Jiddu Krishnamurti () or
J. Krishnamurti (}), (12 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was a writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual issues. His subject matter included psychological revolution, the nature of the mind,
meditation, human s, and bringing about
positive change in
society. Maintaining that society is ultimately the product of the interactions of individuals, he held that fundamental societal change can emerge only through freely undertaken radical change in the individual. He constantly stressed the need for a revolution in the
psyche of every human being and emphasized that such revolution cannot be brought about by any external entity, be it religious, political, or social.
Krishnamurti was born into a Telugu Brahmin family in what was then colonial India. In early adolescence, while living next to the Theosophical Society headquarters at Adyar in Madras, he encountered prominent occultist and Theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater. He was subsequently raised under the of Leadbeater and Annie Besant, leaders of the Society at the time, who believed him to be the likely vehicle for an expected World Teacher. As a young man he disavowed this idea and dissolved the worldwide organization (the Order of the Star) established to support it. Denouncing the concept of saviors, spiritual leaders, or any other intermediaries to reality, he urged people to directly discover the underlying causes of the problems facing individuals and society. Such discovery he considered as being within reach of everyone, irrespective of background, ability, or disposition. He declared allegiance to no nationality, caste, religion, or philosophy, and spent the rest of his life traveling the world as an independent 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. His last public talk was in Madras, India in January 1986, a month before his death at his home in Ojai, California.
Supporters, working through several non-profit foundations, oversee a number of independent schools centered on his views on education – in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and continue to transcribe and distribute many of his thousands of talks, group and individual discussions, and his writings, publishing them in a variety of formats including print, audio, video and digital media as well as online, in many languages.
Biography
Family background and childhood
Jiddu It was apparently clear early on that he "possessed an innate personal magnetism, not of a warm physical variety, but nonetheless emotive in its austerity, and inclined to inspire veneration." Jayakar stated that in later years "Krishnamurti accepted that perhaps the intensity of sorrow had triggered a vast, wordless perception" while Vernon suggests that in the end, "[Krishnamurti] discovered, at the root of sorrow, an emptiness that could be not be touched by hurt". Twelve days after Nitya's death he was "immensely quiet, radiant, and free of all sentiment and emotion"; "there was not a shadow ... to show what he had been through."
Following the dissolution some prominent Theosophists turned against Krishnamurti, including Leadbeater, who reputedly stated that "the Coming had gone wrong". There is no record of him explicitly denying he was the World Teacher ;
Krishnamurti resigned from the various trusts and other organizations that were affiliated with the defunct Order of the Star, including the Theosophical Society. He returned the monies and properties donated to the Order, among them a castle in the Netherlands and of land, As far as he was concerned the fundamental teachings remained unchanged. He denied that there had been any "inner change" in himself or any evolution in the teaching, "since the beginning". The only changes he admitted were in "expression, vocabulary, language, and gesture." as he had already lost considerable weight, and had stated on several occasions that once he could no longer talk, he would have no further purpose.
J. Krishnamurti died at home in Ojai, California on 17 February 1986 at age 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 the United States. In his later years he was sometimes asked why he kept on teaching, what motivated him after all these decades, as by his own admission, so few, if any, had changed. He answered one such question in 1980:
I think when one sees something true and beautiful, one wants to tell people about it, out of affection, out of compassion, out of love. ... Can you ask the flower why it grows, why it has perfume? It is for the same reason the speaker talks.
Works
See also
List of works about Jiddu Krishnamurti
Notes and abbreviations
Abbreviations
AA – Adyar Archive,
Adyar (
Theosophical Society Adyar).
BPA – Brockwood Park Archive,
Bramdean (
Krishnamurti Foundation Trust).
FSG –
Farrar Straus and Giroux (publishers).
HL –
The Huntington Library,
San Marino, California.
JKO –
Jiddu Krishnamurti Online.
JM –
John Murray (publisher).
KFA –
Krishnamurti Foundation of America.
KFI –
Krishnamurti Foundation India.
KFT –
Krishnamurti Foundation Trust.
KWINC – Krishnamurti Writings Inc.
OA – Ojai Archive,
Ojai, California (
Krishnamurti Foundation of America).
