If I could rate this book with 0 stars, I surely would. I have no intention of going into the negative territory, but a zero is definitely what it deserves. I was obligated to read this book for a paper. However, even if that hadn't been the case, after reading just the first chapter, I would have rushed to return it. The author literally talks down to the listener or reader.

He constantly asks questions like "Do you understand? Should I speak more slowly so it is easier", "Do you understand what love is?" and "Why do you love your mother, father, or siblings". When someone gets angry, of course they will be irrational. Love has nothing to do with anger. And no one is ever truly satisfied. You desire something, finally obtain it, and later you want something else. If that little girl was ever satisfied, she would never strive for anything.

I was extremely displeased with the first half of this book, and I have no anticipation for the rest. I would not recommend this book to anyone. The author speaks in circles. There were numerous occasions when he failed to answer the question of a listener. One example is when he was asked who his master was. Instead of providing a direct answer, he said something along the lines of “Does it matter who he is? He is not here, speaking to you. I am, listen to me.” He doesn't answer the question directly. He starts talking about one thing, then switches to another, and never concludes what he was initially discussing. It truly irritated me.

I have a passion for books. I own over 2,000 books on Barnes and Noble, and more than 1,000 on Amazon and Bookstrand. Honestly, I wanted to take this book, hit both the man speaking and the man who published it in the head, and then burn the book. I was that disappointed. I apologize for my ranting, but I'm simply furious that my precious reading time was wasted on such a senseless book that lacks any meaningful understanding of what others might think.

Is this a good book?

You do not understand what you are asking.

What I think about this book is not important.

It doesn't matter if I like it or not, if I find it engaging or dull.

The crucial thing is for you to discover for yourself whether this book is good or not.

You need to pick up the book, turn the pages, and let the words soak into your mind.

You should experience the story, the characters, and the ideas presented within its covers.

Only then can you form your own opinion.

Maybe you'll find it to be a literary masterpiece that changes your perspective on life.

Or perhaps it won't resonate with you at all.

But the only way to know is to give it a chance and make up your own mind.

So don't rely on my opinion or anyone else's.

Find out for yourself if this is a good book.

Life changing.

There are numerous aspects to take in and digest.

For me, having read his Freedom from the Known, a significant portion of what this book expounds upon serves as a further elaboration of what he has already stated in Freedom from the Known.

The ideas presented here seem to build upon and deepen the concepts explored in the previous work. It's as if the author is delving even deeper into the themes of liberation and self-discovery.

As I progress through the pages, I find myself constantly reflecting on how these new insights connect with and expand upon the foundation laid by Freedom from the Known.

It's a thought-provoking journey that challenges me to question my own beliefs and perceptions, and to strive for a greater understanding of what it truly means to be free from the known.

Overall, this book offers a wealth of material that is both engaging and enlightening, and I look forward to continuing to explore its ideas and implications.

"Think on These Things" is yet another book of dialogues by the great spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti. People, both young and old, pose their various insignificant and significant questions on all kinds of topics, and Krishnamurti bestows upon them the precious value of the Answer. The answer of an enlightened person. The pages of this book are filled with wisdom, perceptiveness, attention, and love for the seeker. They are the path that is shown to you, but which you must follow on your own. They are like a flame that, once you have kindled it within yourself, you must find the courage to keep alive. And in the process of reading, you realize how you yourself become different, that is, yourself...

You understand that the questions whose answers you seek are right in front of you...

And the most important thing that you realize in the end is that there are no questions, nor answers...

Because every question is an answer and every answer is a question...

And the truth about life and man lies in the heart of the one who seeks, asks, and investigates...

"Only when you are constantly seeking, constantly observing, constantly studying can you discover the truth, God, or love, and you cannot seek, observe, and study, you cannot deeply realize, if you are afraid. So, obviously, the purpose of education is to remove this fear, both inner and outer, that destroys human thought, human relationships, and love.

