U G Krishnamurti an enigma

Bangalore, March 24: U G Krishnamurti was an enigma who defied all classifications - a philosopher, a non-guru or guru and is described as "subversive and revolutionary and totally fearless."

UG, as he was lovingly called by his friends and admirers all over the world, blasted all spiritual discourses as "poppycock" and thrashed the spiritual masters as "misguided fools."

"A messiah is the one who leaves a mess behind him in the world." "Religions have promised roses but you end up with only thorns," were among the quotable quotes of UG who also detested being called an enlightened man.

"People call me an "enlightened man-- I detest that term -- they can`t find any other word to describe the way I am functioning," he would say. "At the same time, I would point out that there is no such thing as enlightenment at all."

Born into a Telugu-speaking Brahmin family on July 9, 1918 in the coastal town of Masulipatam in Andhra Pradesh, UG lost his mother when he was seven days old and was brought up by his maternal grandfather, a noted, wealthy lawyer and a prominent member of the Theosophical Society.

UG grew up in a peculiar milieu of theosophy and orthodox Hindu religious beliefs and practices.

After schooling in Gudivada town, he did his B.A. Honours course in philosophy and psychology at Madras University. "Where is this mind these chaps have been talking about," he once asked his psychology teacher when hardly 20 years.

Between 14 and 21 years of age, he spent seven years off and on with Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh, practising yoga and meditation but questioned the validity of the various mystical visions and experiences.

When he was 21 years old, UG met Sri Ramana Maharshi and asked him "this thing called Moksha, can you give it to me". "I can give it but can you take it," Ramana said, a reply that set him up on a relentless search for truth that ended at the age of 49.

UG joined Theosophical Society as a lecturer and gave talks on theosophy in the country and European nations. He met J Krishnamurti, known as an unconventional spiritual teacher, and fiercely discussed spiritual matters but he later rejected JK`s philosophy, calling it a "bogus chartered journey."

During this period, he also underwent a mystical experience what he sometimes described as "a death experience." But he brushed it all aside and moved on.

UG moved to America with his family for medical treatment of his son`s polio condition in 1955 and took to lecturing for a fee to meet the expenses. At the end of the second year, he lost interest in lecturing and 17 years of his marriage ended.

After aimless wanderings in London and Paris, he landed in Geneva and found a refuge in Valentine De Kerven`s chalet in Saanen. It was a prelude to his "clinical death" on his 49th birthday in 1967 and for seven days, seven bewildering physical changes took place and he landed in what he called the "natural state".

UG usually stayed with his friends or in small rented apartments but never stayed in one place for more than six months. He would say he had "no message for mankind" but thousands the world over would flock to listen to his "anti-teaching."

His first book, "The Mystique of Enlightenment", put together by Rodney Arms, appeared in 1982.

UG rejected the notion of soul or atman and declared that our search for permanence was the cause of our suffering.

"He was well known for striking down not only the edifices we have so carefully built in our minds but the foundations of human thought as a whole. UG was truly enigmatic, subversive and revolutionary, and totally fearless," UG`s friends and admirers say.

Courtesy: Zee News