This is an observation and evaluation of key spiritual themes and statements in
this book, and is not a standard review. The book is a compilation of several
lectures given by Krishnamurti in India, England, and the United States (New
York City and Ojai, California). The book is the 1983 edition published by the
Krishnamurti Foundation Ltd, London.
Born in India, Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was discovered as a young man by
Theosophist Charles Leadbeater, and thereafter was taken in by Leadbeater and
Theosophical head Annie Besant. Leadbeater and Besant groomed Krishnamurti to be
the "World Teacher," believing him to be a spiritually advanced soul born for
that purpose. However, the Theosophical Society was disrupted by controversies
and, eventually, Krishnamurti renounced his expected role as World Teacher and
left Theosophy, giving spiritual talks around the world.
Recommended for more information is Peter Washington's Madame Blavatsky's
Baboon, an entertaining and well researched book on the history and reach of
Theosophy, which includes more details on Krishnamurti.
Though Krishnamurti was hailed as a wise teacher whose ideas were considered
startlingly profound, The Flame of Attention expresses very little that is new.
The views are a fusion of Eastern spiritualities and pop psychology, with
Krishnamurti sometimes chiding his audience and often repeating certain phrases
in a rather irritating manner, such as "Let us be quite clear on this point."
Krishnamurti maintains that, aside from creation itself, everything is a product
of thought, much of that being narrow-minded religions (p. 25) and disorder (p.
95) that have led to violence, although he admits man has created beautiful
things. He states that our minds are always repeating thoughts and he calls on
people to examine the content of their minds.
Some of Krishnamurti's remarks on this area are:
The "shoddy little mind" that is always "occupied" (21, 29)
The "content of consciousness" should be wiped out to find true "creativity"
(70)
"The mind must be free, utterly still, not controlled" (29)
"It is only the silent mind, the mind that is free, that can come upon that
which is beyond all time." (29)
"[Y]our mind is eternally chattering" (29)
"A mind that is crippled by beliefs is an unhealthy mind" (87)
But isn't it a belief in itself to assert the view that a mind crippled by
beliefs is unhealthy? Yes, it is. This is called a self-refuting or
self-defeating statement; that is, the idea expressed refutes itself.
Describing the mind as "chattering" is a tactic to denigrate thought because in
Eastern spirituality, the mind and thinking are part of the false material
world, which is part of the deception. One cannot know truth through this mind,
or through rational thinking.
Krishnamurti makes self-refuting declarations throughout the book, especially
about the mind or thoughts, such as:
Quote==God is invented by man. God is the projection of our own thought.
(87)==End quote
But isn't this view a thought? In fact, all of his lectures are the product of
Krishnamurti's thinking. Therefore, based on his assertions about thought, we
should reject all of Krishnamurti's claims. One could throw out the book on this
basis alone, and this article could rightly end at this point.
Krishnamurti insists that one cannot truly observe if one has any bias or
prejudice (48). But to be able to honestly say this, Krishnamurti could have no
bias himself. Otherwise, this statement is biased and cannot be trusted. Yet,
there is much evidence from Krishnamurti's own words that he is very biased.
Readers should be alert to these self-refuting assertions because Krishnamurti
defeats almost his whole philosophy this way.
Moreover, Krishnamurti does not believe in a personal God. Such a God, according
to him, as well as all religions are the result of man's thought (13, 53).
Krishnamurti, perhaps due to his bad experiences in Theosophy, believed that if
religions were eradicated, there would be no violence.
He contends that there is an "original ground" that is the "origin of all
things" (31). This "ground" is reminiscent of the neo-orthodox theologian Paul
Tillich and his view of God as the rather abstract "ground of Being Itself." Yet
God has revealed himself as personal, and has clearly expressed the ability of
man to have a relationship with him through faith in Jesus Christ.
Along with rejection of God, self-refuting avowals, and the belief that thought
leads to deception, Krishnamurti teaches that we are not separate individuals,
and that our "consciousness" is the "consciousness of all humanity" (67).
Quote==We are conditioned to think that we are separate individuals....We are
not individuals at all....we are not separate.(56)==End quote
Quote==[T]here is no division between the observer and the observed, you are
that, and there is no division. (41)==End quote
Quote==Is thought yours? Or is there only thinking? (87)==End quote
These ideas have many forerunners to Krishnamurti, including mystics like
Meister Eckhart, nondualistic Hinduism (nondualism means there are no
distinctions in reality), and the Buddhist view that the individual self is
temporary and ultimately not real.
However, Genesis chapters 1 and 2, as well as other passages, reveal humanity
has been created by God in the image of God, meaning humanity has intelligence,
an ability to know there is good and evil, and a will. We have the evidence and
all the tools necessary to perceive reality and to know there is a personal God
who has revealed himself.
Krishnamurti urges his hearers to meditate, but it is meditation that does not
involve contemplating with the mind.
Quote==The essence of meditation is to inquire into the abnegation of the self.
(25)==End quote
Quote==So there is an origin, an original ground, from which all things arise,
and that original ground is not the word. The word is never the thing. And
meditation is to come upon that ground, which is the origin of all things and
which is free from all time. (31)==End quote
Through the meditation of suspending thought, one can come to the conclusions
Krishnamurti advocates because the mind is not being used. The "original ground"
is not defined but since he does not believe in God, it is likely Krishnamurti
is referring to an impersonal source that gave rise to all life.
There is yet another self-refutation when Krishnamurti asserts above that the
"word is not the thing" since his lectures were composed, of course, of words.
It may be easy to conclude, after seeing the flaws in this book, that no one
could take it seriously. However, Krishnamurti influenced large numbers of
people and many who are part of the New Age. As I read this book, I was able to
see how Krishnamurti's ideas could sound wise and profound to a person seeking
answers.
In fact, before I became a Christian, I was influenced by many people with
similar beliefs to those in this book. Krishnamurti's style is somewhat
spellbinding, and his words wrap around the unwary mind. Customer reviews of
this book on websites reveal Krishnamurti's profound impact. Therefore, while
this book should be critically analyzed, it is never right to mock those who
follow Krishnamurti's teachings.
God's wisdom is beyond what man can conceive and we have access to the spiritual
knowledge we need through what God has revealed, in his word and through faith
in the Savior, Jesus Christ. Indeed, Jesus is the "wisdom of God" (I Corinthians
1:24).
There is an eternal, personal God. God has revealed that there is a
Creator through nature (Rom. 1), and has revealed who he is in his word, and
through his son, the God-man Jesus Christ. Isaiah 45:5, 46:9; Luke 22: 67-70;
John 1, 8:19
Man is born with a will to go against God and needs reconciliation through
Christ. Luke 3:3; John 8:24; Acts 3:19, 26:18; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Ephesians
2:1; 1 Peter 2:24
We are to use reason and rational mind. Isaiah 1:18; Matthew 22:37;
Romans 12:3; I Corinthians 14; Philippians 4:8. The book of Romans is a logical
apologetic for the Christian faith. The Bible is in words, and language is based
on logic and reason, all of which are rooted in God’s character.
Biblical meditation and prayer uses the mind. When praying, we are not to
go into non-thinking states, but to be observant and aware: "Devote yourselves
to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving" (Colossians
4:2).
God created us as individuals with unique, real identities. Genesis 1 and
2; Psalm 139:13-16; Matthew 10:29-31
Truth is based on God's word. Hebrews 4:12; Luke 21:33; John 10:35; 2
Timothy 3: 16, 17
But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is
the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than
the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is stronger than the greatest of
human strength. 1 Corinthians 1:24, 25
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He
traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." 1 Corinthians 3:19
In him [Jesus] lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians
2:3