Do you know what it means to learn? If you truly learn, you learn throughout your entire life and there is no particular teacher from whom to learn. Then everything can teach you - a withered leaf, a flying bird, a certain aroma, a tear, wealth and poverty, crying, the smile of a woman, someone's arrogance. You learn from everything and therefore there is no leader, philosopher, or guru. Life itself is your teacher and you are in the process of constant learning.

Do you know what society is? Society is the relationships between people, isn't it? Don't complicate the question, don't quote books, think very directly and you will understand that society is the relationship between you, me, and other people. Human relationships build society, and the present society is built on self-interested relationships, isn't it? Most of us desire money, power, property, authority, we strive for prestige and a good position at different levels and in this way we have created a self-interested society. As long as we are self-interested, as long as we want a high social position, prestige, power, etc., we belong to this society and therefore we are dependent on it. But if a person does not desire any of these things and is simply what he is, and experiences a deep sense of humility, then he is outside of it, the person rebels and breaks away from this society.

Do you know, it is a great art to have abundant knowledge and experiences - to feel the richness of life, the beauty of existence, the struggles, the unhappiness, the laughter, and the tears - and yet your consciousness remains direct and simple. And this is possible only if you know how to love.

Why should you read? Listen carefully. You never ask why you should play, why you should eat, why you should look at the river, why you are cruel, do you? You rebel and ask why you should do something only when you don't like to do it. But you read, you play, you laugh, you are cruel or kind, you look at the river, the clouds - all this is part of life, and if you don't know how to read, if you don't know how to walk, if you don't appreciate the beauty of a flower, you are not living. You must understand the wholeness of life, not just a small part of it. Therefore, you must read, therefore, you must look at the sky, you must sing, dance, write poetry, suffer and understand, because all this is life.

Aren't you ashamed, don't you feel uncomfortable, and doesn't this feeling make you stand still when you unexpectedly come across a beautiful tree, or a tender flower, or a bird in its nest? Do you understand, it is good to be shy. But for most of us, shyness means a feeling of discomfort... But there is another form of shyness, which means that you are tender and there is no feeling of discomfort in it.

But happiness does not come so easily, because it is not contained in any of these things. You can experience pleasure, you can find a new satisfaction, but sooner or later it will fade. Because there is no lasting happiness in the things we know. The kiss is followed by a tear, the laughter by unhappiness and sorrow. Everything changes and fades. So, while you are young, you must start to understand what this strange thing called happiness is. This is an essential part of education.

The truth is not something that can be achieved. The truth appears when your mind and heart are purified from all striving and you do not try to become an important person, it comes when the consciousness is very quiet and listens without a sense of time to everything that is happening around. You can listen to these words, but to experience happiness, you must understand how to free your consciousness from all fear.

Most of us simply exist, dragging ourselves along somehow and therefore life has become something terrible. To live truly, a great deal of love, a deep sense of peace, great simplicity, and abundant experience are necessary. A consciousness that is capable of thinking very clearly, that is not limited by prejudices or superstitions, by hope or fear, is needed. All this is life and if education has not prepared you to live, then it has no meaning. You can learn to be very clean and orderly, to have good manners, and you can endure all your tests, but to give primary importance to these superficial things when the entire structure of society is collapsing is like cleaning and polishing your nails while the house is burning and collapsing.

Truly, have you ever looked at someone in the face? Have you looked at the face of your teacher, your parents, the important official, the servant, the poor worker, to see what is happening? Most of us are afraid to look at others in the face, and other people also do not want us to look at them in this way, because they are also afraid. No one wants to reveal himself, we are all hidden, hiding behind different layers of unhappiness, suffering, desires, hopes. There are few people who can look at you straight in the face and smile. And it is very important to smile, to be happy, because, do you understand, without a song in the heart, life becomes very dull. A person can go from temple to temple, can change his spouse, or can find a new teacher or guru, but if this inner joy is not there, life becomes meaningless. And to find this inner joy is not easy, because most of us are only superficially dissatisfied.

In life, there is filth, misery, humiliation, sorrow, tears, and there is also joy, laughter, the beauty of a flower, the sunlight. Obviously, what is important is to be sensitive to everything, not just to decide what is beautiful and what is horrible and to remain with that opinion.

