Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Jiddu Krishnamurti

Jiddu Krishnamurti or J. Krishnamurti, (May 12, 1895–February 17, 1986) was a well-known writer and speaker on fundamental philosophical and spiritual subjects. For nearly sixty years he travelled all over the world, pointing out to people the need to transform themselves through self knowledge, by being aware of their thoughts and feelings in daily life. He maintained that a change in society can emerge only through a radical change in the individual, since society is the product of the interactions of individuals. Though he was very alive to contemporary issues through the decades, his answers were rooted in his timeless vision of life and truth. As such, his teachings transcend all man-made boundaries of religion, nationality, ideology, and sectarian thinking. Refusing to play the role of a guru himself, he urged his listeners to look at the basic questions of human existence with honesty, persistence, and an open mind.

Krishnamurti was born into a Telugu Brahmin family in Madanapalle, India, and in 1909 met C.W. Leadbeater on the private beach at the Theosophical Society headquarters at Adyar in Chennai, India. He was subsequently raised under the tutelage of Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, leaders of the Society at the time, who believed him to be a "vehicle" for an expected "World Teacher". As a young man, he disavowed this idea and dissolved a world-wide organization (the Order of the Star) established to support it. He spent the rest of his life travelling the world as an individual speaker, speaking to large and small groups, as well as with interested individuals. He authored a number of books, among them The First and Last Freedom, The Only Revolution, and Krishnamurti's Notebook. In addition, a large collection of his talks and discussions have been published. At age 90 he addressed the United Nations on the subject of peace and awareness, and was awarded the 1984 UN Peace Medal. His last public talk was in Madras, India, in January 1986, a month before his death at home in Ojai, California.

His supporters, working through several non-profit foundations, founded a number of independent schools across the world—in India, England and the United States—and continue to transcribe and distribute many of his thousands of talks, group and individual discussions, and other writings, publishing them in a variety of formats including print, audio, video as well as computer files on disk and online, in many languages.

Biography

Family background and childhood

Jiddu Krishnamurti came from a family of Telugu-speaking Brahmins. His father, Jiddu Narianiah, was employed as an official of the then colonial British administration. His parents were second cousins, having a total of eleven children, only six of whom survived childhood. They were strict vegetarians, even shunning eggs, and throwing away any food that the "shadow of an Englishman crossed"

He was born on May 12, 1895 (May 11 according to the Brahminical calendar), in the small town of Madanapalle in Chittoor District in Andhra Pradesh about 150 miles (250 km) north of Madras (now Chennai).

In 1903, the family settled in Cudappah where Krishnamurti in a previous stay had contracted malaria, a disease with which he would suffer recurrent bouts over many years. He was a sensitive and sickly child; "vague and dreamy" , he was often taken to be mentally retarded, and was beaten regularly at school by his teachers and at home by his father. In memoirs he wrote when he was eighteen he also describes "psychic" experiences, having "seen" his sister after her death in 1904, as well as his mother who had died in 1905 when he was ten.

Krishnamurti's father Narianiah retired at the end of 1907, and, being of limited means, wrote to Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical Society, seeking employment at the 260-acre Theosophical headquarters estate at Adyar. (Even though an observant orthodox Brahmin, Narianiah had been a member of the Theosophical Society since 1882). He was eventually hired by the Society in a clerical position, and his family moved there in January, 1909.

The "discovery" and its consequences

It was a few months after the last move that Krishnamurti was encountered by prominent occultist and high-ranking theosophist C.W. Leadbeater, who claimed clairvoyance. During his forays to the Theosophical estate's beach at the adjuting Adyar river, Leadbeater had noticed Krishnamurti (who also frequented the beach with others), and was amazed by the "most wonderful aura he had ever seen, without a particle of selfishness in it". This strong impression was notwithstanding Krishnamurti's outward appearance, which, according to eyewitnesses, was pretty common, unimpressive, and unkempt. The boy was also considered "particularly dim-witted"; he often had "a vacant expression" that "gave him an almost moronic look". Leadbeater remained "unshaken" that the boy would become a great teacher.

Pupul Jayakar, in her biography of Krishnamurti, quotes him speaking of that period in his life some 75 years later: "The boy had always said, 'I will do whatever you want'. There was an element of subservience, obedience. The boy was vague, uncertain, wooly; he didn't seem to care what was happening. He was like a vessel, with a large hole in it, whatever was put in, went through, nothing remained."

Following the "discovery", Krishnamurti was taken under the wing of the leadership of the Theosophical Society in Adyar and their inner circle. Leadbeater and a small number of trusted associates were tasked into educating, protecting, and in general preparing Krishnamurti as a promising candidate for a "vehicle" of an expected "World Teacher".

Subsequently in 1911, a new organization called the Order of the Star was established by the Theosophical leadership in order to prepare the world for the aforementioned "coming". Krishnamurti was named as its head, with senior Theosophists in various positions. Membership was open to anybody who accepted the doctrine of the coming of the "World Teacher". Controversy erupted soon after, both within the Theosophical Society and without, in Hindu circles and the Indian press.

Krishnamurti (or Krishnaji as he was often called) and his younger brother Nitya were privately tutored at the Theosophical compound in Madras, and later taken to a comparatively opulent life among a segment of European high society in order to finish their education. During all this time, Krishnamurti developed a strong bond with Annie Besant, a surrogate mother-son relationship. His father, pushed into the background by the swirl of interest around Krishnamurti, sued the Theosophical Society in 1912 to protect his parental interests. After a protracted legal battle, Besant took legal custody of Krishnamurti and his brother Nitya. As a result of this separation from his family and home, Krishnamurti and his brother became extremely close, and in the following years they often travelled together.

Growing up

Mary Lutyens, in her biography of Krishnamurti, states that there was a time when he fully believed that he was to become the "World Teacher", after correct spiritual and secular guidance and education. Another biographer describes the daily program imposed on him by Leadbeater and his associates, which among other things included rigorous exercise and sports, tutoring in a variety of school subjects, theosophical and religious lessons, yoga and meditation, as well as instruction in proper hygiene and the ways of British society and culture. Unlike sports, where he showed a natural aptitude, Krishnamurti always had problems with formal schooling and was not academically inclined. He eventually gave up university education after several attempts at admission. He did take to foreign languages, eventually speaking several (French and Italian among them) with some fluency. In this period, he apparently enjoyed reading parts of the Old Testament, and was impressed by some of the Western classics, especially Shelley, Dostoyevsky and Nietzche. He had, since childhood, considerable observational and mechanical skills, being able to correctly disassemble and reassemble complicated machinery.

