Jiddu Krishnamurti is regarded globally as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers of all time. He did not expound any philosophy or religion, but rather talked of the things that concern all of us in our everyday lives, of the problems of living in modern society with its violence and corruption, of the individual’s search for security and happiness, and the need for mankind to free itself from inner burdens of fear, anger, hurt, and sorrow. He explained with great precision the subtle workings of the human mind, and pointed to the need for bringing to our daily life a deeply meditative and spiritual quality.

Krishnamurti belonged to no religious organization, sect or country, nor did he subscribe to any school of political or ideological thought. On the contrary, he maintained that these are the very factors that divide human beings and bring about conflict and war. He reminded his listeners again and again that we are all human beings first and not Hindus, Muslims or Christians, that we are like the rest of humanity and are not different from one another.

This 30-minute documentary is the first from an original series of eight made for television in 1966. They were the earliest sound-films of Krishnamurti speaking to audiences.

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I thought it apt to enter the New Year with the following insightful quote, which all depends on what path our consciousness and actions takes us.

This not only relates to the ending of the Mayan Calendar, but also highlights the apparently huge but difficult challenges that awaits the world in 2012.

Hopefully we can become wise enough in time, which will enable us to choose the true, righteous and peaceful path.

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The Hermetica are a body of theological-philosophical texts written in late antiquity, but long believed to be much older. Their supposed author, Hermes Trismegistus, was thought to be a contemporary of Moses, and the Hermetic philosophy was regarded as an ancient theology, parallel to the received wisdom of the Bible.

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Toward Wisdom addresses the nature of wisdom, humanity’s need for it, and ways and means of developing it.

The situation the world faces today is extremely complex. Long-cherished values have begun to conflict with each other: material comfort vs. an uncontaminated world; economic growth now vs. economic well-being for our grandchildren. Toward Wisdom takes the position that the only way to make the world a better place is to make it a wiser place. Wisdom is no longer an option or a frill. We, and the world, need wisdom-based analyses of our problems followed by wisdom-based action.

In the past, becoming wise was left to chance; a few people became wise before they died, but most did not. This lackadaisical approach will no longer do. Wisdom can be developed intentionally, and Toward Wisdom shows us how. The book examines some of the key impediments to wisdom — what they are, how they work, how they came to be — and introduces us to techniques for getting beyond them.

About the Author
Copthorne Macdonald is a writer, independent scholar, and former communication systems engineer. He writes about wisdom, personal growth, the nature of reality, and creating a sustainable future. His published works include six books (two on the subject of wisdom) and over 130 articles, reviews, and column installments.

Cop is also the owner of the biggest Wisdom website on the net called The Wisdom Page which is a website dedicated to helping us better understand wisdom — that vitally important but poorly understood pinnacle of human functioning.

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This post is part of the ‘Ancient Egyptian Wisdom’ series, please read the following first part: Ancient Egyptian Wisdom: Egypt – Source of All Knowledge and Wisdom?

As we continue our mysterious but magical journey through ancient Egypt, we now come to a man who completely revolutionised the spiritual thinking and knowledge of his people and culture.

Akhenaten, who was a Pharaoh and sage of his times, has been mostly ignored in modern times. However, Akhenaten’s wisdom, and the religious influence he had on ancient thought, have not been forgotten.

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