On Living and Dying

by J. Krishnamurti

Book Overview

Biography of Louis Armstrong, African-American jazz trumpeter who took jazz into new and exciting realms. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062506102
• ISBN13: 9780062506108
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

On Living and Dying - J. Krishnamurti

Once in a while, a book comes along that causes radical changes in your approach to the important life issues. This is one of those books. A friend gave me a copy ten years ago, which I read while on retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani. As a traditional Christian, I found the straight-forward approach uncomfortable and a little threatening, especially because it challenged many of my "factual" truths. No problem, my beliefs can handle it, right? Wrong! I couldn't shake the feeling that Krishnamurti's ideas needed to be examined again without the baggage of pre-conceived notions. I've recently re-read the book, and while I'm still struggling with the material, I find that much of what he reveals MUST be taken seriously. It's also interesting that now I find his teachings are not inconsistent with those of Jesus (although they are at odds of much of what the church teaches). He talks about "dying" to everything, Jesus talks about selling all you have and following him. He talks about life, death, truth and love being here now, Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being at hand. Etc., etc. Be ready for "in-your-face" directness, but also be ready for troubling. but awesome material.

I am not the messiah, insists Krishnamurthi

The author, who passed on (of old age) had as a child been chosen by the Theosophists, an organisation seeking .... "spirituality" I suppose. They'd been based in India at the time--the turn of the century, headed by Colonial Europeans. If any of these supposed spiritual leaders was ever to be trusted, I'd say it should have been (and was) Krishnamurthi. He resigned and dismantled the moneyed organisation he had once been nominated to head (around 1930?). He's made it clear to people wishing to become his "followers" that if they put their hopes in another person, they would always be disappointed ... "and that includes myself". Those latter words underscored his meaning--to work out one's salvation alone. An easily read book; it contains the many lectures he gave during his lifetime. Each lecture spans a single page to a few pages.