Spotlight

J Krishnamurti: A Glimpse by Bhavleen Kaur Sethi and Sharon A



His teachings have transcended every human difference. He was believed to have clairvoyant abilities. At 14, he was taken to the theosophical society in Adyar, Madras which was led by Annie Besant. They recognised him as the messiah (world teacher) the world was waiting for and he was made a cult figure. He underwent various training in preparation for his future role.

His books include The Ending of Time, Freedom from the Known, Commentaries on Living, The Awakening of Intelligence, and The First and Last Freedom. His teachings have transcended every human difference.

Krishnamurti asserted that he had no ties to any caste, country, religion, or culture. His goal was to completely free humankind from the damaging constraints of conditioning. He spent nearly sixty years travelling and giving impromptu speeches to enormous crowds until passing away in 1986 at the age of 90. Though he had no fixed address, he frequently stayed in Chennai, India, Brockwood Park, England, and Ojai, California when he wasn't travelling. In his lectures, he made clear that people must change themselves by self-knowledge, by being conscious of the depths of their thoughts and feelings in daily life, and by understanding how this movement may be seen through the mirror of interaction.

On May 11, 1895, Jiddu Krishnamurti was born in the small southern Indian village of Madanapalle. In his early years, Dr Annie Besant, then-president of the Theosophical Society, adopted him and his brother. Krishnamurti would be a global teacher, as predicted by the Theosophists, according to Dr Besant and others. A global organisation named the Order of the Star in the East was established, and the young Krishnamurti was appointed its leader, to help the world get ready for this impending arrival.

However, Krishnamurti abolished the Order, with its large following, and returned all the funds and assets that had been donated for this work in 1929. He also renounced the role that he was supposed to play. He abandoned all links to any idea of a religious or spiritual organisation and resigned from his role as the Theosophists' symbolic leader. The phrase "truth is a pathless land," which might be summed up as "man cannot come to it by any organisation, through any faith, through any dogma, priest, or ritual, not through any philosophic knowledge, or psychological skill," was immediately stated as the next "fundamental" assertion. Instead of using intellectual analysis or introspective dissection, he must discover it via the mirror of relationships, through understanding the thoughts that go through his own head, and through observation.

Throughout the rest of his lengthy life, he challenged his students to examine all presumptions in order to explore life's core questions rather than teaching as an authority.

The vast amount of Krishnamurti's writings—some estimate it to be more than 100 million words—results from more than 60 years of largely nonstop appearances around the globe. When he passed away in 1986, his final directive to the Foundations was to disseminate his unadulterated, original body of work. His speeches and conversations have been collected, published in more than sixty books, and translated into an equal number of tongues.

Influence:

The Indian mainstream religious establishment became interested in Krishnamurti. He had conversations with a number of eminent Buddhist and Hindu intellectuals, including the Dalai Lama. Many of these conversations were ultimately made available as chapters in other Krishnamurti publications. Krishnamurti had a significant impact on notable figures such as George Bernard Shaw, David Bohm, Jawaharlal Nehru, the Dalai Lama, Aldous Huxley, and Alan Watts. Henry Miller, Bruce Lee, Terence Stamp, Jackson Pollock, Toni Packer, Achyut Patwardhan, Dada Dharmadhikari, Eckhart Tolle, Terence Stamp, and Jackson Pollock.

In the years following Krishnamurti's passing, interest in him and his writings has remained strong. Major online and offline merchants carry a wide variety of books, music, video, and computer-related items that are still in print. The four official Foundations continue to organise meetings and dialogues of interested people throughout the world, manage archives, spread the teachings in an ever-increasing number of languages, convert print to digital and other media, establish websites, and support television shows.

The Language and Essence of Krishnamurti:

The writing style, language, and ideas of Krishnamurti cannot be disregarded. They are the main reasons why so many people choose to follow him. His status as a holy man, sadhu, saviour, and messiah was neglected. Even in his language, his concepts were straightforward. Nothing was too challenging. Being British-bred, his English was incredibly exquisite (Fouere, 1969). Rene Fouere describes his writing as basic, psychologically suited, and devoid of any allusion to myth or religion. He employed concepts and illustrations that were not constrained by any preconceived notions or biases, as well as those that had not previously been common or tediously repeated.

