Can The Mind Be Quiet?

Book excerpt: One of the great thinkers of the 20th century discusses the nature of the lived experience, the details of profound self-inquiry, and how to live a fulfilled life with spiritual seekers from around the world These 60 chapters—with titles like “Solitude Means Freedom”, “All Seeking is from Emptiness and Fear”, and “Life is an Extraordinarily Beautiful Movement”—carry the essence of Krishnamurti’s teaching style and profoundest wisdom. Each one reflects an encounter “K” had at different times during the sixties and seventies. It opens with a poetic account of the location where the encounter took place, plus occasionally a description of the seeker that K has met. The chapter then moves back and forth between the seeker and the teacher, giving the reader plenty to reflect upon. This is previously unpublished material. Readers will be captivated by the luminous prose and the piercing insight. The style is enigmatic and poetic but each chapter contains more than enough for the reader to consider, perhaps as a daily practice. In the style of Paulo Coelho, they have the quality of fables, but the teaching is far more profound and challenging.