Infinite Intellects: Jiddu Krishnamurthi

Hey Guys. 

Today we will continue our Infinite Intellects Series Feturing Jiddu Krishnamurthi in this 2nd Episode. If you haven't read the first episode yet, please check it out. It is on Swami Vivekananda. 

Jiddu Krishnamurthi was an Indian Speaker and Writer. His thoughts on philosophy and rationality was mind boggling. Here I will mostly talk about his thoughts rather than his life story. 

He was born in Southern India's town Madanpalle - Andhra Pradesh. He had no interest in studies and was always in his own world. In the same timeline, The Famous "Theosophical Society" existed whose main aim was to create a 'Maitreya' meaning 'World Teacher'. The goal of Theosophical Society was to train a human being with all perfections who could further teach the world something as Buddha did. They were in search of this man. Let me tell you that Theosophical Society was no joke. Even one of their main heads included Annie Beasant - The one who had a crucial role in India's Independence. 

One of the heads of the society, Charles Webster Leadbeater,  when passing by through a bridge in the southern part, roaming around; found a teenage boy, whose aura according to him was not to be ignored. He found his charm so attractive with deep spiritual possibilities. Yes, he was none other than young krishnamurthi. 

He was adopted by the society and taken to US for training. Unlike the hopes of the society, Krishnamurthi did not found this much appealing and thought that this was no less than a comical story! When announced by the society that Krishnamurthi is the Maitreya, he simply rejected that title! 

He believed that " Truth loses its truthfulness when found in a group."  

He never accepted any position in Theosophical Society and never really considered him the World Teacher. 

You may comsider him a simple man but I felt his ideology when I read his book freedom from the known.

" From childhood itself our minds are conditioned. Growing around, Man has throughout the ages been seeking something beyond himself, beyond material welfare – something we call truth or God or reality, a timeless state – something that cannot be disturbed by circumstances, by thought or by human corruption.

Man has always asked the question: what is it all about? Has life any meaning at all? He sees the enormous confusion of life, the brutalities, the revolt, the wars, the endless divisions of religion, ideology and nationality, and with a sense of deep abiding frustration he asks, what is one to do, what is this thing we call living, is there anything beyond it?”

"In this constant battle which we call living, we try to set a code of conduct

according to the society in which we are brought up, whether it be a Communist

society or a so-called free society; we accept a standard of behaviour as part of

our tradition as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or whatever we happen to be.

We look to someone to tell us what is right or wrong behaviour, what is right or

wrong thought, and in following this pattern our conduct and our thinking become

mechanical, our responses automatic. We can observe this very easily in

ourselves.

" For centuries we have been spoon-fed by our teachers, by our authorities, by

our books, our saints. We say, 'Tell me all about it - what lies beyond the hills and

the mountains and the earth?' and we are satisfied with their descriptions, which

means that we live on words and our life is shallow and empty. We are

secondhand people. We have lived on what we have been told, either guided by

our inclinations, our tendencies, or compelled to accept by circumstances and environment. We are the result of all kinds of influences and there is nothing new

in us, nothing that we have discovered for ourselves; nothing original, pristine, clear! 

"We sadly are NOTHING else but the way people have conditioned our MINDS." 

"So to discover whether there actually is or is not something beyond this

anxious, guilty, fearful, competitive existence, it seems to me that one must have

a completely different approach altogether. The traditional approach is from the

periphery inwards, and through time, practice and renunciation, gradually to come

upon that inner flower, that inner beauty and love - in fact to do everything to

make oneself narrow, petty and shoddy; peel off little by little; take time; tomorrow

will do, next life will do - and when at last one comes to the centre one finds there

is nothing there, because one's mind has been made incapable, dull and insensitive." 

In his final years of life, he was so frustrated and done with the people around him. The ignorance and dullness of the commoners killed his inner self. Till his last breath he kept writing books and recorded many audiofiles to let us rise. In fact, he believed that he is none to uplift others, it's in their hands. His efforts were just to trigger our thoughts; so is mine. 

Thanks, 

Daksh Parekh.