution, but a radical uprooting of the ‘me’, no fundamental change is possible. Realizing this, how is one to bring about a deep inner change? That is the problem, is it not? – for a serious person, not for the superficial who are seeking some comforting illusion, gurus, teachers and all the rest of the nonsense. So, how can that centre transform itself? Sirs, people who see that a change must take place, and do not know how it should come about, are easily caught by incentives, are they not? They are distracted by idealogical utopias, by the Masters, by worship, by churches, by organizations, by saviours, and so on and on and on; but when I put aside all distractions because they will not transform the centre, and I am concerned only with the transformation of the centre – when I really see the urgency, the necessity of that, then all these superficial reformations have very little significance. “

By Prof. P. Krishna.

126 Pages | Uitgegeven in 1995 | Softcover | Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland, Amsterdam | ISBN: 9061750717.

This book is a verbatim account of eight lectures delivered by prof. P. Krishna in 1992 and 1993 on the subject of right living in modern society. Primarily based on the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986), these lectures focus on the following issues: what is it that divides us?, our relationship to the world, our relationship to ourselves, our responsibility towards children and ways of creating the right learning environment.

If you ask me to list the major problems that modern society, or mankind, in its present state is facing, I would say that the tendency in human beings to form groups – either national groups or religious groups or caste groups or racial groups – and create division of mankind, then feel not for the whole of mankind, but only for the particular group to which one belongs, is by far the greatest problem facing us, because it does give us some sort of a feelings of security to belong to a group. We must examine whether it is real security or some kind of illusory feeling of security, which comes because we are not farsighted enough, we are not looking deeply enough. I would say this division in mankind is perhaps the most major problem and the greatest cause of violence and suffering in modern society.

From Chapter 8 – ‘Right Living in Modern Society: Creating the Right Learning Environment’ (p. 126):

” In the field of academics the teachers may know more than the students and they can transfer their knowledge. But in this field, as human beings struggling to discover the Art of Living rightly, we, grown-ups, are not different from the children. Knowledge does not help us to live rightly. Therefore we must inquire together and learn together, as friends, not as instructors and trainees. Only a school that cares both for the academic development and for the Art of Right Living, can impart right education to children and fulfil our responsibility towards the next generation. “

Door Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

107 Pages | Published in 1982 | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation India, Chennai | ISBN: 8187326247.

How does one live sanely in this world of violence and corruption? Is it possible for man to find everlasting security? How does one deal with one’s anger, frustration, sexual desire, loneliness and fear? Is a human being a mere thinking machine or is there something beyond thought? What is true meditation. What is the place of religion in the modern world? Krishnamurti’s answers to these and many other questions put to him by his audiences form the contents of this book. Krishnamurti ‘answers’ are not readymade solutions; rather, they are meant to provoke more questions in the mind of the listener so that, out of that questioning and scepticism, he goes from the narrow field of problem-solving to the wider expanse of self-knowledge.

From Chapter 23 – ‘Enlightenment’ (p. 48 & 49):

” The Eastern and Western gurus all quote the old saying: ‘You must be a light unto yourself’. It is an ancient and very famous saying in India. And they repeat it, adding, ‘You cannot be a light unto yourself unless I give it to you’. People are so gullible; that is what is wrong. They all want something – the young and the old. For the young the world is too cruel, for them what the older generations have made of the world is too appalling. […] Equally, the older generation are in the same position, only they express it with more sophistication. They are the same, the young and the old all over the world. But nobody can give guidance, can give light, to another. Only yourself can do that; but you have to stand completely alone. That is what is frightening for the young and the old. If you belong to anything, follow anybody, you are already entering into corruption. Understand that very deeply, with tears in your eyes: when there is no guru, no teacher and no disciple, there is only you as a human being living in this world – the world, the society, which you have created. And if you do not do something for yourself, society is not going to help you. On the contrary, society wants you to be what you are. Do not belong to anything, not to any institution or organization; do not follow anybody; be not a disciple of anybody. You are human being living in this terrible world; a human being who is the world and the world is you. You have to live there, understand it, and go beyond yourself. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986), edited by David Skitt.

254 Pages | Published in 1996, first Indian edition 2001 | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation India, Chennai | ISBN: 8187326212.