His words weren't designed to be appealing at first glance (Fouere, 1969[2]). It just presented a viewpoint that was so uncomplicated that you would not be led to believe it. Belief has just occurred. He poked and pushed into the murky areas of life and the truth, challenging the obvious. He achieved his goal of demonstrating his mortal status by exploiting a number of paradoxes, and it was up to us, as humans, to reflect on and examine life from within and look for solutions within rather than outside of ourselves. He thought that because we are taught what to do and what not to do as humans, we only need to be woken rather than given instructions on how to live. He would occasionally use explicit cruel or abusive language simply to reawaken people who had lain dormant.

His ideas and teachings did not revolve around a complicated learning process. The goal was to begin anywhere and end up in the same location (within you, through life). He did not promote any kind of sect or school. According to Claude Bragdon, Krishnamurti was a subtracter of everything that stood between him and his maker, which was life itself; he did not add anything to life (Bragdon, 2006).

According to Krishnamurti, everything that happens is a manifestation of God, and life itself is God. Even after reading the description and writing of his subject several times, you might still not understand it. Many people's queries about his teachings remain unanswered, but the truth, as he once stated, is a land without a way. In only two words, Claude Bragdon effectively summed up his philosophy: trust life. The majority of our problems were caused by our fear of death, which was relieved by religion. Life wouldn't betray us if we trusted it rather than feared it; we could only betray ourselves.

People who look to Krishnamurti for a new philosophy or religion will be let down. He constantly provides something less rather than anything more. Even in its simplicity, Krishnamurti's philosophy befuddles our sophisticated thinking. Up until the realisation sets in that his punches are directed at our chains, his teaching will appear anarchic and destructive. When life isn't influenced by our own worries, aspirations, or goals, we come to see that it's actually a plenum rather than an emptiness.

Krishnamurti’s Teaching:

Krishnamurti himself did not identify with any nation, group, or religion. He also didn't hold to any particular political or ideological school of thinking. Instead, he insisted that they are the precise things that separate people, cause strife, and spark war. He often emphasised to his audience that we are all first and foremost human beings, and that his teachings encompass the full of the human experience. There are more and more methods to access these great, eternally important works.

The collection of work produced by Krishnamurti is extensive; in addition to his writings, he also spent seven decades giving public talks and engaging in one-on-one and group discussions with scientists, educators, scholars, therapists, and students. The majority of these discussions were recorded in text, audio, or video form. In addition to hundreds of full-length or edited video and audio recordings, as well as our podcast Urgency of Change, we compile content to make Krishnamurti's teachings accessible in the form of articles, essential topical books, quotes, a thorough index, and selected key topics.

The Nature of Mind as per Krishnamurti:

It is well known that our ability to reason separates us from other living things, but sadly, it is also the reason that we may mistakenly believe that we are higher than other species in the natural order of things. Over time, most people use and abuse this very important authority. According to Krishnamurti, our mind is misunderstood, thus we need to start using it differently and not as a tool for self-defence and self-enlargement. Our survival instincts must be suppressed in order to advance to a higher state of awareness because we are no longer primordial beings. He claims that society must always undergo revolution and reevaluation if it is to continue to be authentically human.

The intellect is increasingly being exploited for egotistical affluence, personal advancement, and power, which reduces prospects for others. We must make an effort to live in an organic society rather than an organised one since the former will always follow a hierarchy and the latter may or may not have moral standards that are as high-minded as those found in organic societies. An organic society is one in which its members are compelled to participate. It goes even further, though. It implies that they have no choice but to be a part of it because they identify with the society and their interests coincide with it. Unity is a fact that all the participants have agreed upon, not a principle that the authorities have declared to be true. There is no tremendous price to pay. There may not be a comfortable or dignified place for someone in society, but it is the only one that is accessible; without it, there is nowhere to go. An organised society is formed in opposition to this viewpoint, which grants each individual rights and liberties.


Books:


Classic Works:

Beyond Violence: Violence is "like a stone dropped in a lake," the waves propagating outward with the "me" at their centre. Krishnamurti asserts in these presentations and dialogues that there must be violence as long as this "me" endures in any way, no matter how egregious or softly. Beyond addressing the issue of individual and group violence, BEYOND VIOLENCE frequently discusses what is and is not the religious mind, a mind able to be conscious of the present moment. Krishnamurti contends that only total liberation from fear, anxiety, and the need for security can bring about the fundamental shift in the human psyche required to put a stop to violence inside ourselves and subsequently in the world. Edited transcripts of speeches and conversations given in public in Santa Monica, San Diego, London, Brockwood Park and Rome.

