The Teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti was born on 11 May 1895 in Madanapalle, a small town in south India. 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.
From then, for nearly sixty years until his death on 17 February 1986, he traveled throughout the world talking to large audiences and to individuals about the need for a radical change in mankind.
Krishnamurti is regarded globally as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers of all time. He did not expound any philosophy or religion, but rather talked of the things that concern all of us in our everyday lives, of the problems of living in modern society with its violence and corruption, of the individual's search for security and happiness, and the need for mankind to free itself from inner burdens of fear, anger, hurt, and sorrow. He explained with great precision the subtle workings of the human mind, and pointed to the need for bringing to our daily life a deeply meditative and spiritual quality.
Krishnamurti belonged to no religious organization, sect or country, nor did he subscribe to any school of political or ideological thought. On the contrary, he maintained that these are the very factors that divide human beings and bring about conflict and war. He reminded his listeners again and again that we are all human beings first and not Hindus, Muslims or Christians, that we are like the rest of humanity and are not different from one another. The full library of his teachings is right here.
This documentary is actually called 'Krishnamurti - with a silent mind'.
Love this film. Watched the interviews a number of times. Krishnamurti couldn't be more relevant today, and his critique of society seems prescient. He was the one telling us in the 60s & 70s that we were destroying the Earth, and now look at the almost finished job. His focus on what is, on the fact, on truth, on the evils of authority and belief, on the deceptions and falsehoods of the mind - all these themes seem strikilingly relevant today, in the age of misinformation, advertisements, propaganda, lies and political spin. For him, love implies freedom: you can't impose law on love - love is its own law. And therefore there is no choice in love: love is its own law after all. You can't be a slave to love: if you love, than you, the slave, are not.
Your perception of reality is perceived by the limits of your knowledge. If you dont understand or examine what you are being told, then you are getting answers without learning on your own. Its improbable for one person to attain all knowledge in the worlds past and present. You can attain as much knowledge about whats around you, but you must be willing to understand how little you can actually attain in regatds to knowledge.
religion might be ancient form of education because no paper making....the reason to eradicate education...probably eradicate saturation repeating situation of world...by constructive or destructive
Nature is speaking (jiddu krisnamurthi)
Maybe the most intelligent mind that ever existed.
Regarding the criticism here of Mr. Krishnamurti, I find most of it laughable. The very point he makes is to THINK for YOURSELF. I don't follow him or anyone else. Why should I abandon my own brain and follow anyone else? I do find that he makes many good points that I have arrived at on my own. So I quite enjoy it when I find someone else who thinks so deeply on life as I do. This world is filled with hate and prejudice and little-minded people. What we need is more compassion and love. I don't need any religion, philosophy, or moral leader to tell me the difference between right and wrong. Thanks but I'll continue to think for myself. And I'll continue to try to grow and be a positive influence on those around me. But I want people to think ... and be kind. And anyone who hates me for this is just plain ignorant, and there are no shortage of these sorts of people. I'd like to see more people like Mr. Krishnamurti, who are capable of thinking and changing and loving. And when I say loving, I mean the type of love that is not earned, but the same type of love that Jesus demonstrated, even to those who would crucify him. That type of love is only possible from an enlightened individual.
This film promised so much on human consciousness but failed to deliver. I loved his revelation/awakening in the garden but that is where it ended. My husband wanted to watch it but I grew tired of his pointless speeches. He was not an academic and it was not his fault. He was taken away from his family, culture, language to England to be educated. That truly f....ed his life up. The loss of his brother did the rest. He lost it but mysteriously he still pulled in the crowds. Do people blindly follow cult figures even when it is clear they have nothing to say?
out of all these comments only one or two show ANY understanding whatsoever of Krishnamurti... the real person, not UG or whoever the moron, K didn't TEACH! he spoke of how to find truth, of how religion is false, of how our thoughts are programmed! man can you tell that by the comments in this column!! he spoke of the thousands of years of suffering of mankind, because of religion-nationalism-racism-political dogma and regimes, he spoke clearly, intelligently, compassionately yet many religious fascists try to undermine and corrupt his findings, why because they challenge their petty stupid fears and beliefs, or maybe they fear people may find the truth. Whatever it doesn't matter K would just have a little chuckle....poor people
I started watching the video having a negative prejudice about him, but now I am much more sympathetic towards his views. I see resemblance with some great thinkers, like Nietzsche and Heidegger.