In the last two decades of his life, Krishnamurti engaged in several discussions with scientists, Buddhist scholars, philosophers, artists, and a Jesuit priest. This Volume contains his conversations with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Renee Weber, David Bohm, Jonas Salk, Walpola Rahula, Bernard Levin, Huston Smith, Iris Murdoch, and Pupul Jayakar. These offer a profound insight into his philosophy of life.

In his Foreword to the book, editor David Skitt says: For the first-time reader, the range and vocabulary of these conversations may seem daunting. Is this philosophy, psychology, or religion? Or all three? Krishnamurti himself did not like giving a name to what he talked about. His agenda was very open-ended, always totally free to cover any aspect of the human condition. For Krishnamurti, a religious view of life is inseparable from exploring whether we mistakenly apply the biological model of evolution to the psychological sphere; and whether the computer is an accurate simulation of the human brain. For him, these are not incidental but crucial issues that determine the quality of our lives, not just topics of intellectual ‘interest’.

From Chapter – ‘What is Your Secret’ (p. 198)?:

“K: Again, what do you mean by ‘individual’?

BL: Well, we’re all independent, separate personalities.

K: Are we?

BL: Well, aren’t we?

K: I doubt it. We’re not individuals, we are the result of a million years of collective experiences, memories, all that. We think we are individuals, we think we are free, we are not. To us, freedom means choice. Choice means confusion, you don’t choose if you are clear.

BL: You said once, one of your most striking phrases as I remember, that your purpose was to set Man free.

K: Yes, it sounds . . . (laughs). “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986), edited by David Skitt.

255 Pages | Published in 1996. The first Indian edition 2001 is available in our webshop here | Softcover | Thorsons, an Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, London & San Francisco | ISBN: 0722532849.

In the last two decades of his life, Krishnamurti engaged in several discussions with scientists, Buddhist scholars, philosophers, artists, and a Jesuit priest. This Volume contains his conversations with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Renee Weber, David Bohm, Jonas Salk, Walpola Rahula, Bernard Levin, Huston Smith, Iris Murdoch, and Pupul Jayakar. These offer a profound insight into his philosophy of life.

In his Foreword to the book, editor David Skitt says: For the first-time reader, the range and vocabulary of these conversations may seem daunting. Is this philosophy, psychology, or religion? Or all three? Krishnamurti himself did not like giving a name to what he talked about. His agenda was very open-ended, always totally free to cover any aspect of the human condition. For Krishnamurti, a religious view of life is inseparable from exploring whether we mistakenly apply the biological model of evolution to the psychological sphere; and whether the computer is an accurate simulation of the human brain. For him, these are not incidental but crucial issues that determine the quality of our lives, not just topics of intellectual ‘interest’.

From Chapter – ‘What is Your Secret’ (p. 198)?:

“K: Again, what do you mean by ‘individual’?

BL: Well, we’re all independent, separate personalities.

K: Are we?

BL: Well, aren’t we?

K: I doubt it. We’re not individuals, we are the result of a million years of collective experiences, memories, all that. We think we are individuals, we think we are free, we are not. To us, freedom means choice. Choice means confusion, you don’t choose if you are clear.

BL: You said once, one of your most striking phrases as I remember, that your purpose was to set Man free.

K: Yes, it sounds . . . (laughs). “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

112 Pages | Published in 1992 | Softcover | Victor Gollancz, London Ltd. | ISBN: 0575053291.

As early as 1948 Krishnamurti said: ‘Because we do not love the earth and the things of the earth, but merely utilize them . . . we have lost touch with life . . . we have lost the sense of tenderness, that sensitivity, that response to things of beauty; and it is only in the renewal of that sensitivity that we can have understanding of what is true relationship’.

This is the first Volume of an unprecedented series of thematic selections from Krishnamurti’s works. Here, the world-renowned spiritual teacher explains eloquently how ’true relationship’ is brought about by knowing how our inner world of thoughts and emotions is inextricably linked to the outer world of humanity and the environment.

