Jiddu Krishnamurti: A Critical Study of Tradition and Revolution

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ABOUT THE BOOK Jiddu Krishnamurti is an eminent thinker of our times who has addressed the problems of the contemporary world. He has invented new language in articulating the issues and has a global appeal. He has consciously put aside the known philosophical categories and approaches in understanding the problems of the human life and the world. He has understood that the problems are due to the partial and prejudiced understanding rather total understanding. Tradition' and 'Revolution' are the recurring themes of his talks. He is critical of both tradition and revolution in his own terms, which goes against the historical notions of both of these terms. Krishnamurti goes against all the organized and historical religions but retains the idea of religiousness by redefining it. He finds the solution to all existential problems in the individual. He argues for change in the individual psyche or psychological revolution. He calls it as a religious revolution. He mediates both tradition and revolution through 'religious revolution'. This work offers an unconventional understanding of Krishnamurti and makes sense of his ideas. by locating him in contemporary setting or context. This is a critical examination of Krishnamurti's insights in the light of the contemporary thinkers and trends of the East and West. This work critically appreciates Krishnamurti in the war-ridden society of the present times and simultaneously provides the space for rationale of identity politics against institutionalized injustice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. P. Kesava Kumar works in the Department of Philosophy, Pondicherry University. He received his doctorate from the University of Hyderabad for his thesis. J. Krishnamurti's Conception of Tradition and Revolution: A Critical Study and Post doctorate for his study on Political Philosophy of Ambedkar. He authored two books: Political Philosophy of Ambedkar: An Inquiry into Theoretical Foundations of the Dalit movement and Dalita Vudhyamam Velugu Needalu (Telugu). He has published a good number of articles in various national and international Journals on Dalit Studies, Cultural and Literary Studies. Indian Philosophy and Political Philosophy. His works aim at providing alternative perspectives on Dalit and other analogous issues with an emphasis on emancipatory politics.

PREFACE J. Krishnamurti (1895-1986) is one of the prominent thinkers of contemporary times. He did not expound any philosophy or religion but engaged in talking about problems of everyday life. His lectures and writings have global appeal. Every word he spoke has been recorded and printed. Krishnamutri's foundations were established and thousands of followers appeared all over the world. He emerged as a phenomenon in contemporary times. As a researcher my fascination for Krishnamurti lies in his being a thinker of Indian origin who was boldly critical about tradition and looked for radical change. His immediate concern throughout his life was human predicament and the way out of the labyrinthine world. He picked up many themes, such as identity, division, conflict, violence, world disorder, education and religious life. I believe that 'tradition' and 'revolution' are the basic themes of Krishnamurti and also invariably are related to each other. Though both these concepts are popular concepts of his time, the way he presented them adds new meaning. Tradition and revolution are historically constructed categories and considerable literature is available in this respect. The discourse of social change and world order are invariably linked with the ideals of tradition and revolution. As a researcher I could not ignore existing theories of both tradition and revolution and at the same time conscious of Krishnamuti's unique usage of these terms. There is a difficulty in doing this as he does not allow any method or approach in understanding world or his teachings. Any scholar of Krihnamurti's teachings is compelled to work with the language and tools used by Krishnamurti. In my study, I have attempted to present Krishnamurti's thought without losing its essence and at the same time engaged him with other prominent philosophical theories of contemporary times on the same issue. I am conscious of my position as a scholar, it is important to depict the philosophical position of Krishnamurti and equally important for me, not to be carried away by him. To bring relevance to his thought, I place him into the socio-political developments of contemporary times of the world. I came to an understanding that Krishnamurti provides new way in approaching the problems of life. His approach seems to be philosophical and logical rather than practical and political in bringing about the transformation of the world order. In this study, I took liberty to locate him in larger philosophical systems and even to explore the limitations of his thought in terms of contemporary relevance.

I see tradition as a problem because of its oppressive and authoritative character in most of the issues of social life. In Indian context, caste system and patriarchy are bound by tradition. Tradition is regulated by religion and its texts, systematically executing by the priestly class in association with ruling class. Tradition and its value systems have manifested through the social institutions and had continuity for generations. The victims of tradition will definitely admire the change, the idea of revolution which is promising a new vision of life. We can see the crisis of contemporary society that has manifested in many forms, especially from the decade of eighties. On one hand, the idea of revolution has been confined to Marxist sense and become limited to economic equality rather than life as a whole. On the other hand, tradition in the form of religious nationalism becomes at rallying point for many struggles in a crisis ridden society. I believe in this historical juncture, Krishnmurti's ideas are relevant in providing broader meaning to the concepts of both tradition and revolution.

**Contents and Sample Pages**