His public image, as originally cultivated by the theosophists, "...was to be characterized by a well-polished exterior, a sobriety of purpose, a cosmopolitan outlook and an otherwordly, almost beatific detachment in his demeanor. All of these can be said to have characterised Krishnamurti's public image to the end of his life." . He apparently early on showed that he "...possesed an innate personal magnetism, not of a warm physical variety, but none the less emotive in its austerity, and inclined to inspire veneration." However, as Krishnamurti was growing up, he showed signs of adolescent rebellion and emotional instability, chafing at the regiment imposed on him, and occasionally having doubts about the future proscribed him.

In 1922, Krishnamurti and Nitya travelled from Sydney to California on their way to Switzerland. While in California, they lodged in a cottage in a secluded valley near Ojai,offered to them for the occasion by an American Star member. Eventually a trust, formed by supporters, purchased for them the cottage and surrounding property, which henceforth became Krishnamurti's official place of residence.

It was there, in August 1922, that Krishnamurti went through an intense, "life-changing" experience. It has been simultaneously, and invariably, characterised as a spiritual awakening, a psychological transformation, and a physical "conditioning". Krishnamurti and those around him would refer to it as "the process", and it continued, at very frequent intervals and varying forms of intensity, until his death. It started on the 17th, with extraordinary pain at the nape of Krishnamurti's neck, and a hard, ball-like swelling. The next couple of days, the symptoms worsened, with increasing pain, extreme physical discomfort and sensitivity, total loss of appetite and occasional delirious ramblings. Then, he seemed to lapse into unconsciousness; actually, he recounted that he was very much aware of his surroundings and while in that state, he had an experience of "mystical union". The following day the symptoms, and the experience, intensified, climaxing with ecstatic visions and a sense of "immense peace".

"...I was supremely happy, for I had seen. Nothing could ever be the same. I have drunk at the clear and pure waters and my thirst was appeased. ...I have seen the Light. I have touched compassion which heals all sorrow and suffering; it is not for myself, but for the world. ...Love in all its glory has intoxicated my heart; my heart can never be closed. I have drunk at the fountain of Joy and eternal Beauty. I am God-intoxicated."

Similar incidents continued with short intermissions until October, and later eventually resumed regularly, always involving varying degrees of physical pain to mark the start of the "process", accompanied by what is variably described as "presence", "benediction", "immensity", and "sacredness", which was often reportedly "felt" by others present.

Several explanations have been proposed for the events of 1922, and "the process" in general. Leadbeater and other theosophists, although they expected the "vehicle" to have certain paranormal experiences, were basically mystified at the developments, and at a loss to explain the whole thing. None of the Theosophists who passed the various "initiations" had ever spoken of a vacant mind, nor had they claimed to attain liberation, nor did they have to go through the painful "process". The "process", and the inability of Leadbeater to explain it satisfactorily, if at all, had other consequences according to biographer R. Vernon:

"The process at Ojai, whatever its cause or validity, was a cataclysmic milestone for Krishna. Up until this time his spiritual progress, chequered though it might have been, had been planned with solemn deliberation by Theosophy's grandees. ...Something new had now occured for which Krishna's training had not entirely prepared him. ...A burden was lifted from his consciense and he took his first step towards becoming an individual. ...In terms of his future role as a teacher, the process was his bedrock. ...It had come to him alone and had not been planted in him by his mentors...It provided Krishna with the soil in which his newfound spirit of confidence and independence could take root."

Finally, the unexpected death of his brother Nitya on November 11, 1925 at age 27, from tuberculosis, after a long history with the disease, fundamentally shook Krishnamurti's belief and faith in Theosophy and the leaders of the Theosophical Society. According to eyewitness accounts, the news "broke him down completely". He struggled for days to overcome his sorrow, eventually "...going through an inner revolution, finding new strength". The experience of his brother's death shattered any remaining illusions, and things would never be the same again.

"...An old dream is dead and a new one is being born, as a flower that pushes through the solid earth. A new vision is coming into being and a greater consciousness is being unfolded. ...A new strength, born of suffering, is pulsating in the veins and a new sympathy and understanding is being born of past suffering-a greater desire to see others suffer less, and, if they must suffer, to see that they bear it nobly and come out of it without too many scars. I have wept, but I do not want others to weep; but if they do, I know what it means."

Break with the past

Krishnamurti's new vision and consciousness continued to develop and reached a climax in 1929, when he rebuffed attempts by Leadbeater and Besant to continue with The Order of the Star. Krishnamurti dissolved the Order at the annual Star Camp at Ommen, the Netherlands, on August 3rd, 1929 where, in front of Annie Besant and several thousand members, he gave a speech saying among other things:

"You may remember the story of how the devil and a friend of his were walking down the street, when they saw ahead of them a man stoop down and pick up something from the ground, look at it, and put it away in his pocket. The friend said to the devil, 'What did that man pick up?' 'He picked up a piece of the truth,' said the devil. 'That is a very bad business for you, then,' said his friend. 'Oh, not at all,' the devil replied, 'I am going to help him organize it.'

I maintain that truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or coerce people along a particular path."

and also:

"This is no magnificent deed, because I do not want followers, and I mean this. The moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth. I am not concerned whether you pay attention to what I say or not. I want to do a certain thing in the world and I am going to do it with unwavering concentration. I am concerning myself with only one essential thing: to set man free. I desire to free him from all cages, from all fears, and not to found religions, new sects, nor to establish new theories and new philosophies."

