The passages in this Study Book have been taken directly from Krishnamurti’s talks and books from 1933 through 1967. The compil- ers began by reading all the passages from this period which contained the word action—the theme of this book. This would not have been possible without the use of a full text computer database, produced by the Krishnamurti Foundation Trust of England. Over 750 passages were studied in all, and the aspects of “action” most frequently addressed by Krishnamurti were noted. These aspects then formed the outline for the contents of this book.
The material selected has not been altered from the way it was originally printed except for limited correction of spelling, punctua- tion, and missing words. Words or phrases that appear in brackets are not Krishnamurti’s, but have been added by the compilers for the sake of clarity. Ellipses introducing a passage, or ending it, indicate that the passage begins or ends in mid-sentence. Ellipses in the course of a passage indicate words or sentences omitted. A series of asterisks between paragraphs shows that there are paragraphs from that talk which have been omitted. Captions, set off from the body of the text, have been used with many passages. Most captions are statements taken directly from the text, with some being a combination of phrases from the passage.
Krishnamurti spoke from such a large perspective that his entire vision was implied in any extended passage. If one wishes to see how a statement flows out of his whole discourse, one can find the full context from the references at the foot of each passage. These refer primarily to talks which have been published in The Collected Works of J. Krishnamurti. This seventeen-volume set covers the entire period from which this study book has been drawn. A complete bibliography is included at the end of this book. Students and scholars may also be interested in additional passages on action not used in the book, available for study upon written request, in the archives of the Krishna- murti Foundation of America.
This Study Book aims to give the reader as comprehensive a view as possible, in 140 pages, of the question of action as explored by Krishnamurti during the period covered. Most of the material presented has not been previously published, except in the Verbatim Reports which were produced privately, in limited numbers, primarily for those who attended Krishnamurti’s talks.
