Freedom is just another form of slavery. What? Yes, the same expression is offered when you say it to the people in your circle. Though the analogy seems a sceptic one, in a real sense we are. Just relax and think for a while, we are salves to our senses, aren’t we? We are the slaves to our happiness, joy, sorrow, miseries and all the worldly desires. We are becoming sick within our heart. We feel a different kind of pressure. Simply, we are not able to free our sense and still we are are not able to find the freedom from the known. Today, I am going to review a pretty interesting book named ‘Freedom From the Known’ By J. Krishnamurti. In this book which is, in fact, a collection of his talks, he has discussed the central problems of living in this world and also the methods by which we can become free from what we know.

He has taken a sensible approach in the book to take forward a step to focus on some central problems of our life. There are two things, First is living for the sake of living and other is living by choice and enthusiasm.

Krishnamurti has tried us to let us know the fundamental fact about life. There is a classical talk that ‘Don’t put the key of your happiness in someone’s else pocket.’ We can not influence happening outside of our body but our body should be in control of us. The moment happenings of others started to affect us we become a slave to our senses. Sadness, Joy and miseries happening with myself must happen for the cause of myself. We don’t have any rights outside but we must possess the sole right in the happening with ourselves in order to get the freedom from the known.

Krishnamurti talks, to understand and to be free of any problems we need a great deal of passionate and sustained energy, not only physical and intellectual energy but an energy that is not dependent on any motive, any psychological stimulates or drug. He talks about the higher level of intellectualism that cannot come with understanding only, we need to start observing. His ideas are philosophical in a sense that depicts the happening of true love with your life. So as long as you are compelled to do something because it is your duty, You don’t love what you are doing. When there is love, there is no duty and no responsibility.

The book by Krishnamurti presents some eye-opening ideas in front of the readers to understand the basic realities of life. But at some point, I disagree at various instances with the author. We cannot get entirely isolated from the world. And even if it has to be, it can only happen when we go somewhere in oblivion. We can not be a man of steel not having any emotions that my life cannot be affected by someone’s else happen. The expectation in this mortal world is a strong bond that keeps the relations of humanity in a privileged condition. Moreover, when we don’t meet the expectation certain human emotion will be there it is an obvious fact.

However, all other things said in the book is really helpful for the readers who want to bring life on the right track or, in better words, no attachment-no detachment policy. You can get a copy of the book from here:

review by Amit for Featured Books