Following the dissolution, Leadbeater and other Theosophists turned against Krishnamurti and publicly wondered whether "the Coming had gone wrong". Mary Lutyens states that "...After all the years of proclaiming the Coming, of stressing over and over again the danger of rejecting the World Teacher when he came because he was bound to say something wholly new and unexpected, something contrary to most people’s preconceived ideas and hopes, the leaders of Theosophy, one after the other, fell into the trap against which they had so unremittingly warned others."

Krishnamurti had denounced all organized belief, the notion of "gurus", and the whole teacher-follower relationship, vowing instead to work in setting man absolutely, totally free. From that time, he began to disassociate himself from the Society and its teachings/practices, despite being on cordial terms with some members and ex-members throughout his life.

Krishnamurti would only refer to his teachings as "the" teachings and not as "my" teachings. His concern was always about "the" teachings: the teacher had no importance, and spiritual authority was denounced.

"All authority of any kind, especially in the field of thought and understanding, is the most destructive, evil thing. Leaders destroy the followers and followers destroy the leaders. You have to be your own teacher and your own disciple. You have to question everything that man has accepted as valuable, as necessary."

Krishnamurti returned all monies and properties donated to the Order of the Star - including a castle in Holland and around 5,000 acres of land - to their donors. He subsequently spent the rest of his life holding dialogues and giving public talks across the world on the nature of belief, truth, sorrow, freedom, death, the apparently eternal quest for a spiritually-fulfilled life, and related subjects. Following on from the "pathless land" notion, he accepted neither followers nor worshippers, seeing the relationship between disciple and guru as encouraging the antithesis of spiritual emancipation - dependency and exploitation. He constantly urged people to think independently and clearly and to explore and discuss specific topics together with him, to "walk as two friends". He accepted gifts and financial support freely offered to him by people inspired by his work, and relentlessly continued with lecture tours and the publication of books and talk transcripts for more than half a century.

Middle Years

From 1930 through 1944, Krishnamurti engaged in speaking tours and issued publications under the auspice of the "Star Publishing Trust" (SPT) which he had founded with his close associate and friend from the Order of the Star, D. Rajagopal. The base of operations for the new enterprise was in Ojai, where Krishnamurti, Rajagopal, and Rajagopal's wife, Rosalind Williams Rajagopal, resided in the house known as "Arya Vihara". The business and organizational aspects of the SPT were administered chiefly by D. Rajagopal as Krishnamurti devoted his time to speaking and meditation. Throughout the 1930s, Krishnamurti spoke in Europe, Latin America, India, Australia and the United States.

In 1938, Krishnamurti made the acquaintance of Aldous Huxley who had arrived from Europe during 1937. The two began a long friendship which endured for many years. They held common concerns about the imminent conflict in Europe which they viewed as the outcome of the pernicious influence of nationalism.

Krishnamurti's stance on World War II was often construed as pacifism and even subversion during a time of patriotic fervor in the United States and for a time he came under the surveillance of the FBI. He did not speak publicly for a period of about four years between 1940 and 1944. During this time he lived and worked quietly at Arya Vihara, which during the war operated as a largely self-sustaining farm, its surplus goods donated for relief efforts in Europe.

Krishnamurti broke the hiatus from public speaking in May 1944 with a series of talks in Ojai. These talks, and subsequent material, was published by "Krishnamurti Writings Inc" (KWINC), the successor organization to the "Star Publishing Trust". This was to be the new central Krishnamurti-related entity worldwide, whose sole purpose was the dissemination of the teaching.

Later years

Krishnamurti continued speaking around the world, in public lectures, group discussions, and with concerned individuals. In late 1980, he reaffirmed the basic elements of his message in a written statement that came to be known as the "Core of the Teaching". An excerpt follows:

"The core of Krishnamurti's teaching is contained in the statement he made in 1929 when he said: 'Truth is a pathless land'. Man cannot come to it through any organization, through any creed, through any dogma, priest or ritual, nor through any philosophical knowledge or psychological technique. He has to find it through the mirror of relationship, through the understanding of the contents of his own mind, through observation, and not through intellectual analysis or introspective dissection. Man has built in himself images as a sence of security—religious, political, personal. These manifest as symbols, ideas, beliefs. The burden of these dominates man's thinking, relationships and his daily life. These are the causes of our problems for they divide man from man in every relationship."

In April of 1985 he spoke to an invited audience at the United Nations in New York, where he was awarded the United Nations 1984 Peace medal.

In November of 1985 he visited India for the last time, holding a number of what came to be known as "farewell" talks and discussions between then and January 1986. These last talks included the fundamental questions he had been asking through the years, as well as newer concerns related to recent advances in science, technology, and the way they affected humankind. Krishnamurti had commented to friends that he did not wish to invite death, but was not sure how long his body would last (he had already lost considerable weight), and once he could no longer talk, he would have "no further purpose". In his final talk, on January 4, 1986, in Madras, he again invited the audience to examine with him the nature of inquiry, the effect of technology, the nature of life and meditation, and the nature of creation:

"...So, we are enquiring into what makes a bird. What is creation behind all this? Are you waiting for me to describe it, go into it? You want me to go into it? Why (From the audience: To understand what creation is[)]. Why do you ask that? Because I asked? No description can ever describe the origin. The origin is nameless; the origin is absolutely quiet, it's not whirring about making noise. Creation is something that is most holy, that's the most sacred thing in life, and if you have made a mess of your life, change it. Change it today, not tomorrow. If you are uncertain, find out why and be certain. If your thinking is not straight, think straight, logically. Unless all that is prepared, all that is settled, you can't enter into this world, into the world of creation."

Krishnamurti was also concerned about his legacy, about being unwittingly turned into some personage whose teachings had been "handed down" to special individuals, rather than the world at large. He wanted nobody to pose as an "interpreter" of the teaching. He warned his associates on several occasions that they were not to present themselves as spokesmen on his behalf, or as his successors after his death.

A few days before his death, in a final statement, he emphatically declared that "nobody" among his associates, or the general public, had understood what had happened to him (as the conduit of the teaching), nor had they understood the teaching itself. He added that the "immense energy" operating in his lifetime would be gone with his death, again implying the impossibility of successors. However, he offered hope by stating that people could approach that energy and gain a measure of understanding "...if they live the teachings". In prior discussions he had compared himself with Thomas Edison, implying that he did the hard work, and now all was needed by others was a flick of the switch. In another instance he talked of Columbus going through an arduous journey to discover the New World, whereas now, it could easily be reached by jet; the ultimate implication being that even if Krishnamurti was in some way "special", in order to arrive at his level of understanding, others didn't need to be.

