very important :)

[ramus]

[zazaza]

jiddu's a good guy,

but not very suitable for receiving practical instruction in meditation

[doc benway]

jiddu's a good guy,

but not very suitable for receiving practical instruction in meditation

With respect, I disagree completely with the second part.

 

In fact, I'd go so far as to say he is one of the few teachers that can teach what it really means to meditate through a book. If you take the time to read his work with the frame of mind that he suggests and do the work yourself as he asks, you will come to understand meditation. Of course, different presentations resonate differently with different individuals, YMMV.

 

It may not resemble what many people imagine when they hear the word meditation, with all the trappings - zafus, robes, bells, sore knees, and so forth; but that is all window dressing. True meditation is a quality of mind, not a pattern of behavior.

 

Personally, I get more from his books than his talks. There's something about his presentation that requires me to read it slowly, pausing frequently to do the work myself in my own mind. It's tough to get this from a recorded talk.

 

This book on the subject of meditation is very insightful.

 

A great starting place for his writings is To Be Human.

[zazaza]

At the time i read into him i found him to be confusing and vague,

but that could have indeed been caused by my lack of intelligence

[lifeforce]

Gotta agree with steve. Reading the works of JK is meditation.

Well, it is for me anyway. Like steve says, if you read the words slowly and let it seep into your very core, the feeling is remarkable. You just know what he's talking about is correct.

It's hard to put into words actually. Like a mirror to your own mind.

It took me a couple of goes before I finally got JK, but once I did, I never looked back.

A truly remarkable person.

[doc benway]

At the time i read into him i found him to be confusing and vague,

but that could have indeed been caused by my lack of intelligence

I don't think it's a matter of intelligence - from your posts you are clearly intelligent.

It's a matter of how you read him. Read lifeforce's post again (please). That's exactly how it feels to me.

 

To Be Human is a great place to start because it gives you an idea of his unique and precise way of using language and the quality of attention and work you must bring to his material for it to be effective.