The infinite variety of JK's philosophy

For most of us philosophy is old hat because philosophers down the ages have been discussing the same subjects. However, the Indian-born Jiddu Krishnamurti is an exception to the rule. He keeps on giving us new dimensions in philosophy even after his death. This may sound impossible, but the Krishnamurti Foundation of India publishes his talks and ideas from time to time, renewing and generating the reader's interest in a somewhat difficult subject. The latest publication to come out of the press is aptly titled 'What are you doing with your life?'.

Krishnamurti takes almost every aspect of life into consideration to answer this question. All of us live because we were born into this world. Some are born rich, others remain poor. Some are intelligent while there are people who cannot think rationally. Whether we are rich or poor, intelligent or not, all of us breathe the same air and share the same earth.

Turning his attention to another important aspect of life, Krishnamurti says that our education is lop-sided. Even after higher education at university level, people have not got rid of avarice, ignorance of basic tenets of life and dishonesty. Some of us tell lies to gain minor advantages. We are jealous of others who do well in life. We forget the basic truth that all of us are going to leave Planet Earth to a new generation.

Education system

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Bertrand Russell, Nietzsche and Krishnamurti may be turning in their graves because humanity has not learned anything from them. Krishnamurti faults the present education system that prevents the birth of original thinkers. Teachers, lecturers and professors expect their students to learn what they teach without questioning. Even in modern examinations, students are expected to repeat what they had learnt at various institutes. If any student tries to be smart by thinking independently, he is punished with low marks.

Jiddu Krishnamurti: “Let's observe the extraordinary phenomenon of human existence”

Being an original thinker, Krishnamurti discouraged people from following him. He said, “There is no belief demanded or asked, there are no followers, there are no cults, there is no persuasion of any kind, in any direction, and therefore only then we can meet on the same platform, on the same ground, at the same level. Then we can together observe the extraordinary phenomenon of human existence.”

Freedom from authority does not mean breaking laws. Human society needs laws for its protection. However, people must be free to think of life and its multifarious aspects independently. Even in the choice of a job or marriage partner, most of us cannot decide independently. This has compelled us to consult astrologers and counsellors who render their services at a price.

Fear of death

Krishnamurti tells the reader how to get rid of fear of failure, illness and death. Such fears have compelled us to seek the intervention of charlatans who appear in the guise of saints ready to save our souls. Everyday we hear of people getting duped by conmen and racketeers here and abroad. As they say, a sucker is born every minute!

Krishnamurti has emphasised the fact that the purpose of living cannot be learned from books or teachers. Life embodies actions, thoughts, feelings and what not. Everyone of us has to experience joy, sorrow, fear and anxieties in some measure.

We hardly come across anyone who has solved all his problems. So, the total process of living is combined with many other forces such as natural disasters, over which we have no control. Modern life is a medley of confusion. We are at war with our neighbours and sometimes with ourselves. When society is full of dishonest men who are greedy for power and fame, any sensible man will want to know the purpose of living. Having considered the gravity of the problem, Krishnamurti said, “When the mind is free from its own conditioning, that very freedom itself is the purpose.”

Purpose of living

Once a person in the audience asked Krishnamurti, “Can you tell us the meaning and purpose of our living?” Krishnamurti answered him, “Is not living itself its own purpose, its own meaning? Why do we want more? Because we are so dissatisfied with our life, it is so empty, so tawdry, so monotonous, doing the same thing over and over again. We want something more, something beyond that which we are doing.”

Krishnamurti's: 'What are you doing with your life?' will be an eye-opener to many of us who are dissatisfied with life. His philosophy is simply the art of observing directly one's own life. If your life is boring, it is within your power to change it. Krishnamurti inspires all of us without being a traditional guru.