Think On These Things: Think About These Things by Krishnamurti is a further masterpiece. It has been published worldwide in 22 languages and has sold over three million copies. Real culture is among the topics the book examines. This is 'the ageless movement to find happiness, God, and truth,' not a matter of inheritance, learning, talent, or even genius. There is degeneration when this mobility is constrained by power, custom, or fear. What is shyness, for example? is one of the questions the book poses. What is enmity? What exactly is joy? What is sadness? The material in this volume was initially delivered in talks to students, teachers, and parents, but its acute penetration and lucid simplicity will be profoundly meaningful to thoughtful people everywhere, of all ages, in every walk of life, according to the introduction.

The Flight of the Eagle: When we look at ourselves or the outside world, Krishnamurti encourages us to let go of any urge to judge, assess, conclude, or interpret. He examines this incredibly sharp perception in THE FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE in the context of the strife, violence, and misery in the world, of which we may only be dimly aware, a sign of an "inner blindness." According to Krishnamurti, thinking based on the past, the exaggeration of fear, and the perceptions we have of one another wastes the innate intelligence of the mind that is needed to confront this. He exhorts us to "go into" what he is saying as these European-based negotiations progress, exploring without bias. Krishnamurti asserts that "life is larger than any instruction, greater than any teacher," while denying any authority in himself.

Written Books:

Krishnamurti’s Journal: Some of Krishnamurti's most brief and straightforward teachings can be found in his Journal and Notebook. KRISHNAMURTI'S NOTEBOOK is a daily journal of his experiences and mental states. It is his most intimate creation. Krishnamurti had a life-changing spiritual encounter when he was 28 years old. This encounter was followed by years of severe, nearly constant pain in his head and spine. The Notebook demonstrates that this "process" persisted years afterwards. "In the evening it was there: suddenly it was there, filling the room with a profound sensation of beauty, force, and gentleness," the book's opening lines read. It was noted by others. What could be referred to as the teaching of Krishnamurti's well-spring is included in this singular record; it contains the entirety of the teaching as it emerged from nature.

KRISHNAMURTI'S JOURNAL showcases his straightforward and incredibly poetic writing style. Krishnamurti addresses the age-old issues of meditation, communication, and self-awareness through wonderfully detailed passages that demonstrate the extent to which his teachings are influenced by nature. The Journal exhibits a calm, open, and profoundly thoughtful nature that is rich in acute observation and spiritual insight: "That which is everlasting beauty comes on a still night, in the quiet stillness of the mind, without invitation, without seeking, and without the noise of recognition."

Commentaries on Living Series: Even though they cover a wide range of topics, including what is true action, the nature of knowledge and fear, and many other topics, the three books that make up the Commentaries on Living series (VOL. 1, VOL. 2, and VOL. 3) are among the easiest to read of Krishnamurti's works. Aldous Huxley inspired Krishnamurti to pen these reflections, which feature a series of conversations with regular people he had met. The experiences described here are passionate and enlightening, taking place in India, Europe, and America against a variety of landscapes.

At the time of its initial publication, it was claimed that the series represented a completely new literary genre, blending lyrical descriptions of nature with philosophical considerations and psychological insights, all influenced by a strong sense of religion and written in lucid, captivating prose. There isn't anything Krishnamurti doesn't touch on in the three volumes, including identity, which is quite pertinent: "Truth or happiness cannot be attained without making the journey within oneself." If you are anchored, you cannot move very far. Identity serves as a haven. A refuge requires protection, and anything that is protected eventually perishes. The ongoing battle between multiple identifications is caused by the harm that identification brings upon itself.


Conclusion:

India's foremost spiritual figure, Jiddu Krishnamurti, was born in Madanapalle in 1895 and passed away in Ojai, California, in 1986. He received his theosophical education from British social activist Annie Besant, who hailed him as the upcoming "World Teacher" and a messianic figure who would usher in a new era of global enlightenment. From the 1920s on, he worked as a writer and teacher and travelled extensively throughout Europe and America. He severed ties with the Theosophical Society, the global religious movement led by Besant, in 1929 and abandoned any claims to the title of World Teacher. He remained a well-liked lecturer, proclaiming the need for complete spiritual independence (even from professors) through unwavering self-awareness. To pursue his objectives, he founded Krishnamurti foundations in the US, UK, India, Spain, and Canada. His books consist of The Songs of Life (1931) and Commentaries on Living (1956–60).

by Bhavleen Kaur Sethi and Sharon A

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