Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Thought is verbalized sensation; thought is the response of memory, the word, the experience, the image. Thought is transient, changing, impermanent, and it is seeking permanency. So thought creates the thinker, who then becomes the permanent; he assumes the role of the censor, the guide, the controller, the molder of thought. This illusory permanent entity is the product of thought, of the transient. This entity is thought; without thought he is not. The thinker is made up of qualities; his qualities cannot be separated from himself. The controller is the controlled, he is merely playing a deceptive game with himself. Till the false is seen as the false, truth is not."
The Book of Life, Krishnamurti
A fearless lone wolf, a modern Buddha.
Jiddu Krishnamurti was born on 11 May 1895 in Madanapalle, a small town in south India. Krishnamurti's life and teachings revolved around the exploration of human consciousness and the nature of the mind.
He and his brother were adopted in their youth by Dr Annie Besant, then president of the Theosophical Society. Dr Besant and others proclaimed that Krishnamurti was to be a world teacher whose coming the Theosophists had predicted. To prepare the world for this coming, a world-wide organization called the Order of the Star in the East was formed and the young Krishnamurti was made its head.
In 1929, however, Krishnamurti renounced the role that he was expected to play, dissolved the Order with its huge following, and returned all the money and property that had been donated for this work. He resigned as figure head of the Theosophists, and cut all ties to any notion of a religious or spiritual organization. This was followed immediately by a “core” statement, summarized as “Truth Is A Pathless Land: man cannot come to it through any organization, through any creed, through any dogma, priest or ritual, not through any philosophic 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.”
For the rest of his long life, he taught not as an authority but as an investigator looking into life’s fundamental issues through questioning all assumptions, and challenging his listeners to do the same.
His teachings touched upon various aspects of human existence, including the nature of thought, fear, love, relationship, education, meditation, and the transformation of consciousness. He encouraged individuals to question their conditioning, beliefs, and psychological patterns, advocating for a deep understanding of oneself and the world.
Krishnamurti's approach was known for its emphasis on observing and understanding the mind without judgment or the desire to achieve a particular outcome. He encouraged individuals to be fully present and aware in the present moment, to inquire into the nature of reality and their own inner workings, and to cultivate a sense of intelligence and compassion in their daily lives.
He never used notes or pre-planned his talks, always finding new avenues and angles to explore and communicate. In addition to these remarkable public meetings, Krishnamurti met individuals or small groups interested in dialogue inquiry, including teachers and students, scientists, psychologists and religious figures. Krishnamurti left a large body of literature in the form of public talks, writings, discussions, television and radio interviews, and letters. Many of these have been published as books, and audio and video recordings.
Further Exploration:
Documentry Biography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPAzpDl7VvM
Videos of his dialogs: https://www.youtube.com/@KFoundation
Collection of his articles: https://kfoundation.org/articles/
His personal diary: https://pgoodnight.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/krishnamurtis-notebook.pdf