Un Art de Vivre (The Art of Living) (1939), The Art of Family Life
“The traditional approach is from the periphery inwards, and through time, practice and renunciation, gradually to come upon that inner flower, that inner beauty and love — in fact to do everything to make oneself narrow, petty and shoddy; peel off little by little; take time; tomorrow will do, next life will do — and when at last one comes to the centre one finds there is nothing there, because one's mind has been made incapable, dull and insensitive.
Having observed this process, one asks oneself, is there not a different approach altogether — that is, is it not possible to explode from the centre?”
1960s, (1969)
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Jiddu Krishnamurti 233
Indian spiritual philosopher 1895–1986Related quotes
The Fast of Ramadan: The Inner Heart Blossoms (2005)
Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 386.
As quoted in "Independence Day: Bollywood stars wish peace, progress, prosperity" in The Times of India (15 August 2014) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Independence-Day-Bollywood-stars-wish-peace-progress-prosperity/articleshow/40306133.cms.
Context: Change cannot come from one politician, it has to come from each one of us and not just for today... it's a gradual process. Let's be responsible & work towards it.
Letter
Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774)
"The Rose-Bud of Autumn" in The Youth's Coronal (published 1850).
Part I, p. 28.
The Autobiography (1818)
Context: I believe I have omitted mentioning that in my first Voyage from Boston, being becalm'd off Block Island, our People set about catching Cod and haul'd up a great many. Hitherto I had stuck to my Resolution of not eating animal Food and on this Occasion, I consider'd with my Master Tryon, the taking every Fish as a kind of unprovok'd Murder, since none of them had or ever could do us any Injury that might justify the Slaughter. All this seem'd very reasonable. But I had formerly been a great Lover of Fish, and when this came hot out of the Frying Pan, it smelt admirably well. I balanc'd some time between Principle and Inclination: till I recollected, that when the Fish were opened, I saw smaller Fish taken out of their Stomachs: Then, thought I, if you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you. So I din'd upon Cod very heartily and continu'd to eat with other People, returning only now and then occasionally to a vegetable Diet. So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do.