JK: Philosophy of Patience?

J. Krishnamurti is one of such stalwarts who on every reading opens up a new vista widening our scope of understanding him. A preliminary understanding of JK may give the impression that he is rebellious. He discards the Authority in every sphere- religious, spiritual, social, political, educational. (Not only the authority of others but even one’s own authority is rejected in the sense our past experiences, prejudices, inclinations often dominate our perceptions.) The most obvious form of rebel is the rejection of the Order of the Star and the Theosophical associations and even Annie Besant, who introduced Theosophical ideals to him, herself rebelled in her times against established patterns in the society and opted divorce, encouraged strike, propounded the use of contraceptives in London. No wonder, JK’s Philosophy is often viewed as Philosophy of Rebel and Revolt. He does speak of Revolution and it is Inner Revolution which is intended by him.

It is the Inner Revolution and Flowering which makes me to consider his ideas contributing to what may be called Philosophy of Patience. Of course, patience for him, is not of time. He does not, unlike religious authorities, preach “This shall pass away,” “Time is the great healer” but of reaching roots. Realizing the fundamentals, knowing the roots, having awareness of causes is what is insisted. e.g. If anger or greed is reported, he asks to see what is anger/greed. Seeing, Understanding is conducive to loving. But there are no rules, laws governing these processes. He is against all sorts of theorizations and intellectual understandings as these hinder clear, direct, vivid, lively perception of reality. Thoughts are divisive and, hence, present fragmentary picture of reality. Experience, on the other hand, presents unitive understanding presenting reality as the whole. So, with patience, we may know reality in its entirety. When the Choiceless Awareness will dawn may be the matter of time but what is most important is to go to the roots and to see what is reality. Thus, Jk’s Philosophy is not the Philosophy of Revolt or Rebel. It is the Philosophy of Patience!