It is not unknown to me how many men have had, and still have, the opinion that the affairs of the world are in such wise governed by fortune and by God that men with their wisdom cannot direct them and that no one can...
The sun is burning on your back, and the air shimmers like glass above the sand. Your gums feel like sandpaper. You drank your last drop of water two days ago and you’ve been on all fours ever since, crawling toward an oasis on the...
Questioner: What is the origin of desire, and how can I get rid of it? Krishnamurti: It is a young man who is asking this question; and why should he get rid of desire? Do you understand? He is a young man, full of life, vitality;...
On Tranquillity of Mind This likewise greatly obstructs the tranquillity of the mind, that our desires are immoderate and not suited to our abilities of attainment, which, like sails beyond the proportion of the vessel, help only to overset it; so that, being blown up with...
Except for some rather vague, broad and nebulous guidelines, none of us is ever taught how to live. We are not told the value of life nor what it means to be fully alive. We have no idea of the wonders we can take from...
Ambition is poison. If you want to be a better musician, I can help you, but don't think in terms of becoming world-famous. If you want to be a better poet, I can help you, but don't think in terms of Nobel prizes. If you...
Philosophers are deeply interested in belief systems. Many philosophers, from Plato to William James, have noted the vital role our beliefs play – for better or worse – in getting us through the day. Hobbes observed that the human world is governed by opinion. Opinions are...
Two series of numbers: the first, series A, consists of: 724, 947, 421, 843, 394, 411, 054, 646. What do these numbers have in common? Don’t read on until you have an answer. It’s simpler than you think: the number four features in each of...
As to what concerns my other reading, that mixes a little more profit with the pleasure, and whence I learn how to marshal my opinions and conditions, the books that serve me to this purpose are Plutarch and Seneca. Both of these have this notable convenience...
Some people are not only obtuse, but they won’t even let you help them,” I complained. Tubs made himself comfortable and began: Once there was a little shack—a hovel, really—on the outskirts of the city. In the front was a little workshop with a few tools...