From Chapter – ‘Talks in Europe 1968, Paris, 25 April 1968’ (p. 48):

” There is this immense complex problem of existence with all its fears, anxieties, hopes, fleeting happiness, and joys, but analysis is not going to solve it. What will do so is to take it all in swiftly, as a whole. You know you understand something only when you look – not with a prolonged trained look, the trained look of an artist, a scientist or the man, who has practised ‘how to look’. You see it if you look at it with complete attention; you see the whole thing in one glance. And then you will see you are out of it. Then you are out of time; time has a stop and sorrow therefore ends. A man that is in sorrow, or fear, is not related. How can a man who is pursuing power have relationship? He may have a family, sleep with his wife, but he is not related. A man, who is competing with another has no relationship at all. And all our social structure with its unmorality is based on this. To be fundamentally, essentially, related means the ending of the me that breeds separation and sorrow. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986), edited by Rajagopalacharya Desikacharya (commonly D. Rajagopal) (1900–1993).

224 Pages | First edition 1964, reprinted in 1992 & 1994, this edition was first published in 2001 and reprinted in 2004 | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation India | ISBN: 8187326263.

This Matter of Culture consists of Krishnamurti’s talks and discussions with the students, parents and teachers of the schools he founded in India, and has been chosen by Parabola Magazine as ‘one of the hundred best spiritual books of the century’. Ever since it was brought out in 1964, it has been published world-wide in 22 languages and has remained a popular book on education. Here, Krishnamurti defines, in unmistakable terms, the real function of education, as also the purpose of human life:

‘The function of education is to bring about a release of energy in the pursuit of goodness, truth, or God, which in turn makes the individual a true human being and therefore the right kind of citizen.’

‘It is also our problem to find out what God is, because that is the very foundation of our life. A house cannot stand for long without a proper foundation, and all the cunning inventions of man will be meaningless if we are not seeking out what is God or truth.’

From Chapter XIII (p. 99):

” That is why it is very important that we should be rightly educated – educated not to be smothered by tradition, not to fall into the destiny of a particular racial, cultural or family group, educated not to become mechanical beings moving towards a predetermined end. The man, who understands this whole process, who breaks away from it and stands alone, creates his own momentum; and if his action is a breaking away from the false towards the truth, then, that momentum itself becomes the truth. Such men are free from destiny. “

216 pages | Paperback | Krishnamurti Foundation, 2005

From very ancient times, human beings have been taught to regard thought as the most powerful and perhaps the only instrument they have for dealing with life. Krishnamurti shatters this dearly held notion by declaring that the instrument of thought produces havoc within individuals and in the world at large. Thought, no doubt, has helped man to progress in functional areas, and it has its rightful place there. But in the psychological realm, the solutions it offers only create more problems.

228 pages | Paperback | Krishnamurti Foundation India, 2004

We have spent a great deal of energy in attempts to solve our problems – intellectual energy, emotional energy, physical energy – and all this energy… has not in any way resolved our human psychological problems. We are concerned to find out if there is a different kind of energy which will, if we can tap it, resolve our problems.” – says Krishnamurti in this book.

144 pages | Paperback | HarperCollins Publishers, 1993

Krishnamurti has said: “It is only when the mind is completely still that there is a possibility of touching the deep waters.” Asserting the distinction between conditioned thought and truly creative thinking, On Mind and Thought explores what Krishnamurti referred to as “that vast space in the brain in which there is unimaginable energy.” These essential teachings stress that only by escaping conditioned thought can we truly achieve personal freedom and fulfillment, and that only through this individual change will vital conflicts in relationships and society be alleviated.

204 pages | Paperback | Krishnamurti Foundation India, 2004

As the title suggests, this book is addressed to young people, and is the first collection of Krishnamurti’s talks to students, teachers and parents. An Introduction by Krishnamurti focuses on his main concerns in education. The book covers a wide range of themes – the danger of competition which, breeding fear, prevents the mind from being fully receptive to experience; the value of solitude’; and the difference between concentration and attention.

By J. Krishnamurti

133 pages | Paperback | Shambhala, 1999

These selections present the core of Krishnamurti’s teaching on meditation, taken from discussions with small groups, as well as from public talks to large audiences. His main theme is the essential need to look inward, to know ourselves, in order really to understand our own–and the world’s–conflicts. We are the world, says Krishnamurti, and it is our individual chaos that creates social disorder. He offers timeless insights into the source of true freedom and wisdom.