If you leave school with your parents, if you read the newspapers or talk to people, you will notice that almost everyone wants to change the world. And haven't you also noticed that the same people are always in conflict with each other over something - over their ideas, property, race, caste, or religion? Your parents, your neighbors, the ministers, the bureaucrats - aren't they all ambitious, fighting for a better position, and therefore always in conflict with someone else? Obviously, only when all this enmity is removed will there be a peaceful society in which all of us can live happily, creatively.

Do you understand, we think that this is a utopian dream that can never be achieved in reality. But I am not talking about Utopia, that would be stupid. Can you and I, the simple, ordinary people, live creatively in this world without the push of ambition that is manifested in society? You will find the right answer if you love what you do.

You can learn from books, but that doesn't lead very far. The book can only give you what the author has to say. The knowledge that comes through self-knowledge has no limits, because to learn through your own self-knowledge means to know how to listen, how to observe, and therefore to learn from everything: from music, from what people say and the way they say it, from anger, from greed, from ambition.

And do you know what is happening in the world? What is happening in the world is a projection of what is happening inside each of us. What we are is the world. Most of us are restless, we are greedy, we desire to possess, we are jealous and we judge people - and that is exactly what is happening in the world, only in a more dramatic, merciless way.

The true life is to do something that you love to do with your whole being, so that there is no inner contradiction, no conflict between what you do and what you think you should do. Then life is a completely integrated process in which there is enormous joy.

Everywhere around you there is birth and death, the struggle for money, position, power, this is the endless process that we call life. And sometimes don't you wonder, even if you are very young, what all this is for? Most of you are seeking an answer, we want someone to tell us what all this is for, therefore we take a political or religious book or we ask someone. But no one can answer us, because life is not something that can be understood from a book, nor can its meaning be grasped by following the experience of another person, nor through any kind of prayer. You and I must understand it for ourselves - which we can do only if we are completely awake, very observant, perceptive, if we show interest in everything around us. And then we will discover what it means to be truly happy.

The true rebellion, the true revolution means to break away from the pattern and to seek outside of it.

What you say to your neighbor, how you speak, how you walk, how you look at the sky, the birds, how you treat people, how you break a twig - all these things are important because they act as a mirror that shows you what you are like, and if you are awake, you discover everything anew in every moment.

The striving to understand what the truth is, what God is, is the only true striving and all other strivings are secondary.

Do you know, if you love something, you never get tired of it - I mean love in which no result is sought, you do not desire to get anything from it.

Do you love something? Do you know what it means to love? Do you know, if you love something completely, with your whole being, this love is not sentimental, it does not represent a duty, it is not divided into physical and spiritual. Do you love someone or something with your whole being - your parents, your friend, your dog, a tree? Do you love?...

In the person who loves, there is no place for anything else except love.

It is possible to have a beautiful face, with clean features, to dress tastefully and to behave impeccably, you can draw well or describe the beauty of the landscape, but without the inner feeling of kindness, all the external features of beauty lead to a very superficial, untrue life, a life that has no meaning.

To be religious means to be sensitive to reality.

I say the opposite - there is sorrow because man is cruel to man.

Do you understand what ordinary love represents? Not the complexity of sexual love, nor the love of God, but just love - to be tender, truly noble in your whole relationship to all things.

Do you know what it means to be sensitive? Positively, it means that you experience a feeling of tenderness towards things: if you see that an animal is suffering - to do something, to move the stone from the path because so many bare feet walk on it, to pick up the rusty nails because a car may get a flat tire.

Since we are devoid of inner content, since we are dull and sad, we are psychological beggars who seek someone or something that will give us wings, give us hope, support us, therefore the normal, ordinary things seem terrible to us.

You want to be loved because you do not love. The moment you start to love, the thirst ends, you no longer ask whether someone loves you or not. As long as you need love, you do not have love. And if you do not experience love, you are terrible, brutal, so why should you be loved? Without love, you are dead and if the dead person desires love, he is still dead. But if your heart is filled with love, you will never want to be loved, you will never stretch out your begging bowl to someone to fill it.

