The Only Revolution

The Only Revolution is in many ways similar to some of Krishnamurti’s earlier works and establishes him as one of the finest writers in the genre of religious and philosophical literature. The evocative descriptions of nature, the vividly etched sketches of those who come with their emotional or intellectual problems, and the way Krishnamurti, in the dialogues that follow, unravels step by step the implications of various questions, are all found here. However, what is special about this book is that many of the chapters are prefaced by, or are interspersed with, brief but profound reflections on meditation. Also, we come across a wealth of characters and a range of existential questions posed by them: a rich and successful lawyer who is a believer in Vedanta; a young lady who has lost in quick succession her husband as well as her child; a gunnery instructor ‘whose livelihood forces him to teach others the art of killing’ but is keen on finding God; a school teacher proud of his ancient race and tradition; a sannyasi swearing by isolation and a psychoanalyst quite tearful about her loneliness; a young man wanting to lead a religious life; an artist ‘enclosed within the dream of his own gifts’, a mathematician, a scientist, a film director. . . .