But I have two objections (that might turn out to me mere misunderstandings).
1. His absolute rejection of comparison and quantitative data. Whether we like it or not, science is based on comparison and quantitative data. As a quick thought experiment, I ask myself: if I happened to be in a plane without a pilot, and a random person stood up and said "I will fly the plane because I say I can", would I allow him? Probably not, and neither would he. Thus, following his absolute rejection of comparison, we would have to reject science and scientific progress.
2. His mocking of the "interested in myself" concept. Again, related to my first objection, his views against individual interest, in favor of a vague global interest in-itself, lead to a paradox. He himself asks towards the end of the video "why don't you change?". For this question to have any meaning, individual interest is a necessary condition. Interest in ones' self for the sake of interest in-itself seems to me to lead to this idealistic state of disinterest, Nirvana. On the other hand, his question "why don't you change?" can only acquire significance through the interest in ones' self, because only then can it be realized in our everyday world. Changing ones' self, improving and exploring your own person, is how the world changes. And he seems to realize that, but fails to incorporate it in his view. Because, if, as he says, each one embodies the whole of humanity, then, through genuine interest in ones' self, one works for the improvement of the whole of humanity.
These are my two cents. I honestly appreciate his views, but in the end, they are too eastern, and too idealistic/metaphysical, for me to be able to embrace them. I cannot embrace an understanding of the human being that rejects the importance of relations with others (as a source of collision), and tries to reach a state of mind that is so spiritual, that the pain of life is forgotten.
I haven't read much of Alan Watts - (some, but very little) - Someone else brought him to my attention - I'll purchase one of his books - being introduced to a philosopher by way of a video is not a good Idea, watching a video is too easy to be distracted or lose concentration - as one hears something of interest and wants to focus on that one bit of an input or information the video just continues on and then you lose continuity - true I could pause the video -
It's almost a given to read Krishnamurti - many times i'll come across one sentence of his and read it and reread it and contemplate it and just put the book down and let the small piece of wisdom digest - I can't do that with a video - and that goes for all philosophy, one must digest it to enable the transformation of the student, the self?
Ah the "naughty and nice" program - must be a remnant from santa clause teachings at an early age :-)
Perhaps when we can let go of the programmed duallities we can actually start to think for ourselves
One can not understand what J Krishnamurti understands without living it. No one is all good all the time we all have this problem. If this man has something to offer good so be it. I am not concerned with his naughty past; this is a given.
I can't believe people are arguing over Krishnamurti. Forget about him. Forget about Krishnamurti. LISTEN to what is being said. If you listen then you will see the truth of what is being said, or the falseness. What Krishnamurti did during his life means nothing. If you are listening and you are still thinking "Krishna did this, krishna did that, K didn't do this... then the FACT is, you aren't listening :) x
To Peter Lee,
What a great comment and thanks for the description of this great human - for I too am "more someone who simply wants to start a conversation" but in a world of reactions to imaginary affronts upon the ego, they are almost impossible.
Some people knew him personally thought that he was not living his teachings, you can ask google about this. And also, If nobody has been enlightened by studying what he said, maybe he wasn't a good teacher at all.
OK the first video was ok, even if he was using a lot of hypnosis techniques..
But when he's talking to the kids.. come off it. My grandma spoke more sense.
superb and well said......
To Hille Kaper,
To help man kind ask questions, any questions, he had to become what he vehemently warned against: the martyrdom of any man.
The beauty of Krishnamurti was that he was trying less to be a teacher (which he himself didn't want to be) and more someone who simply wanted to start a conversation. He was a lonely man who simply wanted a kindred spirit.
