2. General view of Krishnamurti’s Philosophy

Until his death in 1986, Krishnamurti travelled all over the world bringing his thought to those who were ready to listen. His entire life was focused on realizing and explaining the human quest. In all his talks and dialogue, his message was that truth is a pathless land. He preached that each one of us represents the entire humanity and one needs to be aware of oneself and free from all authority. In going around the world, his spoke to the mixed audience of varying temperaments, different intellectual capacities and cultural marks, without distinction of sex, age, class, creed, nation or race. In his speeches, he also addressed the evils of civil society and the irrationality of organized religions, futility of existing social structure, beliefs, dogmas and ideas. Besides, he had developed notions about education by mid 1950s, which were not found in his earlier teachings. The arena of his teachings further grew to embrace new issues such as nationalism, ecological problem, unemployment, hunger, poverty etc, which were once on the side-line of his core teachings.

Kalidas Joshi (2005) rightly point out that Krishnamurti was a man of rare qualities and characteristics. He had been quite different in many respects as compared to other sages and saint of the twentieth century, who were out to liberate humanity from misery and ignorance through their techniques and practices. For his ministry as a world teacher, he had received lot of funds from various devoted followers and organizations but renounced any kinds of wealth, power and authority. He rather chooses for himself an altruistic life for the rest of his life. In his entire life, he never charged any fees or gathered wealth. Despite his revolt against the beliefs and teachings of Theosophical Society, he had been always respected by the members of the Society. He had no vested interest in any activity. He had no craving in his mind for fame, position, recognition or appreciation. So, he never regretted his own decision to relinquish the position of a world teacher. Krishnamurti could have continued to attach with Theosophical Society and enjoyed the position of a savior or messiah. But his attainment of inner change, which he himself called a total revolution, inspired him to denounce name and fame which anyone could hardly do.

To quote Kalidas Joshi,

‘That was the rarest of the rare happening which had come about in his life and subsequently his whole life was associated with an exposition of that happening for which he used words like innocence, simplicity, austerity, discovery, freedom, benediction, bliss, humility, intelligence, and so on.’^[1]

In observing the life of Krishnamurti, he could not be called a man of the masses. He appealed to a very small section of people belonging to various countries. His admirer, therefore, formed a very small section of society. Few persons had known about him and the main reason could be that he never raised false hopes or made disproportionate claims in his talks. On the contrary, his contention was that one should look at oneself directly to know what one actually is. This should be without any presuppositions, conclusions and without any idea of what should be. In fact, this has been a wholly new phenomenon not explained by any philosopher before Krishnamurti. We are rather accustomed to be told what to do and how to do it in order to attain ultimate truth. Krishnamurti however, did not speak about any ultimate truth, permanent goal, ideal or any method. His insistence had always been on an inner change in oneself, before thinking of reforming others. Accordingly, he did not give any importance to social service, village uplift, and other sort of social works. He was never associated with any government institution, group of workers, society, association or any socio-cultural organization. His whole life service confined in two activities, that is, giving talks at different places and running schools (one in USA, one in England and two in India). To him, proper facilities of right education would help to bring about an inner change in an individual giving rise to a flowering of the personality, transformation and regeneration resulting in integrally intelligent human beings.

His teachings are free from all mythical and religious references. His style is even free from standard terms, which are of having a traditional as well as established meaning. So, he is an uncompromising and unclassified teacher, as his teachings were not linked to any specific religion and were not for the East or the West but for the whole world. He embraced within himself life in its totality. He rejected every ideology and every system of thought. He did not hold any viewpoints and therefore, did not propagate a theory nor preach any dogma. He did not present a philosophical doctrine and his teachings do not confine to a particular theme. Nevertheless, he taught and talked of life, freedom, revolt, revolution and of course, about suffering and the significance of self-knowledge. He generally spoke to the audience on issues that were of vital and relevance to every individual and society. His teachings explored the reasons why mankind has lived in chaos and misery for thousands of years.

The core of Krishnamurti’s teachings is that an individual has to be a light unto oneself. He advocated self-knowledge in the pursuits of truth. He said that, the miseries of the world could be ended only if an individual changed one’s own psyche to develop a broader outlook towards all creation, as society and its ills has been the creation of the psyche. He challenged the existing pattern of human living, thought, feeling and action. His contention was that one should look at life directly without the hindrance of erudition and traditional knowledge. His main message to the world is the message of love, compassion, self-criticism and freedom from past inhibitions. So, the aim of Krishnamurti’s contention is freedom from the known. His teachings did not propose any ideals since he considered the ideal as always what is not.

In this connection, it would be relevant to highlight the blurb given by contemporary scholars and philosophers on the life and teachings of Krishnamurti.