Paperback

191 pages | Paperback | Shambala Publications, 2005

Facing a World in Crisis presents a selection of talks that Krishnamurti gave on how to live in and respond to troubling and uncertain times. His message of personal responsibility and the importance of connecting with the broader world is presented in a nonsectarian and nonpolitical way. Direct and ultimately life-affirming, Facing a World in Crisis will resonate with readers today who are looking for a new way to understand and find hope in challenging times.

148 pages | Paperback | Krishnamurti Foundation India, 2004

On Freedom is one of a series of theme books compiled from the talks, writings, and dialogues of J. Krishnamurti. Some of the other titles in this series are On God, On Relationship, On Fear, On Living Dying and On Love and Loneliness.

‘To me, freedom is absolutely necessary-freedom at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end-and that freedom is denied when I carry a problem over to the next day. This means that I have not only to discover how the problem arises, but also how to end it completely, surgically, so that there is no repetition, no carrying over of the problem, no feeling that I will think about it and find the answer tomorrow. If I carry the problem over to the next day, I have provided the soil in which the problem takes root, and then the pruning of that problem becomes still another problem.’

122 pages | Paperback | HarperCollins Publishers, 1995

On Fear is a collection of Krishnamurti’s most profound observations and thoughts on how fear and dependence affect our lives and prevent us from seeing our true selves. Among the many questions Krishnamurti addresses in these remarkable teachings are: How can a mind that is afraid love? and What can a mind that depends on attachment know of joy? He points out that the voice of fear makes the mind dull and insensitive, and argues that the roots of hidden fears, which limit us and from which we constantly seek escape, cannot be discovered through analysis of the past. Questioning whether the exercise of will can eliminate the debilitating effects of fear, he suggests, instead, that only a fundamental realization of the root of all fear can free our minds.

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

180 Pages | Published in 1972, 2005 edition | Krishnamurti Foundation, London, England | ISBN:  9788187326366.

Dutch translation: De Adelaar in Zijn Vlucht | 221 Pagina’s | Eerste druk 1974, tweede druk 2015 | Synthese, een imprint van Milinda Uitgevers B.V. | ISBN: 9788187326366.

‘In its flight, the eagle leaves no trace; yet a man of science does. If we wish to investigate the problem of freedom, not only do we need to incorporate the scientific approach, we also need to incorporate the flight of the eagle, which leaves no trace! ‘

The Flight of the Eagle contains twelve speeches presented by Krishnamurti in Londen, Amsterdam, Paris and Saanen in 1969. Behaving like an eagle, he flies from one European capital to the other and everywhere he spreads the core of his message: the solution to human problems, such as fear, violence and separation concentrates on a refined understanding of the problem. The answer cannot be discovered outside the question, it is silently present in the question itself. As humans, we are generally so driven in our quest of finding answers, we are seldomly capable of becoming aware of the problem in a diligent manner. And so, we are often standing in the way, preventing herewith a real solution to emerge.

Many consider The Flight of the Eagle to represent one of the most important publications of Krishnamurti. It deals with essential subjects, such as freedom, change, violence, peace and an openness for the unknown.

From Chapter 1 – ‘Freedom; Thinking, Pleasure and Suffering:

” What is fear? (Do not take at face value what a speaker says – if I may suggest this. He has no authority, he is no teacher, no guru. Because when he is a teacher, you are his followers and if you are followers, you ruin both yourselves and the teacher). We aim to discover truth in this problem of fear so thoroughly, the mind will never be fearful again and because of this will be inwardly, psychologically, liberated from being dependent on others. The beauty of being liberated is one leaves no trace . . . “

 

264 pages | Gebonden/Hardcover | Krishnamurti Foundation India, 2003

With a Foreword by Aldous Huxley.

The book falls into two parts — Krishnamurti’s reflections on life, and answers to questions put to him by his audiences. It covers a wide range of themes, from boredom and gossip to self-knowledge and God, and thus provides a good starting point for those wishing to familiarize themselves with Krishnamurti’s teachings.

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895–1986).

205 Pages | Copyright 1993 | Softcover | Mirananda, Den Haag | ISBN: 9062718299.

Many educators and parents have found Krishnamurti’s insights into the human condition and the nature of learning especially relevant to the education of children. For them and for others, who wish to live sanely and wisely in a world of growing confusion and who wish their children to do the same, this book will be a valued addition to his previous works.

