Jiddu Krishnamurti
Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986),
Indian mystic who lived at Adyar, Madras, as a young boy was noticed by the theosophist Charles W. Leadbeater because he had a
remarkable aura. Leadbeater and Annie Besant, both leading figures in the Theosophical Society proclaimed Krishnamurti as the
vehicle of a coming World Teacher, an act that led to much controversy.
Krishnamurti subsequently renounced any claims to
being a World Teacher and began a career of writing and teaching. Beginning in the 1920s he spent much time in the United States
and Europe, where his books have enjoyed considerable popularity. He founded several schools and lectured before large audiences
in North America, Europe, and India.
The influence of the Theosophical Society has been
rather significant, however, despite its small following. The movement has been a catalytic force in the 20th-century
Asian revival of Buddhism and Hinduism and a pioneering agency in the promotion of greater Western acquaintance with Eastern
thought.
In the United States it has influenced a whole series of religious
movements, including the I Am movement, Rosicrucianism, the Liberal Catholic Church, Psychiana, Unity, and sections of the New
Thought movement. edited information from Encyclopaedia Britannica, see Theosophy
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