They are as follows:

1) Krishnamurti is one of the greatest thinkers of the age–The Dalai Lama (Indian Express 22^nd January, 1995).

2) Krishnamurti is one of the five saints of the 20^th Century (TIME Magazine, New York, United States).^[2]

3) Krishnamurti is one man of our time who may be said to be a master of reality–Henry Miller.^[3]

4) Krishnamurti is a religious teacher of the greatest distinction who is listened to with profit and assent by members of all churches and sects–George Bernard Shaw.^[4]

5) Hearing Krishnamurti was like listening to a discourse of the Buddha–such power, such intrinsic authority–Aldous Huxley.^[5]

6) Krishnamurti’s language is naked, revelatory and inspiring. It pierces the clouds of philosophy which confound our thought and restores the springs of action….He initiated no new faith or dogma, questioned everything, cultivated doubt and perseverance, freed himself of illusion and enchantment of pride, vanity, and every subtle form of dominion over others….I know of no other living man whose thought is more inspiring–Henry Miller.

7) To listen to him or to read his thoughts is to face oneself and the world with astonishing morning freshness–Anne Morrow Lindbergh.^[6]

8) Krishnamurti’s words offer the intimate spirit of a truly remarkable presence: poetic, gracious, vast as the sky and wonderfully wise–Jack Kornfield.^[7]

9) A profound and fresh approach to self-understanding and deeper insights into the meaning of personal freedom and mature love–Rollo May.^[8]

10) I feel the meaning of Krishnamurti for our time is that one has to think for oneself and not be swayed by any outside religious or spiritual authorities–Van Morrison.^[9]

11) In my own life Krishnamurti influenced me profoundly and helped me personally break through the confines of my own self-imposed restrictions to my freedom–Deepak Chopra.^[10]

12) Krishnamurti gave me a great deal to think about and set me on a quest for something which I scarcely understood–Joseph Campbell.^[11]

In this regard, Kalidas Joshi has presented a gist of Krishnamurti’s core teachings.

They are presented as follows.—

1) There must be a radical revolution. The world crisis demands it. Our life demands it.

2) Self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom and, therefore, the beginning of transformation or regeneration.

3) Seeing is acting.

4) Knowledge is a hindrance to understanding

5) Truth is not in some far distant place; it is the looking at ‘what is.’

6) Negation is the most positive action.

7) It is only when the mind is silent that there is a possibility of clarity.

8) Only to the alone is there bliss.

9) Freedom is always at the beginning and not at the end.

10) Enlightenment does not come through another. It comes through your own observation, your own understanding of yourself.

11) Craving for the permanent creates the permanent.

12) Thought creates the thinker.^[12]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Joshi, K. (2005). ‘J Krishnamurti: Demystified’, Delhi: Pustak Mahal, pp.3-4

[2]:

As found in the introductory part (about the author) in Krishnamurti, J. (1973). ‘The awakening of intelligence,’ Michigan: Victor Gollancz publisher.

[3]:

Miller, H. (2009). ‘The Books in My Life.’ Retrieved from, http://jkrishnamurti-sussex.info/henry-miller-on-krishnamurti-2/, dated, 16^th Oct. 2016.

[4]:

G.B. Shaw’s criticism in regards to the refusal of Krishnamurti to broadcast in ‘The New Zealand Herald,’ dated, 28^th March, 1934.

[5]:

Dreaver, J. (2005). A Krishnamurti Story.’ Retrieved from, https://scottfree2b.wordpress.com/category/j-krishnamurti/, dated, 15^th Oct. 2016.

[6]:

As found in the introductory parts of, ‘Relationships to Oneself to Others to the World, by Krishnamurti, 1986, Ojai, California.

[7]:

As found in the editorial reviews of ‘The First and Last Freedom,’ by J. Krishnamurti, https://www.amazon.com/First-Last-Freedom-J-Krishnamurti/dp/1846043751. (Retrieved on 13th July, 2014)

[8]:

Retrieved from http://kft.org/, on 18^th Oct. 2016

[9]:

As found in the editorial reviews of ‘The First and Last Freedom,’ by J. Krishnamurti, 2013, https://www.amazon.in/First-Last-Freedom-J-Krishnamurti-ebook/dp/B00D8X6YNI. (Retreived on 13^th Oct. 2016)

[10]:

As found in the editorial reviews of ‘The First and Last Freedom,’ by J. Krishnamurti, https://www.amazon.com/First-Last-Freedom-J-Krishnamurti/dp/1846043751. (Retrieved on 14^th Oct. 2016)

[11]:

As found in ‘Life Ahead: On Learning and the Search for Meaning,’ by J. Krishnamurti, Krishnamurti Foundation of America, 1963.

[12]:

Joshi, K. (2005). ‘J Krishnamurti: Demystified’, Delhi: Pustak Mahal, p.15.