I’m going to start off by sharing the one thing that was most resonant with me, and then dive deeper into the core lessons from the book. My goal with these types of posts is to be concise to force myself to think about the main lesson and be able to explain the rest of the book to you like your five. Occasionally, you’ll see me refer to these posts as sources of inspiration for my own unique thinking.
Key Takeaway
From the start, the First and Last Freedom by Jiddu Krishnamurti, challenges you. Some of the topics are profound, yet many are commonplace. Krishnamurti starts by elucidating what you really want from life - gratification. And continues to elaborate on how knowledge/beliefs create individuality or conflict. And lastly, how your relationship with the world is your relationship with yourself.
Out of all the messages that Krishnamurti shares, the one that stood out to me is that self is knowledge is where all transformation starts. In this vein, Krishnamurti does not beat around the bush, stating:
Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom, and therefore the beginning of transformation or regeneration.
What’s important to know here is that Krishnamurti is stating this in the context of transforming the world from a fragmented whole to a full whole. Based on my interpretation, an underlying reason to develop self-knowledge is so that not only are you a better person to yourself and others but also to be able to see and impact the world in the right way.
A final important note on this is to embrace that Krishnamurti promotes generating self-knowledge through not only introspection but by setting the intention and becoming curious about your thoughts and actions, rather than seeking teachers who will guide you through their own methods.
Overall Review
Memory → Ideas → Actions
Akin to the eightfold path of Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration, Krishnamurti suggests we focus on our thoughts to begin a transformation of self. He breaks this down into the following, and I paraphrase:
Memory and experience lead to knowledge and belief which ultimately lead to thoughts and ideas.
To me, going to the root of memory is the best place to start, and I felt like this message aligned to a lot of the other concepts I’ve considered key in my own transformation.
For example, in Thinking in Bets, the Author Annie Duke outlines a framework of how bets are formed:
Unbecoming Becoming
A common message amongst great teachers is to cease seeking and simply be. They say that this desire to become something leads to misery. Krishnamurti elaborates on this message by including that the desire to achieve leads to a life of contradiction.
As stated:
This constant becoming, arriving at one state after another, brings about contradiction, does it not? Therefore, why not look at life not as one permanent desire but as a series of fleeting desires always in opposition to each other?
Krishnamurti believes that the desire to be something is less about seeking truth, happiness, or tranquility. But more about seeking gratification and satisfaction, which in itself, is fleeting.
Simplicity is Internal
I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of minimalism. The philosophy seems conducive to clarity and peace. Yet, as I’ve become more minimal, I haven’t necessarily noted a significant change in how much peace I’ve generated internally.
This is where JK’s comments on internal simplicity resonated with me:
One can be inwardly simple, surely, only by understanding the innumerable impediments, attachments, fears, in which one is held. But most of us like to be held—by people, by possessions, by ideas. We like to be prisoners. Inwardly we are prisoners, though outwardly we seem to be very simple. Inwardly we are prisoners to our desires, to our wants, to our ideals, to innumerable motivations. Simplicity cannot be found unless one is free inwardly.
As I read over this part I realized that being calm and peaceful doesn’t come from letting go of external things, but instead, starts and ends within. Until we are truly at peace with who we are and where we are, we’ll be continually pushed by passion and desire. This inevitably will lead to a more complicated life than we desire.
Summary
Putting into words the ideas of JK was nearly impossible. Moreover, sharing them in my own words made me realize that my explanations were inadequate. Some of the concepts I’ve shared are common across philosophies, but the way Krishnamurti delivers his message in a precise and powerful way is what made this a great read. For these reasons I strongly suggest any book by JK because of his simple yet powerful explanations.
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