The Biology of Enlightenment

This is the intriguing title of a book which contains conversations with U.G. Krishnamurti, who is different from Jiddu Krishnamurti, but was working for the Theosophical Society at one point and was at one time influenced by him.

It is remarkable in its simplicity, mainly because there are no 'how to' formulas for enlightenment. No tapasya, no saadhana, no hard work of fifty or forty years, no self-negation etc.

What UG propounds instead is his thesis that enlightenment is a physical thing, and not in the mind. The mind becomes subservient to the body or physical being in this state, and is used only for matter-of-fact uses like providing memory when required and being dormant at all other times. He is also clear that this cannot be taught, but a few individuals come across this state of being once in a few (hundred) years.

Meditation he says, is a temporary high that makes you feel good while it lasts, like any other high. Similar are his views about other "techniques" of getting to this state which he calls the "natural state"rather than the enlightened state. But the effect of being there which he describes is similar to that of other descriptions found in Hinduism, Buddhism and elsewhere.

Thoughts, he says, cannot be avoided, but what we do with them is what causes us problems. Our quest to compare, to become better, is mostly what causes mischief. In a hilarious example, he says, "I am at peace but after looking at the next guy, I feel I should be more peaceful because I think he is so."

He did not have a lot of followers because of his quirky ways, and was apparently termed by many as "Sage in Rage" because of his rants against almost every known way of living. An excellent read for those who like this sort of stuff.