SELECTIONS FROM THREE OF KRISHNAMURTI'S BOOKS
Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was singled out by Charles W. Leadbeater, a leader of the Theosophical Society, as the coming "World Teacher"; and he was groomed for this role by Leadbeater and fellow TS head Annie Besant, who formed an organization, the Order of the Star, to support him in this role. However, in 1929 he famously rejected this role, and became an independent spiritual teacher for the rest of his life, writing many books such as 'You are the World,' 'Commentaries on living,'i, etc.
This book was edited by Mary Lutyens [author of the 3-volume biography, 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening,' 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Fulfillment' and 'Krishnamurti: The Open Door'], and includes excerpts from Krishnamurti's books 'The First and Last Freedom,' 'Life Ahead: On Learning and the Search for Meaning,' and 'This Matter of Culture.'
He notes, "Thought has not solved our problems and I don't think it ever will. We have relied on the intellect to show us the way out of our complexity. The more cunning, the more hideous, the more subtle the intellect is the greater the variety of systems, of theories, of ideas. And ideas do not solve any of our human problems; they never have and they never will. The mind is not the solution; the way of thought is obviously not the way out of our difficulty." (Pg. 82)
He adds, "surely there is a state of intelligence which is not individual or collective. Then the problem of the relationship of the individual to society... to the community... to reality, ceases; because then there is only intelligence, which is neither personal nor impersonal. It is this intelligence alone, I feel, that can solve our immense problems." (Pg. 84)
He replies to a questioner, "Real freedom is not something acquired, it is the outcome of intelligence. You cannot go out and buy freedom in the market. You cannot get it by reading a book, or by listening to someone talking... To be creative, which is to have real initiative, there must be freedom; and for freedom there must be intelligence. So you have to inquire and find out what is preventing intelligence. You have to investigate life, you have to question social values, everything, and not accept anything because you are frightened." (Pg. 176)
To another questioner, he said, "It is [modern education] not a failure, sir? When you go out on the street you see the poor man and the rich man; and when you look around you, you see all the so-called educated people throughout the world wrangling, fighting, killing each other in wars. There is now scientific knowledge enough to enable us to provide food, clothing and shelter for human beings, yet it is not done. The politicians and other leaders throughout the world are educated people... and yet they have not created a world in which man can live happily. So modern education has failed, has it not? And if you are satisfied to be educated in the same way, you will make another howling mess of life." (Pg. 211-212)
He cautions, "It does not matter what I am. What matters is to find out the truth or the falseness of what is being said. If you think such-and-such a thing is important because so-and-so is saying it, then you are not really listening, you are not trying to find out for yourself what is true and what is false." (Pg. 219)
When asked about life after death, he replied, "If you really want to know, how are you going to find out? By reading what Shankara, Buddha or Christ has said about it?... They may all be totally wrong. Are you prepared to admit this---which means that your mind is in a position to inquire? You must first find out, surely, whether there is a soul to survive... The word 'soul' implies something beyond mere physical existence, does it not?... The other part is: what is death?... You want to know if there is survival after death but, you see, that question is not important. The important question is: can you know death while you are living?... you can find out for yourself what death is, not after you are dead, but while you are living, healthy, vigorous, while you are thinking, feeling." (Pg. 233-234)
He asks, "is there a perceiver, or only perception?... Is there a thinker, or only thinking? Surely, the thinker does not exist first. First there is thinking, and then thinking creates the thinker---which means that a separation in thinking has taken place. It is when this separation takes place that there comes into being the watcher and the watched, the perceiver and the object of perception... you will discover that when the mind is very quiet, completely still... then that very stillness has its own creative understanding. In that stillness the mind is transformed into something else. But... it does not come about through sitting in a corner and trying to concentrate. That stillness comes when you understand the ways of the mind." (Pg. 245)
This collection is an excellent "introduction" to Krishamurti's many books.