Jeddu Krishnamurti

Birth Data

Biography:

East Indian teacher and religious leader, a philosopher and metaphysician from his youth. Krishnamurti obtained world recognition as a spiritual teacher and lectured to groups as diverse as the U.N. delegates, diplomats, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory and to people all over the world. Breaking with the Theosophical Society in 1929, Krishnamurti preached a doctrine of independent salvation by right conduct. His headquarters remained in Ojai, California but he opened teaching centers in India, England, Ojai and Switzerland. He wrote many works sharing his ideas with anyone who wanted to listen.

Krishnamurti's father was an ardent follower of the Theosophical Society, a religious organization presided over by Annie Besant. The society was a mixture of Buddhism and Indian Brahmanism traditions. While still a boy, Krishnamurti was singled out as the new Avatar by the Theosophical Society. Besant legally adopted him and raised him as her own son. With his younger brother Nityananda, Krishnamurti traveled all over the world, especially throughout Europe meeting important members of the Theosophical Society. News organizations spotlighted the young savior in his travels. On 1/11/1911, Annie Besant founded the Order of the Star in the East with Krishnamurti as the official head.  When his application to attend Oxford University was rejected in 1913 and he was denied entrance to London University, private tutors were hired to instruct the young man. In 1921, a wealthy Dutch Theosophist Baron van Pallandt placed his estate in Krishnamurti's hands. 

His brother contacted tuberculosis and Krishnamurti looked for a cure. In 1922, the brothers and Besant arrived in Ojai CA, believing the warm dry air would help Nityananda Krishnamurti. It is written that Krishnamurti experienced a kundalini awakening in August 1922. Three years later, he lost his brother to tuberculosis. In August 1929, Krishnamurti rebelled,  breaking with the Theosophical Society and publicly renouncing all claims about his quasi-divinity. He spent the rest of his life writing and giving lectures on his philosophy of self-reliance and awareness. The world media continued to try to label him as a kind of guru, no matter how much he denied the charge. He felt that people hungered for God figures and were willing to do anything to conjure one up, that truth could only be discovered inside oneself by oneself and that organized religion advocated the fear mentality to remain in control of people.

Krishnamurti captivated others with his personal charm and playful personality.  He enjoyed singing comic songs and telling funny stories to his friends.  He was an avid reader and enjoyed thrillers and detective novels as well as reading the Old Testament. Some spread rumors that Krishnamurti had romantic involvements all over the world, another claim which he strongly denied. In his later life, he traveled with his friend and associate, Mary Zimbalist as he stayed four months in India, four months in England and four months in Ojai, California.  During WW II, he stayed on his Ojai property. He preferred to stay clear of political discussions and was an ardent anti-Communist.

At 12:10 am on Monday 2/17/1986, Krishnamurti died of liver cancer, 90 years old.

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