The search for truth is the true religion and the person who is seeking the truth is the only religious person."

From "Think on These Things" - Jiddu Krishnamurti

Translation: Filip Filipov

Pros
When I began skimming, my reading speed got a lot better. I was able to quickly go through the text and pick out the important information. This saved me a lot of time, especially when I had to read a large number of articles or books. Skimming also helped me to get a better understanding of the overall structure and content of the text. I could see the main ideas and the relationships between different paragraphs.

Cons
However, I also found that skimming had some drawbacks. Sometimes, I would miss some important details or nuances in the text. This could lead to misunderstandings or incomplete knowledge. Additionally, some people might think that skimming is a pretentious way of reading, as it gives the impression that you are not really interested in the text. But in my opinion, skimming is a useful skill that can be used in certain situations, as long as you are aware of its limitations and use it appropriately.

This may just be the most important book I’ve read all year. Krishnamurti is such a clear thinker and this book has truly challenged me. It has made me deeply examine myself and reflect on my own beliefs and motives.

Our present education system seems to be focused on telling us WHAT to think rather than HOW to think. However, this book addresses the latter crucial aspect.

“If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation.” This profound statement makes us realize the power of self-acceptance and the potential for inner growth that comes with it.

“You know, if a teacher loves mathematics, or history, or whatever it is he teaches, then you also will love that subject, because love of something communicates itself. Don't you know that? If a musician loves to sing and his whole being is in it, doesn't that feeling communicate itself to you who are listening? You feel that you too would like to learn how to sing.” It shows the importance of passion and how it can be contagious, inspiring others to follow suit.

“You try being alone, without any form of distraction, and you will see how quickly you want to get away from yourself and forget what you are.” This highlights our discomfort with facing ourselves and the need to constantly seek distractions to avoid self-reflection.

“Do you know what it means to love somebody? Do you know what it means to love a tree, or a bird, or a pet animal, so that you take care of it, feed it, cherish it, though it may give you nothing in return though it may not offer you shade, or follow you, or depend on you? Most of us don't love in that way, we don't know what that means at all because our love is always hedged about with anxiety, jealousy, fear - which implies that we depend inwardly on another, we want to be loved. We don't just love and leave it there, but we ask something in return; and in that very asking we become dependent.” It makes us question the true nature of love and how often our expectations and dependencies distort it.

“HAVE YOU EVER sat very quietly with closed eyes and watched the movement of your own thinking? Have you watched your mind working - or rather, has your mind watched itself in operation, just to see what your thoughts are, what your feelings are, how you look at the trees, at the flowers, at the birds, at people, how you respond to a suggestion or react to a new idea? Have you ever done this? If you have not, you are missing a great deal. To know how one's mind works is a basic purpose of education. If you don't know how your mind reacts, if your mind is not aware of its own activities, you will never find out what society is. You may read books on sociology, study social sciences, but if you don't know how your own mind works you cannot actually understand what society is, because your mind is part of society; it is society. Your reactions, your beliefs, your going to the temple, the clothes you wear, the things you do and don't do and what you think - society is made up of all this, it is the replica of what is going on in your own mind. So your mind is not apart from society, it is not distinct from your culture, from your religion, from your various class divisions, from the ambitions and conflicts of the many. All this is society, and you are part of it. There is no `you' separate from society.” This passage emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and how it is essential for understanding both ourselves and the society we live in. It makes us realize that our individual minds are intertwined with the larger social fabric and that by understanding our own thoughts and actions, we can gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.

This book is truly remarkable as it has the power to force you to maintain an open mind.

It has had a profound impact on me, completely transforming my line of thinking and even my life.

I cannot express my enthusiasm for this book enough. It is a must-read for anyone seeking personal growth and a new perspective.

However, it's important to keep in mind that this book will present challenges.

It will encourage you to consider things that you may not initially believe in, but it's essential to do so for the sake of expanding your horizons.

Don't let fear hold you back from exploring new ideas and concepts.