J. Krishnamurti passed away on February 17, 1986, at the age of 90, from pancreatic cancer. His remains were cremated and scattered by friends and former associates in the three countries where he had spent most of his life; India, England and United States of America.

Who is Krishnamurti

In the later period of his life, Krishnamurti had a number of informal, in-depth discussions with close associates about himself, the source of the teachings, his life's work, and other people's perceptions of him and his teachings. According to his biographers and others, Krishnamurti was as "eager" as anyone "to make the discovery" of the source of the teachings and had pertinent questions himself; however, these discussions, although far-ranging, did not produce final answers that were completely satisfactory to Krishnamurti or the other participants. He urged his friends and associates to keep exploring the development of his life and teachings for possible answers.

Jayakar describes one such private discussion from 1974, where the question, "what is the teaching?" was put to Krishnamurti.

...Krishnaji was taken by surprise; he was quiet, letting the question unfold. Finally, he said, "I don't know. I can't put it in a few words, can I? I think the idea of the teaching and the taught is basically wrong, at least for me. I think it is a matter of sharing rather than being taught, partaking rather than giving or receiving". ..."You were asking, 'what is the teaching?' Right? I say, the teaching says, 'Where you are the other is not.'"

From notes taken by a close associate during a 1979 discussion between Krishnamurti and biographer Mary Lutyens, centered on the question "who/what is Krishnamurti?":

"...Let us be clear. If I deliberately sat down to write it [the teachings], I doubt if I could produce it. ...There is a sense of vacuity and then something comes. ...The deeper question would be: the boy was found, conditioning took no hold - neither the Theosophy, nor the adulation, nor the World Teacher, the property, the enormous sums of money - none of it affected him. Why? Who protected him?. ...It must be a special body. How did that body come about and remain uncorrupted? It would have been so easy to corrupt it. It means that the power was guarding it."

Another biographer relates: "Krishnamurti was fully aware of the paradox - that he was caught between an acceptance and denial of mystery - and was as keen as any to explore it".

Recurrent Themes

Knowledge

Krishnamurti constantly emphasized the right place of thought in daily life. But he also pointed out the dangers of thought as knowledge and mental images when it operates in relationships. Some excerpts:

"How is the mind which functions on knowledge – how is the brain which is recording all the time – to end, to see the importance of recording and not let it move in any other direction? Very simply: you insult me, you hurt me, by word, gesture, by an actual act; that leaves a mark on the brain which is memory. That memory is knowledge, that knowledge is going to interfere in my meeting you next time – obviously. ... Knowledge is necessary to act in the sense of my going home from here to the place I live; I must have knowledge for this; I must have knowledge to speak English; I must have knowledge to write a letter and so on. Knowledge as function, mechanical function, is necessary. Now if I use that knowledge in my relationship with you, another human being, I am bringing about a barrier, a division between you and me, namely the observer. That is, knowledge, in relationship, in human relationship, is destructive. That is knowledge which is the tradition, the memory, the image, which the mind has built about you, that knowledge is separative and therefore creates conflict in our relationship."

"The brain has been trained to record for in that recording there is safety, security, a sense of vitality; in that recording the mind creates the image about oneself. And that image will constantly get hurt. Is it possible to live without a single image about yourself, or about your husband, wife, children, or about the politicians, the priests, or about the ideal? It is possible, and if it is not found you will always be getting hurt, always living in a pattern in which there is no freedom. When you give complete attention there is no recording. It is only when there is inattention that you record. That is: you flatter me; I like it; the liking at that moment is inattention therefore recording takes place. But if when you flatter me I listen to it completely without any reaction, then there is no center which records."

"The brain is the source of thought. The brain is matter and thought is matter. Can the brain – with all its reactions and its immediate responses to every challenge and demand – can the brain be very still? It is not a question of ending thought, but of whether the brain can be completely still? This stillness is not physical death. See what happens when the brain is completely still."

Fear and Pleasure

Fear and pleasure were lifelong themes in his public talks. The following is an excerpt from his talk in San Diego in 1970.

“Fear is always in relation to something; it does not exist by itself. There is fear of what happened yesterday in relation to the possibility of its repetition tomorrow; there is always a fixed point from which relationship takes place. How does fear come into this? I had pain yesterday; there is the memory of it and I do not want it again tomorrow. Thinking about the pain of yesterday, thinking which involves the memory of yesterday’s pain, projects the fear of having pain again tomorrow. So it is thought that brings about fear. Thought breeds fear; thought also cultivates pleasure. To understand fear you must also understand pleasure – they are interrelated; without understanding one you cannot understand the other. This means that one cannot say ‘I must only have pleasure and no fear’; fear is the other side of the coin which is called pleasure.

Thinking with the images of yesterday’s pleasure, thought imagines that you may not have that pleasure tomorrow; so thought engenders fear. Thought tries to sustain pleasure and thereby nourishes fear.

Though has separated itself as the analyzer and the thing to be analyzed; they are both parts of thought playing tricks upon itself. In doing all this it is refusing to examine the unconscious fears; it brings in time as a means of escaping fear and yet at the same time sustains fear.”

Meditation

Krishnamurti used the term meditation to mean something entirely different from the practice of any system or method to control the mind and/or body, to escape reality, or to "achieve" a loftier state.

"Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life-perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody, that is the beauty of it. It has no technique and therefore no authority. When you learn about yourself, watch yourself, watch the way you walk, how you eat, what you say, the gossip, the hate, the jealousy-if you are aware of all that in yourself, without any choice, that is part of meditation."

“Man, in order to escape his conflicts, has invented many forms of meditation. These have been based on desire, will, and the urge for achievement, and imply conflict and a struggle to arrive. This conscious, deliberate striving is always within the limits of a conditioned mind, and in this there is no freedom. All effort to meditate is the denial of meditation. Meditation is the ending of thought. It is only then that there is a different dimension which is beyond time.”

