17 January 2006

Books

In 1934, Krishnamurtie said, "Why do you want to be students of books instead of students of life? Find out what is true and false in your environment with all its oppressions and its cruelties, and then you will find out what is true." Repeatedly he pointed out that the "book of life," which is ever changing with a vitality that cannot be held in thought, was the only one worth "reading," all others being filled with secondhand information. "The story of mankind is in you, the vast experience, the deep-rooted fears, anxieties, sorrow, pleasure and all the beliefs that man has accumulated throughout the millennia. You are that book."
...
"Truth cannot be accumulated. What is accumulated is always being destroyed; it withers away. Truth can never wither because it can only be found from moment to moment in every thought, in every relationship, in every word, in every gesture, in a smile, in tears."

—from the introduction to The Book of Life by Krishnamurti



I'm sure Krishnamurti appreciated the irony of being a writer of books... :-) However insightful, however erudite, the words of another belong to another. Only your own experiences belong to you. Words may point you in a useful direction, or give you some idea what is possible, but the next step is always yours.

I like Krishnamurti's take on truth. It is not Absolute Truth that is frozen in a rictus of death; it is Living Truth. It stays the same by constantly changing, in each and every moment. "Nothing is trivial," as Brandon Lee's character said in The Crow. All the little things together form the truth in each moment, and in so doing are no longer little.
Mused by @

2 comments:

The Rambling Taoist said...

You wrote, "Words may point you in a useful direction, or give you some idea what is possible..."

I think this is a key point. If a person reads a book and nothing useful comes of it, then what's the point in reading it? The words of others should serve as a springboard, an impetus to think more deeply.

I LOVE to read. I love to see how others approach problems and situations. I love to see how others seek to explain things and explore ideas.

It almost always prods me to look at things anew, to test my current thinking. It often inspires me to look at a concept or situation again as if I were looking at it for the first time.

17 January, 2006 12:13
Qalmlea said...

That's the best kind of book. The kind that makes me go, "Wow." The kind that makes me look at everything around me and see it afresh.

But sometimes the words don't sink in for a while. My taiji instructor has said many things to me over and over again, for over a year in some cases, then, one day, they suddenly make sense, and the words are mine. The danger is to think that because you know the words, you know the idea.

21 January, 2006 17:38

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)