Reviews for Krishnamurti: A Biography

The average rating for Krishnamurti: A Biography based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-03-11 00:00:00 Timothy Freehan By any standard, Krishnamurti was one of the most important and fascinating spiritual figures of the 20th century; by many standards, he was one of the most important in history. This is an intimate biography written by a close friend, and explores his life and teachings simultaneously. Krishnamurti reportedly said at his death that not a single person had understood his life or teachings; this is tragically reflected in the book: many casual listeners came to him looking for a 'freedom FOR the self', when what was taught was a 'freedom FROM the self'; his closest companions seem to have spent years asking him the same questions over and over (which he patiently answered), or trying to compare the teachings to various other teachers or systems. A careful study of his life helps to reconcile the paradox of the nature of what he taught with the fact that he taught at all, and gives great hope about the true success of his life and how it will be viewed in the future; this book is an excellent diving board into that study. As always, the most important lessons cannot be taught, but only learned; therefore, they cannot be advertised, but only recognized. But if recognized, one may find from this source some of the most beautiful and profound teachings ever recorded - and they have been infallibly recorded by audio and visual media. Any serious student of religion or spirituality owes it to him or herself to thoroughly become acquainted with Krishnamurti.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-07-10 00:00:00 Mark Leck I'm not sure what to make of this book. It's not a biography in any traditional sense of the word. You learn a little bit about Krishnaji's early childhood, but not enough for my taste. Although the way that his upbringing is portrayed with Annie Besant and Charles Webster Leadbeater is quite disturbing. I have quite a distaste for both of them; it seems quite clear that Leadbeater was a pedophile and I wonder about the relationship he had with Krishnaji and his brother as a result. I also think that Besant's attitude towards Krisnaji, and Indians more generally, is entirely colonial and deeply offensive--especially the idea that she had the right to remove him from his family and fight his father for custody along with the pedophile. Here is one of Leadbeater's more racist commentaries reprinted in this biography: "Ironically, once they had been accepted into the Theosophical fold, everything possible was done to see that Krishna and Nitya were stripped of all Indianness. It is almost certain that Krishnamurti's mentors decided that he and his brother were to speak only English, so the melodious Telugu language was slowly forgotten; the Vedas and the hymns learnt in childhood were wiped away. Their hair was cut and halved by a central parting. They were taught English; they learned how to eat with a spoon and fork and to keep their elbows close to their body when they raised their forks to their mouths; to wear Western clothes with ease; to see that the crease of their trousers was pressed and to polish their shoes till they shone. They were taught how to bathe the British way. 'The boys were to become English gentlemen because in Leadbeater's scheme of evolution, English gentlemen represented the pinnacle of human development.'"(27-28) This sort of insight was compelling, but I would have liked to have this kind of narration continue throughout the book. Instead, it feels much more like Pupul Jayakar's autobiography at times. The majority of the book is about her relationship with Krishnaji. As a result, one doesn't necessarily glean any insight about what his life was like when she wasn't in communication with him. So there is very little research on that end. Plus, the second half of the book is purely about Krisnaji's philosophy. There are numerous books extolling his thoughts, but this book promised to tell the story of his life and it falls short of that promise. Also, I find it strange that the book says very little about the founding of the Krishnamurti schools. They are mentioned, but their history is relatively absent.