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Anecdote: Years ago I attended a talk by him at a large open ground in Chennai. Many people including some bigwigs were present. A few memories: - at one point
by vram22 10y ago
Anecdote: Years ago I attended a talk by him at a large open ground in Chennai. Many people including some bigwigs were present. A few memories:
- at one point he said, "burn all books, including those of the speaker / author". He used to refer to himself like that, not with "I" or "me" or "mine".
- at one point, in some context, he used the words "over the table, under the table" - before he could even complete the sentence, huge knowing / guilty laughter erupted in the audience.
- mapcars 10y agoI didn't get the "table" joke, what is it about?
- the_nozzle 10y agoKnowing that "Wherever they burn books, in the end will also burn human beings." (Heinrich Heine) I am curious of the context ..
- orasis 10y agoJust that knowledge itself isn't the end. Knowledge is just a thing, not "Truth" in and of itself. Thinking and knowledge simply obscure the perfect Truth that is this moment.
- vram22 10y agoInteresting question; I did not think anyone would interpret my quote of JK in the way you seem to have. But yours is certainly a valid possible interpretation, though not the right one, IMO. To make it clear: I do not think he meant it at all in the way you think - your interpretation is something like the burning of the Library of Alexandria or other such vandalizing acts. I am pretty sure JK meant it something like this: Do not (slavishly) rely on books to form your opinions; think (critically) for yourself. Nothing else. Buddha is supposed to have said much the same - per a book I read: Appo deepo bhava which is Pali or Prakrit for: Be a light unto yourself. Edit: orasis (sibling comment) probably said it better than me; it's just that in Indian thought, knowledge (jnana) is supposed to be one of the paths. Bhakti (devotion, e.g. Meera) and karma (action, e.g. Arjuna) are two among some others.