Self-Knowledge Is An Endless River

The more you know yourself, the more clarity there is. Self-knowledge has no end - you don't come to an achievement, you don't come to a conclusion. It is an endless river. As one studies it, as one goes into it more and more, one finds peace. Only when the mind is tranquil - through self-knowledge and not through imposed self-discipline - only then, in that tranquility, in that silence, can reality come into being. It is only then that there can be bliss, that there can be creative action. And it seems to me that without this understanding, without this experience, merely to read books, to attend talks, to do propaganda, is so infantile - just an activity without much meaning; whereas if one is able to understand oneself, and thereby bring about that creative happiness, that experiencing of something that is not of the mind, then perhaps there can be a transformation in the immediate relationship about us and so in the world in which we live.

The Problems Of Living from The Penguin Krishnamurti Reader

Know Thyself

Know Thyself. This Greek aphorism - whether coined by Socrates, Pythagoras or a myriad other possible sources - was inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. To understand oneself is to understand the rest of humankind. I wonder how many of us understand ourselves even partially?

The Eleusinian Mysteries

Today is the autumnal equinox. It's a time of balance - as the hours of night equal the hours of daylight - but it can also be a time of stress, meditation and re-evaluation, as we pause, take stock, and move on. It's a time of harvest, when grain and fruit have been gathered and thanks is given to Mother Earth for her bounty. And it's also the time of the Vine, when excess fruit is made into wine, and the Greek god Dionysus (or the Roman god Bacchus) drinks, dances and revels before descending into the Underworld for the winter months. The falling leaves of autumn reflect his journey. In the well known story from Greek mythology Persephone (daughter of Demeter, goddess of life, agriculture and fertility) is abducted by Hades, god of death, into the Underworld at this time of year. She returns to the land of the living in spring, when new life blossoms once more. This timeless and symbolic myth of death and rebirth is re-enacted in the enigmatic Eleusinian Mysteries. Little is known about these secret, ancient rites from Eleusis, except that they were some kind of initiation ritual for the cult of Demeter and Persephone held throughout the Hellenistic and later the Roman World. Two axioms have emerged around these Mysteries: Know thyself and In silence is the seed of wisdom gained.