2. Who is Jiddu? JidduKrishnamurti was born on 11 May 1895 in Madanapalle. He was adopted very young by Dr Annie Besant, and at that time president of the Theosophical Society. Many believed Krishnamurti was a prophecy come true, as the coming of a world teacher. To prepare the world for this coming, a world-wide organization called the Order of the Star in the East was established with JidduKrishnamurti as their leader.
3. The World at His Feet… To everyone’s surprise, In 1929, Krishnamurti rejected the elected position, one that he was expected to play, dissolved the Order, and returned all the money and property that so many had donated.
4. What Next? Until his death on February 17, 1986, he travelled throughout the world talking to a variety of audiences about the need for a radical change in mankind. Now, he is considered globally as one of the greatest thinkers and religious teachers to have lived.
5. Quotes from Jiddu… Peace Within A mind that has understood the nature of pleasure and fear is no longer violent and can therefore live at peace within itself and with the world. Why are we educated? What is the true function of an educator? What is education? Why are we educated? Are we educated at all? Because you pass a few examinations, have a job, competing, struggling, brutalizing ambition, is that education? What is an educator? Is he one who prepares the student for a job, merely for a job, for technical achievement in order to earn a livelihood? That is all we know at present. There are vast schools, universities where you prepare the youth, boy or girl, to have a job, to have technical knowledge so that he or she can have a livelihood. Is that alone the function of a true educator? There must be something more than that, because it is too mechanical. So you say that the educator must be an example. You agree with that? You will have to follow the truth of the matter, to go into it. When you go into it you will see the truth of it, namely, no example is necessary.
6. More Quotes… Division between man and man Why is there, one must ask, this division—the Russian, the American, the British, the French, the German, and so on—why is there this division between man and man, between race and race, culture against culture, one series of ideologies against another? Why? Where is there this separation? Man has divided the earth as yours and mine—why? Is it that we try to find security, self-protection, in a particular group, or in a particular belief, faith? For religions also have divided man, put man against man—the Hindus, the Muslims, the Christians, the Jews and so on. Nationalism, with its unfortunate patriotism, is really a glorified form, an ennobled form, of tribalism. In a small tribe or in a very large tribe there is a sense of being together, having the same language, the same superstitions, the same kind of political, religious system. And one feels safe, protected, happy, comforted. And for that safety, comfort, we are willing to kill others who have the same kind of desire to be safe, to feel protected, to belong to something. This terrible desire to identify oneself with a group, with a flag, with a religious ritual and so on gives us the feeling that we have roots, that we are not homeless wanderers.
7. Conclusion I First came across JidduKrishnamurti on Youtube and was blown away by his insight. After reading his book, “The Book of Life” I saw things much clearer than before. I would recommend this book and the rest of his teachings to anyone seeking spiritual development, and I hope that we all are.
