Paperback 176 Pages: Publisher HarperOne: Published: November 1992
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ISBN-10: 0062506072
ISBN-13: 9780062506078
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“On God” contemplates our search for the sacred. “Sometimes you think life is mechanical, and at other times when there is sorrow and confusion, you revert to faith, looking to a supreme being for guidance and help.
Krishnamurti explores the futility of seeking knowledge of the “unknowable” and shows that it is only when we have ceased seeking with our intellects that we may be “radically free” to experience reality, truth, and bliss.
He presents “the religious mind” as one that directly perceives the sacred rather than adhering to religious dogma.
Customer Reviews
The first step towards freedom begins here by R. Watts (UK)
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In “On God” Kirshnamurti has one primary goal in mind–to tell people to stop seeking knowledge of the unknowable. Is is his contention that only by doing so can we free our minds from the entrapment of faith.
I found the book to open both my heart and my mind by showing how futile certain secular religious beliefs are and how we should focus more on accepting that there are certain realities we do not have answers for. A book everyone should read for it’s simple yet totally unique perspectuve.
More Than Just God by Donald Ford (Lavina, Montana United States)
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This book (one in a series where Krishnamurti goes deeply into several topics critical to mankind) will mainly be of intrest to people who are already familiar with Krishnamurti’s basic philosophy/teachings. Krishnamurti uses many words with specific definitions (specific to himself & used throughout his works) that people might not understand if they don’t go deeply into particular subjects. This book helps clarify & define several of them. In a nut-shell, Krishnamurti states “How can anyone find God (the unknown) through the known?
All one will find is their own thought’s known projections. So to know God (if that’s possible), one cannot approach God through the known; through knowledge.” This is part of a larger thought of his, which is: don’t believe in anything. Don’t believe at all. If something comes to you as-is, on its own, fine. But any seeking…through prayer, thought, traditional types of yoga/meditation, or whatnot, is futile, as you will only find the known.
Only when one stops seeking, is it possible for God, Truth, Reality, Enlightenment…call it what you will…to come to one. This, like all of Krishnamurti’s works, will be of intrest to existentialists, as he states somewhere/everywhere (I’ve read so many of his works I’ve forgotten where!): “Truth is a pathless land. You can’t follow another to get there, and none can follow you once you’ve reached it yourself.” If you dig Krishnamurti, get it.
One of the best books of Krishnamurti’s “teachings” by swandiver (Lafayette, LA)
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I’ve read over 25 Krishamurti books, including all the “big ones” like Freedom from the Known, The First and Last Freedom, Total Freedom, Awakening of Intelligence, Flight of the Eagle, Krishmaurti’s Notebook, etc., many of which I’ve read more than once. I’ve given all of them away to share K’s message but kept four of them which I keep as references for focused daily reflection/meditation (as opposed to the meditation of all waking life). The four I’ve kept are Freedom from the Known, On God, On Right Livelihood, and Education and the Significance of Life (the last one of great relevance to me since I’m an educator).
And so now I always recommend (and often give) the first three books on that list I just mentioned to anyone who wants to learn more about K’s “teachings.” “Freedom from the Known” is the single best, most concise and thorough summary of all K’s teachings. “On God” should greatly help anyone who is searching for ultimate reality, Truth, God, Enlightenment, Nirvana, The Meaning of Life, or whatever one wants to call it.
No summary will do it justice; you must read it for yourself. “On Right Livelihood” addresses the issue of our daily living, in work, leisure, and even to some degree home life and family relationship, becuase, as K emphasizes, they all should be an integrated whole, not fragmented parts of our lives. “Education and the Significance of Life” is also or relevance to anyone who has children or who teaches; it will transform the way you view childrearing and education. I would say that those four books would be all a person would need to transform one’s life; to have a radical revolution in living.
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