In discussions with teachers at Brockwood Park School, which he founded in England in 1969, Krishnamurti assumes the role of a person coming to teach in such as school. Frankly and directly, he explores the new teacher’s relationship with the school, with his colleagues and especially with students, questioning the nature of freedom and authority, the place of motive and self-interest, the source of fear and violence, and the possiblity of awakening intelligence and sensitivity to order. In the course of the exploration, they go into the nature of investigation itself, and consider the necessity for the clarity of observation and communication.

Above all, Krishnamurti challenges the teachers – and the reader – to look at the need for radical psychological change, and to consider the possibility of such change in all human beings.

” My concern . . . is to awaken this intelligence in my students, so that they will be free. “

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

190 Pages | Softcover | First published in Great Britain in 1979. This is the 1991 Edition. There is also a 2001 edition available here. | Softcover | Victor Gollancz Ltd., London | ISBN: 057505154x.

Exploration into Insight is a series of dialogues that Krishnamurti held in India over many decades with friends and serious enquirers. Among them were Achyut Patwardhan, Pupul Jayakar, Maurice Friedman and others, who had gathered around him since the forties. The dialogues cover a wide range of subjects. 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. The processes of self-knowing are investigated with rare vigour and intensity. There is in these dialogues a relentless questioning, probing, a ‘listening’ and a ‘seeing’. The way in which these dialogues unfold is unique in itself. They are not questions and answers or even just an exhange of opinion. They form a new genre of communication typical of Krishnamurti – that of a deep listening, a tentative beginning and an exploration that leads to fresh perceptions. For those interested in delving into the processes of self-understanding, this is an extraordinary book.

From Chapter ‘How Deep Can One Travel?’ (p. 37 & 38):

” Krishnamurti: I live a very, very superficial life and I want to found out for myself if there is any depth which is not measurable and I see thought cannot reach it because thought is a measure, thought is time, thought is the response of the past; therefore thought cannot possibly touch it. Then, what will bring this about? If thought cannot touch it and that is the only instrument man has, then, what is he to do? Thought, in its movement, in its function, has created this world which is superficial in which I live, of which I am. That is obvious. Now, is it possible for the mind without the usage of thought, to touch something which is fathomless? Not just some moments in my sleep of when I am walking by myself, but to live there. My mind says the depth must be discovered, to let the mind be of the quality of that – I must be aware of that strange fathomless depth of something which is unnamed. ” 

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

Softcover | First edition 1979, reprints 1982, 1986, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996 & 1997. This edition was published in 2001| Krishnamurti Foundation Trust Ltd., Hampshire. With permission of the Krishnamurti Foundation India | ISBN: 8187326328.

Exploration into Insight is a series of dialogues that Krishnamurti held in India over many decades with friends and serious enquirers. Among them were Achyut Patwardhan, Pupul Jayakar, Maurice Friedman and others, who had gathered around him since the forties. The dialogues cover a wide range of subjects. 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. The processes of self-knowing are investigated with rare vigour and intensity. There is in these dialogues a relentless questioning, probing, a ‘listening’ and a ‘seeing’. The way in which these dialogues unfold is unique in itself. They are not questions and answers or even just an exhange of opinion. They form a new genre of communication typical of Krishnamurti – that of a deep listening, a tentative beginning and an exploration that leads to fresh perceptions. For those interested in delving into the processes of self-understanding, this is an extraordinary book.

From Chapter ‘How Deep Can One Travel?’ (p. 37 & 38):

” Krishnamurti: I live a very, very superficial life and I want to found out for myself if there is any depth which is not measurable and I see thought cannot reach it because thought is a measure, thought is time, thought is the response of the past; therefore thought cannot possibly touch it. Then, what will bring this about? If thought cannot touch it and that is the only instrument man has, then, what is he to do? Thought, in its movement, in its function, has created this world which is superficial in which I live, of which I am. That is obvious. Now, is it possible for the mind without the usage of thought, to touch something which is fathomless? Not just some moments in my sleep of when I am walking by myself, but to live there. My mind says the depth must be discovered, to let the mind be of the quality of that – I must be aware of that strange fathomless depth of something which is unnamed. ” 

By Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

158 Pages | First published in 1954, this is the 1998 edition | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation, India | ISBN: 818732600X.