OSE (or Order, or Star) –
Order of the Star in the East or Order of the Star.
SP –
Shambhala Publications.
SPT – Star Publishing Trust.
VVA – Vasanta Vihar Archive,
Chennai (
Krishnamurti Foundation India).
Notes
References
Notes on references
#Listed alphabetically by author or creator. When information regarding authorship is unknown, unavailable, or inapplicable, item is classified by title of work, in list order.
#Most references pointing to specific individual talks by Krishnamurti, and to some of his statements, are sublisted by date of delivery. The remainder, included in compilations, books, bulletins or other materials, are sublisted by publication or release date.
#Verbatim transcriptions of Krishnamurti's talks are indicated when such information is known.
#In cases of conflict among sources regarding the content, dates, locations etc. of Krishnamurti's writings, talks or discussions – and in the absence of other available verifiable information –
Jiddu Krishnamurti Online (JKO,
see below) has been used as the final authority whenever possible. Quotes attributed to Krishnamurti have been linked to or checked against JKO content when feasible. [].
#The expression "JKO [text]." represents the document or webpage serial number or id at
Jiddu Krishnamurti Online.
#
International Star Bulletin (started publication November 1927) and
Star Bulletin (started publication January 1931): Volumes are not numbered in the original; for each relevant reference a bracketed [
VolumeNumber] corresponding to publication year has been assigned.
#Same-entry imprints or editions separated by double semicolons (;;).
List of references
. [Restricted. Login required for full access]. Retrieved 2010-09-28.}}
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Lenox, Massachusetts: EnlightenNext. Retrieved 2010-05-17.}}
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. 2002.
Phoenix, Arizona:
United Lodge of Theosophists. Retrieved 2010-12-29.}}
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. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2010-05-17.}}
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Saaremaa,
Estonia: jiddu-krishnamurti.net. Retrieved 2010-10-07.}}
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Saaremaa,
Estonia: jiddu-krishnamurti.net. Retrieved 2010-10-08.}}
. J.Krishnamurti Online. Retrieved 2010-03-09.}}
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. J.Krishnamurti Online. JKO 353. Retrieved 2010-06-24.}}
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Saaremaa,
Estonia: jiddu-krishnamurti.net. Links retrieved 2010-12-21.}}
. J.Krishnamurti Online. JKO 276. Retrieved 2010-09-27.}}
. J.Krishnamurti Online. JKO 273. Retrieved 2010-10-07.}}
. Krishnamurti Foundation India. Retrieved 2010-03-09.}}
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. Archived 2005-04-28.
Hyderabad, India:
Osmania University. Retrieved 2010-09-25.}}
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.;;
Philadelphia:
Lippincott. .}}
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. New York: Arunachala Ashrama. Retrieved 2010-05-24.}}
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Carol Stream, Illinois: Alpheus. Retrieved 2010-05-17.}}
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Sydney escholarship. 2007. Retrieved 2010-09-30.}}
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. [Restricted. Login required for full access]. Retrieved 2010-09-28.}}
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Groningen, Netherlands: katinkahesselink.net. Retrieved 2010-08-15.}}
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External links
Jiddu Krishnamurti Online – Official J. Krishnamurti inter-organizational website whose mission is to make the teachings of J. Krishnamurti available and freely downloadable and to guarantee authenticity"">"to make the teachings of J. Krishnamurti available and freely downloadable and to guarantee authenticity" [emphasis in original]. An international joint venture of the Krishnamurti Foundations. Content provided in several languages. Links retrieved 2010-12-18.
– A multimedia project of the official Krishnamurti inter-organizational website
J.Krishnamurti Online. Hosted video material requires
Adobe Flash. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
The following Foundations are listed by date of organization. Links retrieved 2010-03-09.
Krishnamurti Foundation Trust – UK.
Krishnamurti Foundation of America – US.
Krishnamurti Foundation India.
Fundación Krishnamurti Latinoamericana [Latin American Krishnamurti Foundation (publisher's translation)] – Spain. Website is in Spanish language. Select webpages also available in English.
Category:1895 births
Category:1986 deaths
Krishnamurti, J.
Krishnamurti, J.
Krishnamurti, J.
Category:Telugu people
Krishnamurti, J.
Krishnamurti, J.