Krishnamurti hit a chord with me, not because I wanted to blindly follow a man who everyone said was great, but because he was a kindred spirit. To find the path, one must take that journey alone, and that was his whole point.
There was never to be a result, what is a result? Can a result simply be another point in a journey? Who defines result? If one had no expectation to begin with, why would there be disappointment? Why should anyone have an expectation to begin with?
Hille Kaper, my humble opinion is that you missed the beauty of Krishamurti because you looked for a "point". You had a question and you looked for an answer in someone else rather than yourself. And that's really what Krishnamurti is telling us. There is no point, only thought and being aware of life around us. That the only answers you can find are within you.
I'd like to make two quick points before I end this comment:
1) Does it really matter if someone with an interesting though had land, houses and a castle? The idea that someone has something that you don't, does that offend you? why? What is the relevance between a man's philosophy and his belongings. You either understand what he's trying to say, or you don't.
2) By the way, his organization gave him everything a worldly man could want. Money, fame, land, status (as the next coming of the messiah), but stood in front of his followers and said "find your own answers, no man can give them to you" and gave back almost all money and properties. He was a man that had it all and decided to walk away from it.
Awful teaching, worthless teacher. You can listen to him 'til your last breath, it will give no result, instead only increase the confusion and frustration. The joker belonged to no organization, but he owned land, houses, a castle, expensive cars, had mistresses everywhere, started schools and an organization worth 80.000.000 dollars.
Anyone falling for him, can you please show me what results have come out of his efforts other than thousands disappointed followers, sir?
I have been studying this man for 31 years. At age 55, I am just starting to comprehend SOME of what he is trying so desperately to convey. As for the affair....I read about it years ago and quite honestly I was relieved. He never condemned love (translate that as sex if you like). And since in my small mind romantic love is just about as good as it gets, I was happy for him.
When murti talks about being a telephone receiver there is better perspective on what the message is ...its the message not the messenger...Anyway there is a great down load on torrent sites that contains about 2.65 gigs of his talks no video ..just audio..fantastic ..
when things started to stop for me,when changed ac-curd ..i new things were different and that i wasn't alone . but at the same time, i knew how isolated i was by knowing this change had ac-curd...
sometimes on a Saturday once in a while i sit in my chair and just look out the window all day. and observe my mind what a little terror it is..
so easily we are fooled into illusions..belief is not mine any more..i have seen how it works its patterns..wow ..i really cant express it..it took so much energy now .just to stay now..and to see very clearly how things really were ..
the saying all we are is a fart in the wind" ..reminds me of how i was before..no substance a smelly thought life , polluting the hole world with my presence and then just floating away.. lol..
if u dont understand me ..well say a prayer..lol
freedom real freedom is not what a man in jail thinks about ,he thinks about being free..freedom real freedom takes energy ,and energy is returned.. thanks vladko..
As soon as you have commented... you have missed the point. Why? Because, you pushed out what you didn't even know existed.
I am a practitioner of Buddha's teachings and I do believe this guy and Buddha are the exact same. From what I read Jiddu doesn't agree with Buddhism and I can see why. The Buddhas raw words were much like his, but what I think he thought of Buddhism was what it is now today, and I would think the Buddha himself would feel the exact same way, because there is so much struggle (robes, chants, rituals, insense, worship, mantras, scriptures) to attain, when the answer lies simply in reality, now. So in a sense I think he was taught from Buddhism and also many other cultures, but does not attach himself in anyway because he thinks suffering is fought internal rather then external and found no reason to speak about this, because now then he would his message would be skewed. Now what strikes me as odd is both were from India and Brahmin religions, both have left home, both found enlightenment while sitting under a tree, both were "destined to be great leaders", strange? A little but I wouldn't worry about it. So without what happened after the birth of Buddhism, I think these men are strikingly similar and actually if we look at it from a Buddhist view this is what pure enlightenment looks like.