Reflections on J Krishnamurti by Susan Rayner

"We listen with hope and fear, we seek the light of another, but are not alertly passive to be able to understand. If the liberated seems to fulfill our desires we accept him (or her); if not we continue our search for the one who will; what most of us desire is gratification at different levels. What is important is not how to recognise one who is liberated but how to understand yourself. No authority here or thereafter can give you knowledge of yourself; without self-knowledge there is no liberation from ignorance, from sorrow". J. Krishnamurti.

This sums up why Krishnamurti stands out from other teachers from all faiths and disciplines, for me. I have been following his ideas for some time, on and off. He reminds me of one of my father's colleagues who was a spiritual leader with a similar amount of pathos, that was refreshing to be around because of truthfulness, not hiding behind a false doctrine. It's knowing oneself that I can take charge of myself. My body is like a chariot with 4 horses and a rider, my body, my senses. When other people take control of my chariot through domination and their supposed authority, citing scriptures and sacred texts as their authority, I can no longer ride my chariot myself with assurance. Yet this is my body, my mind that has myself at its core. Experience comes from direct observation and books are guide maps that must be followed with caution and circumspection.

I watched videos of Krishnamurti sitting in the lotus flower position elevated above a crowd, speaking in a long, uninterrupted monologue. It appears as if nobody exists for him. He is talking to himself alone, yet there are hundreds of people gathering to listen to him. He was "groomed" to be a world leader, apparently.

It is a great privilege to watch Krishnamurti speak on many recordings and also the unique relationships between me and him, without needing him to know who I am. I have to be careful not to go so far as worshipping him. I have two other men in my life for that! My father and the Buddha enlightened Gautama Siddhartha.

There is something each have in common as leaders teaching about compassion, peace, justice, personal empowerment. There is also an acknowledgement of a higher power, an order to the universe that he must understand and respect to live as a fully fledged citizen.

I will sign off now. I hope this introductory piece will be enough to explain my thoughts about J. Krishnamurti

All the best wishes for peace, love and harmony

✒Susan Rayner

There are four men in my mind; my father, Krishnamurti, Siddharta Gautama and Thich Nhat Hanh.