Embrace the opportunity to grow and learn from this book, and you'll be amazed at the positive changes it can bring to your life.

Some books are like pure gold, shining with a wisdom that transcends the boundaries of time. This particular book is precisely one of those precious gems.

At the beginning, it can be quite challenging to fathom what Jiddu Krishnamurti is attempting to convey. His ideas are abstract, as he refuses to offer any specific philosophy for you to rely upon, nor does he advocate for the following of any particular God. Nevertheless, the essence of what he communicates is the central theme of spiritual development, and indeed, of any kind of growth - LOVE!

And that is precisely the overwhelming feeling that washed over me as I delved into its pages - an abundance of LOVE! It is as if the author's words are a gentle caress, awakening the dormant seeds of love within our hearts and guiding us towards a path of self-discovery and enlightenment. This book is not just a collection of words; it is a profound exploration of the human spirit and the power of love to transform our lives.

This is an extraordinary book by J Krishnamurti.

It is a compilation of his talks with school children, where he emphasizes the need to explore an alternative way of life that is not dictated by age-old traditions, beliefs, and dogma.

He urges us to see the truth for ourselves and radically change the current miserable and divided way of living.

Krishnamurti explains that the real function of education is far more than just making an individual self-reliant.

It should teach students "how to think" rather than telling them "what to think".

He believes that understanding the whole process of daily living is crucial for growing in freedom and creating a new world.

The book also touches upon many other existential topics and the role of educators in shaping a complete individual.

According to Krishnamurti, a complete individual is a fountain of love, giving love without expecting anything in return, as his love is pure and stems from inner beauty.

This book makes us think deeply about how thoughtlessly we have perceived certain aspects of life and appeals to us to change the way we lead towards joy, gaiety, and affection.

It condemns the societal pattern of blindly adhering to existing ideals, which chains the intellect of the young and restricts their sensitivity towards themselves and others.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in philosophy or spirituality.

It is thought-provoking and offers a deeper perspective, rather than just presenting conventional formulas and exercises, which are often mere escapes from reality.

According to Krishnamurti, real education helps the young awaken their intelligence, which goes beyond subject knowledge.

This intelligence is explosive and can be made continuous, passionate, and strong, leading to spontaneous restraint and the discovery of reality.

The energy that comes from this is immense and boundless, as it is not corrupt or ambitious.

Inspiring is such a powerful word. It has the ability to move us, to make us believe that we can achieve great things.

When we are inspired, our minds are opened to new possibilities, and our hearts are filled with a sense of purpose and determination.

It could be a speech, a book, a work of art, or even a person's actions that inspire us.

These sources of inspiration have the potential to change our lives, to push us beyond our limits and towards our dreams.

They give us the courage to take risks, to face challenges, and to persevere in the face of adversity.

So, let us always be on the lookout for inspiration, and let it guide us on our journey through life.

For when we are inspired, there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

I firmly believe that liberal arts colleges ought to be distributing copies of this remarkable book to every prospective student they interact with.

Among the numerous aspects described within its pages is the very nature and value of what we refer to as a liberal arts education in the United States.

The book is a transcription of the engaging questions and answers that took place between a group of students and teachers and the author, Jiddu Krishnamurti. The specific type of audience within the book dictated its primary focus, which was grappling with the profound questions of education. However, these questions inevitably led to discussions on how to lead one's life, how to be acutely sensitive to the beauty and abundance that exists in the world, which in turn can lead to a meaningful relationship with God, and the profound changes that occur when one has a quiet and reflective mind.

I would characterize this book as a unique blend. It combines a highly readable presentation of Sartre's concepts of bad faith, authenticity, and philosophy of mind with C.S. Lewis' vivid description in "The Great Divorce" of how the world is already operating within the realm of eternity, yet we often lose sight of that relationship. We simply need to open our eyes to experience a life filled with joy, and yet, unfortunately, we sometimes serve up our own personal hells to ourselves.

When you bring all of these elements together, you arrive at "Think on These Things" by Jiddu Krishnamurti, a truly thought-provoking and enlightening work.