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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 Encyclopedia Britannica, see Theosophy
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