“Meditation is the emptying of the mind of all thought, for thought and feeling dissipate energy. They are repetitive, producing mechanical activities which are a necessary part of existence. But they are only part, and thought and feeling cannot possibly enter into the immensity of life. Quite a different approach is necessary, not the path of habit, association and the known; there must be freedom from these. Meditation is the emptying of the mind of the known. It cannot be done by thought or by the hidden prompting of thought, nor by desire in the form of prayer, nor through the self-effacing hypnotism of words, images, hopes, and vanities. All these have to come to an end, easily, without effort and choice, in the flame of awareness.”

Education

Krishnamurti founded several schools around the world. When asked, he enumerated the following as his educational aims:

1. Global outlook: A vision of the whole as distinct from the part, and that it should never be a sectarian outlook but always a holistic outlook free from all prejudice.

2. Concern for man and the environment: Man was part of nature, and if nature was not cared for, it would boomerang on man. He said that only right education and deep affection between people which was needed everywhere would resolve many human problems.

3. Religious spirit, which includes the scientific temper: The religious mind is alone, not lonely. It is in communion with people and nature.

Influence

Krishnamurti's lasting influence is hard to gauge in an objective way; there is no organizational or other entity, based on his "philosophy", whose progress can be measured. His insistence that there be no successors or interpreters has so far prevented any individual or group from claiming to represent a continuity, or a unique understanding, of his philosophy. Krishnamurti himself had remarked in 1929 at the disbanding of the Order of the Star, that he was not interested in numbers saying “If there are only five people who will listen, who will live, who have their faces turned towards eternity, it will be sufficient.”

However, there exists, as of early 2007, anecdotal and other evidence suggesting that interest in him and "the teachings" has not abated since his death. A large number of books, audio, video, and computer materials, remain in print and are carried by major online and traditional retailers. The four official Foundations continue with the maintenance of archives, dissemination of the teachings in an increasing number of languages, new conversions to digital and other media, development of websites, sponsoring of television programs, and with organising meetings and dialogues of interested persons around the world. According to communications and press releases from the Foundations, their mailing lists, and individuals' inquiries, continue to grow. The various schools and educational institutions also continue to grow, with new projects added along their declared goal of "holistic education". There are also active "unofficial" Krishnamurti Committees operating in several countries, in a role roughly similar to the Foundations'.

Since his death, biographies, reminiscenses, research papers, critical examinations, and book-length studies of Krishnamurti and his philosophy have continued to appear. Cursory (and necessarily incomplete) examination of internet search traffic and group discussion forums indicates that among similar topics, interest on Krishnamurti remains high.

Because of his ideas and his era, Krishnamurti has come to be seen as an exemplar for those modern spiritual teachers who disavow formal rituals and dogma. His conception of truth as a pathless land, with the possibility of immediate liberation, is mirrored in teachings as diverse as those of est, Bruce Lee, and even the Dalai Lama.

Krishnamurti was close friends with Aldous Huxley. Huxley wrote the foreword to The First and Last Freedom (see "Published Works" section below). Krishnamurti was also friends with, and influenced the works of, the mythologist Joseph Campbell and the artist Beatrice Wood. Author Deepak Chopra was also profoundly influenced by Krishnamurti.

Live's album Mental Jewelry is based on Krishnamurti's philosophies.

In India, many prominent personalities came to meet with him including two Prime Ministers - Jawaharlal Nehru and, later, Indira Gandhi. In one of his meetings with Nehru, Krishnamurti said, “Understanding of the self only arises in relationship, in watching yourself in relationship to people, ideas, and things; to trees, the earth, and the world around you and within you. Relationship is the mirror in which the self is revealed. Without self-knowledge there is no basis for right thought and action.” Nehru asked, “How does one start?” to which Krishnamurti replied, “Begin where you are. Read every word, every phrase, every paragraph of the mind, as it operates through thought.”

Krishnamurti had a special tenderness for the true sannyasi or Buddhist monk, however his criticism of their rituals, disciplines, and practices, was devastating. Ramana Maharshi, a well-known Indian mystic, agreed that "like the Buddha's", Krishnamurti's teaching was "...beyond expression." Anandmai Ma, a guru with a large following in north India, had asked him “Why do you deny gurus? You who are the Guru of Gurus”. Krishnamurti replied to her, “People use the guru as a crutch.”

Twentieth-century gnostic philosopher and occultist Samael Aun Weor praised Krishnamurti's teachings, stating that his "inner spirit" was a "highly realized Buddha", although he questioned his handling by the theosophists and its effect on his spiritual development.

Any discussion of influence, however expansive, deserves to be weighed against Krishnamurti's own "measure" of success i.e., whether individuals really understand, and therefore "live and breathe", the teaching. Regarding this measure of influence or success, the last, and only, definitive public statement belongs to Krishnamurti himself. In a dismal prognosis, delivered 10 days prior his death in 1986, his words were simple, and emphatic: "nobody" - among his associates or the world at large - had understood Krishnamurti, his life, or the teaching he exposed.

Criticism

A number of people questioned whether Krishnamurti's attitudes were conditioned by indulgence and privilege, as he was supported, even pampered, by devoted followers starting as far back as his "discovery" by the theosophists. Helen Nearing, who had known Krishnamurti in the 1920s, made such an assesment in an autobiographical volume (Loving and Leaving the Good Life, see "Other Biographies" section below). She also thought that he was at such an "elevated" level that he was incapable of forming normal personal relationships. Others have accused him of personal hypocrisy in concern to certain of his teachings. Krishnamurti himself rarely responded to such criticism; his constant pronouncement that the "teacher is unimportant" did little to silence the critics.

In her 1991 book, Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti (see "Other Biographies"), Radha Rajagopal Sloss, the daughter of Krishnamurti's associates, Rosalind and Desikacharya Rajagopal, wrote of Krishnamurti's relationship with her parents including the secret affair between Krishnamurti and Rosalind which lasted for many years. The public revelation was received with surprise and consternation by many individuals, and was also dealt with in a rebuttal volume of biography by Mary Lutyens (Krishnamurti and the Rajagopals, also see "Other Biographies").

