The biological transformation Uppaluri Gopala Krishnamurti experienced on his 49th birthday served as the defining event that caused him to reject all systems of religious and philosophical thought. Terming this sudden shift the calamity, he transitioned into a state he described as natural, moving away from his earlier pursuits of enlightenment and traditional spiritual liberation.
Early Spiritual Pursuits
Born in 1918 in Machilipatnam, Krishnamurti was raised by his maternal grandfather within the Theosophical Society. During his youth, he engaged in rigorous ascetic practices, spending seven summers studying under Swami Sivananda in the Himalayas. He later attended the University of Madras to study psychology, philosophy, and mysticism but eventually abandoned his academic path, concluding that Western and Eastern systems failed to provide meaningful answers.
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In 1939, he questioned Ramana Maharshi regarding the nature of moksha, finding the response dismissive. Following a period working for the Theosophical Society and lecturing internationally, he held daily discussions with Jiddu Krishnamurti between 1947 and 1953. This relationship ended when he concluded that Jiddu Krishnamurti could not communicate or define the concepts he preached, leading to a complete cessation of their professional association.
Transition and Life Abroad
After moving to the United States in 1955 and later relocating to London, Krishnamurti lived briefly at the Ramakrishna Mission before adopting a transient lifestyle. In 1961, he separated from his wife, Kusuma Kumari, and moved to Paris. Following a period of financial hardship in Geneva, he was offered shelter by Valentine de Kerven, a consular employee who provided him with a home in Switzerland for the remainder of his life.
Rejection of Intellectual Systems
Krishnamurti characterized his later insights as purely experiential rather than speculative. He argued that the reliance on thought to understand human existence was a fundamental error. By asserting that there was nothing to understand, he discouraged others from seeking the natural state as a goal, insisting that the transformation he underwent was an acausal biological occurrence rather than a religious accomplishment.
Fast facts
- Born: 1918, Machilipatnam
- Died: 2007, Vallecrosia al mare
- Education: University of Madras
- Spouse: Kusuma Kumari
- Citizenship: India, British Raj, Dominion of India
- Occupation: Writer, philosopher
Questions readers ask
Was he related to Jiddu Krishnamurti?
No, despite their shared name and professional associations, the two men were not related.
What did he mean by the natural state?
He described it as a biological transformation devoid of religious or spiritual context, which he discouraged others from pursuing as a goal.
