The prison of Tradition

The English word tradition comes from the Latin traduce, which means to betray. Tradition, being the past, what it betrays is the present. So says Krishnamurti in these excerpts and full-length public talks. His use of the word tradition goes beyond its usual association with religion and orthodoxy. For him, that which is considered ultra-modern is also a tradition, as it has been handed down from the old to the young.  War is a tradition, as are violence and competition. Political rebellion, the revolt against the moral values of society, the pursuit of academic success, and the cultivation of the intellect are also traditions. Leading a mechanical life of going to the office every day, accumulating wealth, settling down in life, and being part of a consumerist and pleasure-seeking permissive society are the modern traditions. Belief in effort and slow psychological evolution and the practice of meditation are also traditions. 

A book that poses a challenge to all those who use tradition to establish an identity for themselves either in the spiritual world or in the material world.