Krishnamurti's once close relationship to the Rajagopals deteriorated to the point that Krishnamurti, in his later years, took Rajagopal to court in order to recover donated property and funds, publication rights for his works, manuscripts and personal correspondence being withheld by Rajagopal. The resulting litigation and cross complaints continued for many years, and were not resolved until after the death of Krishnamurti in 1986.

David Bohm, after his falling out with Krishnamurti, criticised certain aspects of "the teaching" on philosophical, methodological, and psychological grounds. He also criticised what he described as Krishnamurti's occasional "verbal manipulations" in order to deflect challenges. Eventually, he questioned some of the reasoning concerning the nature of thought and self, although he never lost his belief that "Krishnamurti was on to something."

Perhaps the harshest critic of Jiddu Krishnamurti, the way he operated, and his choice of, and elaborations on, subjects such as "choiceless awareness" and "the art of listening", was U. G. Krishnamurti.

Partial list of published works

Except for a few noted exceptions - see especially the first three works - Krishnamurti's books are transcripts of his talks and discussions. (Title, year of first publication, different editions: ISBN, notes)

• Krishnamurti's Notebook, 1976, Krishnamurti Publications of America expanded 2004 edition: ISBN 1-888004-63-0. (Published journal that Krishnamurti kept between June 1961 and March 1962). [With the publication of this book, for the first time the general public was informed about the so-called "process", a strange condition that having started in the 1920s, intermittently affected Krishnamurti throughout his life].
• Krishnamurti's Journal, 1982, Harper & Row: ISBN 0-06-064841-4, LCC B5134.K765A34 1982. (A personal journal, written from 1973 to 1975).
• Krishnamurti to Himself: His Last Journal, 1987, HarperCollins 1993 paperback: ISBN 0-06-250649-8. (Transcribed from audio tape recordings made at his home in the Ojai Valley).

As noted previously, various entities have published, and continue to publish, transcripts of Krishnamurti's talks and discussions. These verbatim reports and transcritions are not included here. See also Collected Works in next section. Following works ordered by year of publication:

• At the Feet of the Master: Towards Discipleship, 1910, Quest Books 2001 edition: ISBN 0-8356-0803-4. [The author of this book is also listed as "Alcyone". There is considerable scepticism among Krishnamurti's biographers and others about Krishnamurti's true role in the production of this and other works by so-called "Alcyone". Among other objections, a concensus of the sceptics considers such works as Theosophical literature.]
• The Immortal Friend, 1928, Boni & Liveright New York: no ISBN, poetry
• Life in Freedom, 1928, Satori Resources 1986 reprint: ISBN 0-937277-00-2
• Education and the Significance of Life, 1953 (Krishnamurti Foundation Trust), HarperSanFrancisco 1981 edition: ISBN 0-06-064876-7
• The First and Last Freedom, 1954, HarperSanFrancisco 1975 reprint: ISBN 0-06-064831-7
• Commentaries on Living: Series One, 1956, Quest Books 1994: ISBN 0-8356-0390-3. (D. Rajagopal, editor)
• Commentaries on Living: Series Two, 1958, Quest Books 1967: ISBN 0-8356-0415-2. (D. Rajagopal, editor)
• Commentaries on Living: Series Three, 1960, Quest Books 1967: ISBN 0-8356-0402-0. (D. Rajagopal, editor)
• Life Ahead: On Learning and the Search for Meaning, 1963, Harper & Row, New World Library 2005 edition: ISBN 1-57731-517-0
• Think on These Things, 1964, Harper Perennial 1989 reprint: ISBN 0-06-091609-5. (D. Rajagopal, editor)
• Talks with American Students 1968, 1970, Shambhala Publications: ISBN 0-87773-021-0
• Freedom from the Known, 1969, HarperSanFrancisco 1975 reprint: ISBN 0-06-064808-2. (M. Lutyens, editor)
• The Only Revolution, Harper 1970. (M. Lutyens, editor)
• The Flight of the Eagle, Harper & Row 1971. (Authentic report of talks and discussions in London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Saanen, Switzerland)
• The impossible question, Harper & Row 1972: ISBN 0-0606-4838-X
• You Are the World: Authentic Reports of Talks and Discussions in American Universities, 1972, Harper & Row: ISBN 0-06-080303-7, Krishnamurti Foundation India 2001 edition: ISBN 81-87326-02-6
• The Awakening of Intelligence, 1973, Harper & Row paperback 1987: ISBN 0-06-064834-1
• Beyond Violence, 1973, HarperCollins College Div.: ISBN 0-06-064839-2
• Beginnings of Learning, London: Gollancz, 1975: ISBN 0-5750-1928-X. (Edited transcripts of Krishnamurti's discussions on education with students and staff at the Brockwood Park School, England).
• Truth and Actuality, 1977, London: Victor Gollancz: ISBN 0-575-02325-2, HarperSanFrancisco 1980 edition: ISBN 0-06-064875-9
• Krishnamurti on Education, 1977, HarperCollins: ISBN 0-06-064794-9, Krishnamurti Foundation of America 2001 edition: ISBN 81-87326-00-X
• The Wholeness of Life, 1978, HarperCollins 1981 paperback: ISBN 0-06-064868-6. (Abridgement of discussions held between Krishnamurti, David Bohm, and psychiatrist David Shainbert).
• Meditations, 1979, Shambhala Publications 2002 edition: ISBN 1-57062-941-2. (Compilation of quotes/writings on meditation, Evelyne Blau, editor).
• From Darkness to Light: Poems and Parables: The Collected Works of Krishnamurti Volume One, 1980, Harper & Row: ISBN 0-06-064832-5. (This is completely different from the Collected Works Volume 1 listed below)
• Exploration into Insight, 1980, HarperCollins: ISBN 0-06-064811-2
• The Ending of Time, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985: ISBN 0-06-064796-5. (Discussions with the phycisist David Bohm).
• The way of Intelligence, 1985, Krishnamurti Foundation India: ISBN 81-87326-47-6
• The Future of Humanity: A Conversation, HarperCollins, 1986: ISBN 0-06-064797-3. (Further discussions with the physicist David Bohm).
• Last Talks at Saanen, 1985, HarperCollins, 1987: ISBN 0-06-064798-1
• The Future Is Now: Last Talks in India, HarperCollins, 1989: ISBN 0-06-250484-3
• Meeting Life: Writings and Talks on Finding Your Path Without Retreating from Society, 1991, HarperSanFrancisco: ISBN 0-06-250526-2
• Freedom, Love, and Action, Shambhala 1994, 2001 paperback: ISBN 1-5706-2826-2. (Based on talks given at Brockwood Park School, England)
• Total Freedom: The Essential Krishnamurti, 1996, HarperSanFrancisco: ISBN 0-06-064880-5. (Introduction to Krishnamurti and selections from the breadth of his works, M. Cadogan, A. Kishbaugh, M. Lee, and R. McCoy editors).
• Limits of Thought: Discussions, 1999, London: Routledge: ISBN 0-415-19398-2. (More discussions with the phycisist David Bohm).
• This Light in Oneself: True Meditation, 1999, Shambala Publications: ISBN 1-57062-442-9
• The Concise Guide to Krishnamurti: A Study Companion and Index to the Recorded Teachings, 2000, Krishnamurti Publications of America: ISBN 1-888004-09-6
• To Be Human, Shambhala, 2000, paperback: ISBN 1-5706-2596-4. (David Skitt, editor)
• Can humanity change?, Shambhala 2003, paperback: ISBN 1-5706-2826-2. (Subtitled "J. Krishnamurti in dialogue with Buddhists", David Skitt, editor)
• The First Step is the Last Step, Krishnamurti Foundation India, 2004: ISBN 8187326565