This book is the outcome of talks and discussions held by Krishnamurti with the students and teachers of Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh and Rajghat Besant School in Varanasi. Krishnamurti regards education as of prime significance in the communication of that which is central to the transformation of the human mind and the creation of a new culture. As the topics in these stimulating talks and discussions reveal, he questions the very roots of our culture so that a comprehensive view on education emerges.

Krishnamurti’s challenge is addressed not only to the structure of education, but to the very nature and quality of man’s mind and life. Unlike all other attempts to salvage or suggest alternatives to the educational system, his approach breaks through the frontiers of particular cultures and establishes an entirely new set of values. To Krishnamurti, a new mind is possible only when the religious spirit and the scientific attitude form part of the same consciousness. While he gives emphasis to the cultivation of the intellect, he lays far greater stress on a heightened critical awareness of the inner and outer world.

From page 9:

” If you begin to think, to observe, to learn, not from books, but learn for yourself by watching, listening to everything that is happening around you, you will grow up to be a different human being. One who cares, who has affection, who loves people. Perhaps if you live that way, you might find a truly religious life. “

Door Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

224 Pages | Published in 2005 | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation, India | ISBN: 8187326573.

Many have considered Buddhism to be the religion closest in sprit to J.Krishnamurti’s spiritual teaching– even though the great teacher was famous for urging students to seek truth outside organized religion. This record of an historic encounter between Krishnamurti and a group of Buddhist scholars provides a unique opportunity to see what the great teacher had to say himself about Buddhist teachings. The conversations, which took place at Brockwood Park in England in the late 1970s, focus on human consciousness and its potential for transformation. Participants include Walpola Rahula, the renowned Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and scholar, author of the classic introductory text What the Buddha Taught.

From Chapter – ‘Are You Not Saying What The Buddha Said’? (p. 7):

” Walhula Rahula: Scriptures and all our knowledge condition human beings, there is no doubt about that. But I should say that knowledge is not absolutely unnecessary. Buddha has pointed out very clearly that if you want to cross the river and there is no bridge, you build a boat and cross with its help. But if, on the other shore, you think, Oh this boat has been very useful, very helpful to me, I can’t leave it here, I will carry it on shoulders, that is a wrong action. What you should say is: Of course this boat was very helpful to me, but I have crossed the river, it is no more use to me, so I’ll leave it here for somebody else. That is the attitude toward knowledge and learning. Buddha says that even the teachings, not only that, even the virtues, the so-called moral virtues, are also like the boat and have a relative and conditioned value. “

Door Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986).

269 Pages | Published in 1991 | Softcover | Krishnamurti Foundation India, Chennai | ISBN: 818732614X.

At a time of unprecedented outer change in the political and social spheres, is there a fundamental inner change that is demanded of each one of us? In the eighteen dialogues with Professor Allan W. Anderson, Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies at San Diego State University, J. Krishnamurti indicates that pinning our hopes on organized religion, science, political idealogy or the market economy not only fails to address basic human problems but actually creates them.

The way out of our difficulties, Krishnamurti states, can only start in the mind of each one of us, in an awareness of the way we actually perceive life, ourselves and others. Professor Anderson, throughout these dialogues, refers to many passages of Western and Eastern religious scriptures that he believes have been misunderstood and which in fact support Krishnamurti’s statements. The dialogues reproduced in an edited and slightly abridged version in this book, took place at San Diego State University from 18 to 28 February 1974.

From Dialogue XIV – ‘Death, Life and Love are Indivisible – The Nature of Immortality’ (p. 193):

Krishnamurti:

” That’s the most absurd thing. Now what we are discussing, sir, is the understanding of death, its relation to living and this thing called love. One cannot possibly understand the immensity – and it is immense – of this thing called death unless there is real freedom from fear. That’s why we talked sometime ago about the problem of fear. Unless the mind really frees itself from fear there is no possibility of understanding the extraordinary beauty, strength, and vitality of death. “

Door Grace F. Knoche (1909 – 2006).

183 Bladzijdes | Gepubliceerd in 2006, Nederlandse vertaling 2007 | The Theosophical University Press Agency, Den Haag | ISBN: 9789070328702.

Engelse vertaling: Theosophy in the Qabbālāh | Theosophical University Press, Pasadena California U.S.A. | ISBN: 9781557001832.

