JK's Message - Book Review from 'The HIndu'

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JK's message

 

LIVING AND DYING — From moment to moment: Susunaga Weeraperuma;

Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 41, UA Bungalow Road,

Jawahar Nagar, Delhi-110007. Rs. 65.

 

JIDDU KRISHNAMURTHI, Krishnajee to his devotees and admirers, was a

young student decades ago of the P.S. High School, Mylapore, Chennai,

along with his brother, Nityananda.

 

The boys were remarkable in many ways. Dr. Annie Besant, President of

the Theosophical Society, discovered in the youngsters something

unique, fascinating and spiritually stimulating.

 

She secured the transfer of their guardianship from their parents and

though the transfer was challenged in the courts of law, she got it

confirmed by the Privy Council of the U.K. She made wonderful use of

the responsibility she had taken on herself. She took young

Krishnajee to Oxford but arranged for his education privately.

 

We have little knowledge of the details of this education but it

proved to be a truly transforming process and Dr. Besant proclaimed

Krishnajee as the "Coming world teacher" and established the Order of

the Star in the East.

 

In 1922, Krishnajee spoke of a truly nameless experience

unmistakably, non-rational and quite positively mystical. He said, "I

was supremely happy for I had seen. Nothing would be the same again.

I have drunk of the clear and pure waters at the source of the

foundation of life and my thirst was appeased. Never more could I be

thirsty... I have stood at the mountain top and seen the Light".

These were truly Messianic words and the world listened in wonder.

 

But in October 1929, he dissolved the Order of the Star in the East.

He declared in August 1929, "Truth is a pathless land and you cannot

approach it by any faith whatever, by any religion or any sect. I do

not want to belong to any organisation."

 

This was a shock to his devotees and admirers who numbered thousands

and who belonged nearly to every part of the world.

 

India, however, did not commit the awful folly of rejection of the

message because it was truly a liberating one, a saving one.

Krishnajee wants every individual to discover the Truth for oneself,

without feeling committed to acceptance of the revelations of any

religion or sect of any god man, of any Guru. This was a truly

remarkably shocking development.

 

The author quotes Krishnajee in chapter three of the book: "To follow

another is evil because it breeds authority, fear and imitativeness".

This quotation heads the chapter entitled "Are spiritual leaders

necessary?".

 

The word guru, etymologically means the remover of ignorance, the

Avaduta. The Bhagavatam gives us a whole host of gurus, even a python

and a fruit-bearing tree.

 

This approach seems to contradict Krishnajee. It does not. Every man

is a Guru to oneself. Look inward, not superstitiously but with a

clear and pure mind and you will find all the guidance you want.

 

This is almost like Gandhi's inner voice — which led him up the steps

of many a magnificent revelation of the spiritual strengths of India,

which blew up the British Empire over India.

 

Krishnajee was the subject of thoughtless ridicule, along with Dr.

Besant, a few decades ago. But the way in which sects are formed

today and self-proclaimed godmen conquer and confound the minds of

human beings today makes it necessary for mankind to look rationally

and critically at any formulation of doctrine. The author discusses

various related issues, succinctly, clearly and thoughtfully and the

book is undoubtedly worth reading and digesting.

 

S.R.

 

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