The Collected Works of J. Krishnamurti

• Volume I (1933-1934): The Art of Listening, 1991, Krishnamurti Foundation of America, ISBN 0-8403-6341-9
• Volume II (1934-1935): What Is the Right Action?, editor Edward Weston, 1991, Krishnamurti Publications of America, ISBN 1-888004-32-0
• Volume 3 (1936-1944): The Mirror of Relationship, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, ISBN 0-8403-6236-6
• Volume 4 (1945-1948): The Observer Is the Observed, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6237-4
• Volume 5 (1948-1949): Choiceless Awareness, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6238-2
• Volume 6 (1949-1952): The Origin of Conflict, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6262-5
• Volume 7 (1952-1953): Tradition and Creativity, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6257-9
• Volume 8 (1953-1955): What Are You Seeking?, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6266-8
• Volume 9 (1955-1956): The Answer is in the Problem, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6260-9
• Volume 10 (1956-1957): A Light to Yourself, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6268-4
• Volume 11 (1958-1960): Crisis in Consciousness, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6272-2
• Volume 12 (1961): There is No Thinker, Only Thought, 1991, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6286-2
• Volume 13 (1962-1963): A Psychological Revolution, 1992, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6287-0
• Volume 14 (1963-1964): The New Mind, 1992, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6288-9
• Volume 15 (1964-1965): The Dignity of Living, 1992, Krishnamurti Foundation of America, ISBN 0-8403-6282-X
• Volume 16 (1965-1966): The Beauty of Death, 1992, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6307-9
• Volume 17 (1966-1967): Perennial Questions, 1992, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, ISBN 0-8403-6314-1

References

Principal biographies

• Pupul Jayakar, Krishnamurti: A Biography, San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1986: ISBN 0-06-250401-0. (Official biographer).
• Mary Lutyens, Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening, London: John Murray, 1975. Discus reprint 1983: ISBN 0380007347, Shambhala reprint edition 1997: ISBN 1-57062-288-4. (Also official biographer. This first volume of a three-volume biography covers years from birth to 1935).
• Mary Lutyens, Krishnamurti: The Years of Fulfilment, London: John Murray, 1983: ISBN 0-7195-3979-X, Farrar, Straus, Giroux paperback: ISBN 0-374-18224-8, Avon Books 1991 reprint: ISBN 0-380-71112-5. (Covers 1935 to 1980).
• Mary Lutyens, The Open Door, London: John Murray, 1988: ISBN 0-7195-4534-X. (Covers 1980 to 1986, the end of Krishnamurti's life).
• Mary Lutyens, The Life and Death of Krishnamurti, London: John Murray, 1990: ISBN 0-7195-4749-0, Nesma Books India 1999: ISBN 81-87075-44-9, ISBN 0-900506-22-9, also published as Krishnamurti: His Life and Death, St Martins Press 1991: ISBN 0-312-05455-6. (An abridgement of her trilogy on Krishnamurti's life).

Other biographies/memoirs/reminiscences

A fair number of biographical works have been published. Most are by people who knew Krishnamurti at some point in his life, or/and were close associates for varying lengths of time. Some mention Krishnamurti only in passing; others are posthumous scholarly works with or without the co-operation of the people close to him. The following are arranged according to publication date:

