The First and Last Freedom is a book by Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jiddu Krishnamurti or J. Krishnamurti or , was a renowned writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual subjects. His subject matter included: psychological revolution, the nature of the mind, meditation, human relationships, and bringing about positive change in society...

 (1895–1986), originally published 1954.

About the work

This was the second of Krishnamurti's books to be published by mainstream commercial publishers. According to one source, there had been "36 editions published between 1954 and 2006 in 9 languages and held by 1,566 libraries worldwide". The foreword was written by Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley

Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...

, who was a longtime friend of Krishnamurti.

Contents

The first part of the book has 21 chapters:

1. Introduction
2. What are we seeking?
3. Individual and Society
4. Self-Knowledge
5. Action and Idea
6. Belief
7. Effort
8. Contradiction
9. What is the Self?
10. Fear
11. Simplicity
12. Awareness
13. Desire
14. Relationship and Isolation
15. The Thinker and the Thought
16. Can Thinking solve our problems?
17. The Function of the Mind
18. Self-Deception
19. Self-centered Activity
20. Time and Transformation
21. Power and Realization

The second part of the book has questions and answers from his talks.

Select editions

|last=Jiddu|first=Krishnamurti|title=The First and Last Freedom|authorlink=Jiddu Krishnamurti|year=1954|others=Foreword by Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley

Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...

|publisher=Gollancz

Victor Gollancz Ltd

Victor Gollancz Ltd was a major British book publishing house of the twentieth century. It was founded in 1927 by Victor Gollancz and specialised in the publication of high quality literature, nonfiction and popular fiction, including science fiction. Upon Gollancz's death in 1967, ownership...

|location=London|nopp=y|pages=288 pp|oclc=59002436}} First UK edition (published simultaneously with the US edition).

External links

• "The First and Last Freedom" (Chapters 2–21) – J. Krishnamurti Online [JKO]. Web document serial no/id: JKO 306. Krishnamurti Foundations. "J. Krishnamurti Online, the official repository of the authentic teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti." Retrieved 2011-03-06.