Advanced Buddhist Metaphysics: Exercises in Sceptical Spirituality by Peter Eastman

Author:Peter Eastman [Eastman, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: HarfieldAcademic
Published: 2021-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

The ‘Krishnamurti’ metaphysical proposal, insofar as it can be identified and articulated:

But putting his distinctive misdirection and indeterminacy to one side, it is still possible to identify something like the principles of his theory of spirituality. As he portrayed it, there is a transcendental realm ‘beyond knowledge’ which affords those who can reconnect with it by negatively suppressing their capacity to think, a total ‘freedom’ from the woes of human existence, in particular ‘fear’ and ‘conflict’. This freedom is ‘ecstatic’, as well as being characterised, through a mysterious ‘reconciliation’, by ‘reason’ and ‘love’. And this realm of transcendental freedom is the realm of Truth, and everything else – especially our intellectual efforts and imaginings to attain it—are false.

How do we reach this transcendental realm ? Directly, by negating ourselves at our mental core, and letting the transcendental shine through of its own accord; anything that involves intellectual effort or volitional practice, being essentially ‘false’, cannot succeed in principle. But how exactly do we negate ourselves at essence, and bypass our hindering ‘false self’ ? You just do it; you can’t think about it, or you remain the false self you are trying to overcome.

But far and away the most interesting and direct outcome of Krishnamurti’s version of ‘spiritual realisation’ is its utter ‘New Age eco-worldliness’, in that it reveals itself to be entirely concerned with cherishing nature, and turning us into conflict-free beings full of love and harmony, no longer engaging in wars and aggression. Transcendental knowledge in Krishnamurti’s terms is all about the optimal living of life as we know it, in which negativity has been banished, and in which a kind of luminous everyday intelligence holds sway. There is nothing here along Buddhist or Advaita lines about resolving the essential mystery of existence, or enlightening us as to the essence of knowledge itself; Krishnamurti’s supposed spirituality is as curiously mundane as any self-help life coaching proposal could possibly be.

An explanation of his appeal

How then to ‘explain’ Krishnamurti ? How was he able to be taken so seriously ? As has been said before, Krishnamurti’s overt appeal – at least in the west – has been as the ‘anti-guru’, and the ‘no-nonsense guru’, preaching eastern wisdom without the ethnic baggage. He always appeared to be getting to the point, and focussing on essentials, whereas other gurus would spin exoticism and hirsute psychedelia. He carefully avoided references to transcendental states of consciousness, framing his talks instead around simple, everyday concepts, and this in turn gave his lectures a pseudo-scholarly feel. And over time he was able to present himself as a Montessori-type educational innovator, promoting something like ‘a genuine search for real knowledge’ in contrast to the dead hand of rote learning and exam passing.

And in common with many other successful gurus – the Maharishi was another -- Krishnamurti was ultimately offering a ‘better life’ in the here and now, through aligning ourselves with his realisations. He was not offering metaphysical insight; he was instead offering a clarity of mind

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