• Candles in the Sun - Emily Lutyens, London: R. Hart-Davis, 1957. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1957. (Interesting memoir by Mary Lutyens' mother, Lady Emily, who had a long and very intimate relationship with Krishnamurti).
• The Boyhood Of J. Krishnamurti - Russell Balfour-Clarke, Bombay: Chetana, 1977 (Reminiscences from one of the young Theosophists trusted with the boy Krishnamurti's upbringing)
• One Thousand Moons: Krishnamurti at Eighty-Five - Asit Chandmal, Harry N Abrams, 1985: ISBN 0-8109-1209-0
• Krishnamurti: The Reluctant Messiah - by Sidney Field, and Peter Hay, Paragon House Publishers; 1st edition, 1989: ISBN 1-55778-180-X
• Truth Is A Pathless Land: A Journey with Krishnamurti - Ingram Smith, Theosophical Publishing House; 1st edition, 1989: ISBN 0-8356-0643-0. Also published, with additional material and updates, as The Transparent Mind: A Journey with Krishnamurti, Edwin House, 1999: ISBN 0-9649-2473-0
• Krishnamurti: the man, the mystery & the message - Stuart Holroyd, Element, 1991, paperback: ISBN 1-8523-0200-3
• Lives in the Shadow with J. Krishnamurti - Radha Rajagopal Sloss, London: Bloomsbury, 1991. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1991. (A critical look at the private life of Krishnamurti)
• Loving and Leaving the Good Life - Helen Nearing, White River Jct., VT: Chelsea Green, 1992
• Krishnamurti: 100 Years - Evelyne Blau, Stewart, Tabori and Chang; Reprint edition, 1995: ISBN 1-55670-678-2
• The Kitchen Chronicles: 1001 Lunches with Krishnamurti - Michael Krohnen, Edwin House Publishing, 1996: ISBN 0-9649247-1-4
• Krishnamurti and the Rajagopals - Mary Lutyens, Ojai, CA: Krishnamurti Foundation of America, 1996: ISBN 1-888004-08-8. (Contains a detailed refutation of the allegations contained in the Sloss book above, by one of Krishnamurti's authorized biographers).
• A Vision of the Sacred: My Personal Journey with Krishnamurti - Sunanda Patwardhan, South Asia Books; 2nd edition, 1999: ISBN 0-14-029447-3
• As The River Joins The Ocean: Reflections about J. Krishnamurti - Giddu Narayan, and Chandramouli Narsipur, Edwin House Publishing, 1999: ISBN 0-9649247-5-7
• The Beauty of the Mountain: Memories of Krishnamurti - Friedrich Grohe, The Krishnamurti Foundation Trust Ltd, 2001
• Star In The East: Krishnamurti: The Invention of a Messiah - Roland Vernon, Palgrave, 2001: ISBN 0-312-23825-8. Sentient Publications, 2002: ISBN 0-9710786-8-8

Bibliographies

• A bibliography of the life and teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti - Susunaga Weeraperuma, Brill, 1974.

• Supplement to A bibliography of the life and teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti - Susunaga Weeraperuma, Bombay, Chetana, 1982: ISBN 0-8618-6717-3

Other Works

A number of books, monographs, research papers in various disciplines etc, have appeared through the years examining different aspects of Krishnamurti. An indicative selection follows. Please bear in mind that Krishnamurti himself accepted no interpreters, contemporary or future.

• Krishnamurti and the Unity of Man - Carlo Suares, Chetana, Bombay, 1953
• A Note on Krishnamurti (In The New Religions, by Jacob Needleman, Doubleday, N.Y., 1970)
• The Mind of J. Krishnamurti - Luis S. R. Vas, Jaico Publishing House, Bombay, 1971
• The Quest of the Quiet Mind: The Philosophy of Krishnamurti - Stuart Holroyd, Aquarian Press 1980, paperback: ISBN 0-85030-230-7
• J. Krishnamurti and awareness in action - A. D. Dhopeshwarkar, Popular Prakashan 1993: ISBN 8-1715-4759-1
• The inner life of Krishnamurti: private passion and perennial wisdom - Aryel Sanat, Quest 1999: ISBN 0-8356-0781-X. (A Theosophical examination of Krishnamurti)
• The joy of creative living - Scaria Thuruthiyil, LAS 1999: ISBN 8-8213-0410-8
• The phenomenology of compassion in the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti - V. Boutte, Edwin Mellen Press 2002: ISBN 0-7734-7090-5. (An examination through the lens of Phenomenological Psychology)

External links

Foundations

• Official J. Krishnamurti inter-organizational website An international joint venture of the Krishnamurti foundations. Includes daily quotes and an RSS news feed.
• Krishnamurti Foundation of America
• Krishnamurti Foundation of India
• Krishnamurti Foundation Trust (UK)
• Krishnamurti Foundation Latinoamerica. Includes daily quotes and an RSS news feed.
• The Study Centre of the Krishnamurti Foundation India

Specific subjects

• Works by J. Krishnamurti at Project Gutenberg: (only a single book as of May, 2006): Education as Service, 1912, Rajput Press, Chicago. - [The author of this book is also listed as "Alcyone". There is considerable scepticism among Krishnamurti's biographers and others about Krishnamurti's true role in the production of this and other works by so-called "Alcyone". Among other objections, a consensus of the sceptics considers such works as Theosophical literature.]

• Some Early Speeches and Texts - All from 1928, including the closing speech at the Ommen Camp. From a personal website.

• Disbanding the Order of the Star in the East - 1929 speech in which Krishnamurti dissolved the Order of the Star

• The Core Of The Teaching - 1980 statement written by Krishnamurti, incorporating edits he made in 1983.

• Krishnamurti and David Bohm - From the Ratical website, with considerable info, commentary, and links on Bohm and Krishnamurti

• David Bohm and Krishnamurti - Insights by F. David Peat, Bohm's biographer, in an interview in What Is Enlightenment? magazine from the Spring 1997 issue. [Look for the section "Bohm and Krishnamurti"].

• David Bohm and Krishnamurti - Critical article by Martin Gardner from July, 2000 Skeptical Inquirer

• Krishnamurti and his impact on education - A 2001 article published in a UNESCO journal by sociologist and educator Meenakshi Thapan. [Article is in pdf fomat]

• A Critique Of Krishnamurti - A highly critical article from the website "Stripping The Gurus", based on a chapter of the book by the same name. [Note that this article is almost wholly comprised of quotes from other works and other third person accounts].

• The Krishnamurti Case - An interpretation by occultist Samael Aun Weor from the "Gnostic Teachings" website

General information

• A Krishnamurti Directory

• The Krishnamurti Information Network

• Krishnamurti pages from "The Quest" website

• Meeting Jiddu Krishnamurthy - Commentary from a Tamil website [note alternate name spelling]

• Krishnamurti pages from a Theosophical Society member

• Theosophically oriented articles on Krishnamurti - from the "Alpheus" website

• The jiddu-krishnamurti.net website - Full text of talks and books, also forum

• Krishnamurti Text Collection - Extensive text collection of the works of Krishnamurti, similar to jiddu-krishnamurti.net above

• Quotes and commentary from the "Infrequently Asked Questions" website

• Spanish-language website with many Krishnamurti eBooks in English

• Video: "You are the world" - Short documentary produced in 2002 by the Krishnamurti Foundation of America