The Book of Life: Daily Meditations with Krishnamurti

This is the third book I have read by Krishnamurti. It is excellent. It is truly profound. Several times, I have read something in this book, and then I have to pause just to let it soak in. Several pages I have even read twice, as each time I read it, I "see" something new. This book elucidates concepts such as love, sorrow, fear, etc., in a way that few books can. This book is setup like a year-long Calendar, with each page commentary on a different topic. It is easy to read, profound, and great as a bedside book. Read a few pages before bedtime every night. Great stuff to fall asleep on.

The book is full of insightful meditions just to quote one: "You want me to give you an assurance that you will live another life, but in that there is no happiness or wisdom. The search for immortality through reincarnation is essentially egotistic, and therefore not true. Your search for immortality is only another form of the desire for the continuance of self-defensive reactions against life and intelligence. Such a craving can only lead to illusion. So what matters is not whether there is reincarnation, but to realize complete fulfillment in the present. And you can do that only when your mind and heart are no longer protecting themselves against life. The mind is cunning and subtle in its self-defense, and it must discern for itself the illusory nature of self-protection. This means that you must think and act completely anew. You must liberate yourself from the net of false values which environment has imposed upon you. There must be utter nakedness. Then there is immortality, reality."

This book is a delightful collection of various passages in the works of Krishnamurti. These words of wisdom are loaded with wonderful lesson about life. The mere act of reading these passages makes me feel relaxed and content from the inside. After being inspired by many of these fascinating things about the nature of life from the book "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato, I use this book by Krishnamurti for my daily meditations and it is absolutely wonderful!

This volume is one of the most unique Krishnamurti books available. All the books by or about him seem to offer added insight but this book is very useful in what it brings to the reader. I found that it was best, for me, to read a week's worth of daily readings at a sitting since they are chosen to relate to each other...each week having a single focus. No book can capture the man or the totality of his challenge to us but this book surely is a must for anyone seriously trying to get an understanding of the man and his trying to verbalize that which is not easily expressed in words.

Krishnamurti is a modern philosopher, teacher, mystic. He goes right to the point discussing ideas that have to do with truth, love, experience, aloneness and many other subjects. He breaks it up in daily meditations so that we may be able to contemplate the meaning of his numerous subjects. An impressive body of work from a truly great master!