Wat zijn de essentiële leringen van de Qabbālāh, de Joodse esoterische wijsheid, die gedurende duizenden jaren van leraar aan leerling is overgedragen? In deze heldere presentatie richt Grace F. Knoche zich op de belangrijkste qaballistische thema’s: de emanatie van het heelal, de Sefiroth-levensboom en zijn symboliek in verband met de kosmos en de mens, de Vier Werelden van Schepping, de Vier Adams of Hemelse Archetypen, en de samengestelde structuur van ons wezen in relatie tot slaap, dood en inwijding. Om de betekenis ervan te verduidelijken vergelijkt de schrijfster qaballistische begrippen en symbolen met equivalenten in de hedendaagse Theosofie, vooral in de werken van H.P. Blavatsky en G. de Purucker., waaruit blijkt dat de Qabbālāh een van de stromen is van de universele Wijsheid-traditie van de mensheid.

Hoewel Theosofie in de Qabbālāh met wetenschappelijke nauwkeurigheid is geschreven, richt het zich op een breed publiek. Het boek schetst de hoofdlijnen van de qabbalistische filosofie en besteedt aandacht aan de diepere betekenis achter de specialistische terminologie ervan.

Uit Hoofdstuk 10: ‘De Viervoudige Aard van de Mens’ (blz. 124):

” De Reïncarnatieleer verschijnt in de Zohar als de leer over de ‘gilgūlīm’ (wielen), de omwenteling van de Zielen, maar meer impliciet dan expliciet. Ook wordt gesuggereerd dat voor de geboorte alles in Goddelijke vorm bestaat. Qabballisten denken dat de Ziel na de dood door een reeks wervelingen gaat, wat zowel geldt voor de transmigratie van de fysieke en andere atomen als voor de wederbelichaming van Zielen (vgl. GL:627-8vn). De Ziel trekt gewaden aan overeenkomstig de sfeer, die zij zal binnengaan. Voor de geboorte draagt ze een omhulling van hoger licht (ōr). Alles is verborgen in de Goddelijke vorm voor deze wordt geboren: de Ziel is dus een uitdrukking van haar vroegere karma, dat zich in haar Goddelijke vorm bevindt. Alle vormen van de aardse wereld werden in de Hof van Eden, de woonplaats van heilige geesten, oorspronkelijk gemaakt uit Goddelijk licht. “

By Grace F. Knoche.

209 Pages | A Sunrise Library Book, Copyright 2001 | Hardcover | Theosophical University Press, Pasadena California U.S.A. | ISBN: 1557001707.

Dutch translation: Duizend Lichten Aansteken | Theosophical University Press | ISBN: 9070328615.

‘If enough men and women will not only believe, but also follow their intuitions and consciously cast their lot with the cause of compassion, there is every reason to have confidence, that our civilization will one day make the leap from self-centeredness to genuine brotherhood in every phase of the human enterprise’.

Written with directness and warmth, To Light A Thousand Lamps shares a universal perspective on the central questions of human existence, while providing practical insights on daily living and spiritual growth. Offering a thoughtful critique of religious and scientific views and current practices in light of Theosophy, the author presents the foundation ideas of mankind’s spiritual heritage, addressing our responsibility as partners in a oneness that reaches to the core of each and every being. In so doing she suggests how we can live with dignity, purpose, and compassion, whatever our circumstances.

From Page 16 – ‘The Daily Initiation’ (p. 16):

” Every people has borne the sacred burden of the Divine in its deepest heart. How strange, with this wondrous heritage, that we should ever feel ‘widowed of the presence of the Gods’, as though the link with our Divine Source had become frayed, no longer assured. We are not the first civilization to feel lost and bewildered, nor will we be the last, but this does not mean there is no remedy. Help has always been within our grasp: to ally our whole being with the building energies of the universe and to refuse to strengthen by default – certainly never by design – the destructive forces, that are ever alert to attack the irresolute Soul. Still, we must persevere, for once we make the choice, all the ‘devils’ in the underworld of our nature will seemingly be let loose to test the integrity of our resolve. The more in earn earnest we are, the more subtle and persistent the resistance – not instigated by others, but by our higher self. There is nothing mysterious about this. “