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Biography of J. Krishnamurti #3
Krishnamurti: The open door
Chronicles the latter part of the life of the noted philosopher and teacher, examining how Krishnamurti's imminent death influenced his teachings and affected his followers
- GenresTheosophyNonfiction
164 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1988
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41 people want to read
About the author
Mary Lutyens
46 books9 followersMary Lutyens (31 July 1908 – 9 April 1999) was a British author who is principally known for her biographical works on the philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 14, 2024
THE THIRD AND FINAL VOLUME OF THE ACCLAIMED BIOGRAPHY OF THE SPIRITUAL TEACHER
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 'Krishnamurti Reader: No. 1,' 'You are the World,' 'Commentaries on living.' etc.
Mary Lutyens (1908-1999) was a British author best known for her three-volume biography of Jiddu Krishnamurti; the other volumes in this series are 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening' and 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Fulfillment.'
She wrote in the Introduction to this 1988 book, "K was mistaken in thinking I was unfeeling. I was in truth devoured by a secret, very human love for [Krishnamurti's brother] Nitya. From 1926 to 1929 I was very close to K. We had been drawn together by Nitya's death... My devotion, however, was not able after three years to withstand the temptations of the world during his long absences in India and America... When I became engaged to be married in 1929 he was hurt... for my sake more than for his own---whereas I inflicted on myself a deep injury that lasted for sixteen years. I never, however, lost touch with K... and never stopped loving and revering him. It was to be forty years, though, from the time of my first marriage before I started working for him again." (Pg. 12)
She observes, "He never liked to look at himself on television or video, just as he never read his own books." (Pg. 43) She notes, "K's ambivalent attitude to art and literature was always a puzzle. He loved certain classical music, Mozart almost as much as Beethoven, and Indian music, especially chanting... He loved the poetry of Shelley and Keats and certain passages from the Old Testament... but it is doubtful whether he ever read modern poetry... But I never heard him praise a picture and I wonder whether any work of art moved him as much as a sunset." (Pg. 55)
When asked at the end of a talk whether God existed, he replied, "'We have invented God. Thought has invented God, that is, we, out of our misery, despair, loneliness, anxiety, have invented that thing called God. God has not made us in his image---I wish he had. Personally I have no belief in anything. The speaker only faces what it, what are facts, the realisation of the nature of every fact, every thought, all the reactions---he is totally aware of all that. If you are free from fear, from sorrow, there is no need for a god.' In spite of his request for no clapping there was applause as he stood up." (Pg. 60-61) Later, he said into a tape recorder, "There is no resurrection, that is superstition, a dogmatic belief. Everything on earth, on this beautiful earth, lives, dies, comes into being and withers away." (Pg. 83)
She recounts, "When Mary and Scott went into K's room, K said, 'It seems I am going to die,' as if he had not expected it so soon but accepted the fact. Later he said, 'I wonder why "the other" doesn't let the body go.' He was to wonder this often in the succeeding three weeks. On another occasion he said to Mary, 'I'm watching it. It's most curious.' And at another time, he remarked, '"The other" and death are having a struggle.' Once after he knew definitely that he had cancer he said to Mary in a faraway voice, 'What have I done wrong?,' as if he had somehow failed to look after the body as he should have done." (Pg. 135)
Lutyens' sympathetic, yet detailed and critical biography is "must reading" for anyone wanting to know more about Krishnamurti. Readers wanting to know more might read 'Star in the East: Krishnamurti--the invention of a Messiah, 'Lives in the Shadow: with J. Krishnamurti,' and Lutyens' own 'Krishnamurti and the Rajagopals.'
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 'Krishnamurti Reader: No. 1,' 'You are the World,' 'Commentaries on living.' etc.
Mary Lutyens (1908-1999) was a British author best known for her three-volume biography of Jiddu Krishnamurti; the other volumes in this series are 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening' and 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Fulfillment.'
She wrote in the Introduction to this 1988 book, "K was mistaken in thinking I was unfeeling. I was in truth devoured by a secret, very human love for [Krishnamurti's brother] Nitya. From 1926 to 1929 I was very close to K. We had been drawn together by Nitya's death... My devotion, however, was not able after three years to withstand the temptations of the world during his long absences in India and America... When I became engaged to be married in 1929 he was hurt... for my sake more than for his own---whereas I inflicted on myself a deep injury that lasted for sixteen years. I never, however, lost touch with K... and never stopped loving and revering him. It was to be forty years, though, from the time of my first marriage before I started working for him again." (Pg. 12)
She observes, "He never liked to look at himself on television or video, just as he never read his own books." (Pg. 43) She notes, "K's ambivalent attitude to art and literature was always a puzzle. He loved certain classical music, Mozart almost as much as Beethoven, and Indian music, especially chanting... He loved the poetry of Shelley and Keats and certain passages from the Old Testament... but it is doubtful whether he ever read modern poetry... But I never heard him praise a picture and I wonder whether any work of art moved him as much as a sunset." (Pg. 55)
When asked at the end of a talk whether God existed, he replied, "'We have invented God. Thought has invented God, that is, we, out of our misery, despair, loneliness, anxiety, have invented that thing called God. God has not made us in his image---I wish he had. Personally I have no belief in anything. The speaker only faces what it, what are facts, the realisation of the nature of every fact, every thought, all the reactions---he is totally aware of all that. If you are free from fear, from sorrow, there is no need for a god.' In spite of his request for no clapping there was applause as he stood up." (Pg. 60-61) Later, he said into a tape recorder, "There is no resurrection, that is superstition, a dogmatic belief. Everything on earth, on this beautiful earth, lives, dies, comes into being and withers away." (Pg. 83)
She recounts, "When Mary and Scott went into K's room, K said, 'It seems I am going to die,' as if he had not expected it so soon but accepted the fact. Later he said, 'I wonder why "the other" doesn't let the body go.' He was to wonder this often in the succeeding three weeks. On another occasion he said to Mary, 'I'm watching it. It's most curious.' And at another time, he remarked, '"The other" and death are having a struggle.' Once after he knew definitely that he had cancer he said to Mary in a faraway voice, 'What have I done wrong?,' as if he had somehow failed to look after the body as he should have done." (Pg. 135)
Lutyens' sympathetic, yet detailed and critical biography is "must reading" for anyone wanting to know more about Krishnamurti. Readers wanting to know more might read 'Star in the East: Krishnamurti--the invention of a Messiah, 'Lives in the Shadow: with J. Krishnamurti,' and Lutyens' own 'Krishnamurti and the Rajagopals.'
May 18, 2014
Heavy at times, and repetitively structured, but real insight into his daily life and death.
June 24, 2016
It is a very gentle, deep and pressing read. No time is ever wasted when reading the works of and about J. Krishnamurti.
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