Star in the East: Krishnamurti--the invention of a Messiah: Roland Vernon: 0000971078688: Amazon.com: Books
Star in the East: Krishnamurti--the invention of a Messiah Paperback – October 1, 2002
by Roland Vernon (Author)
4 out of 5 stars 22 customer reviews
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Roland Vernon's biography of Krishnamurti, subtitled The Invention of a Messiah, could also have been called simply Understanding the Man. Krishnamurti's life has been well chronicled, but Vernon keeps his sights on the people and events that shaped Krishnamurti's life. We learn about Charles Leadbeater, the allegedly pedophilic discoverer of and tutor to Krishnamurti; Annie Besant, the notorious social activist and Krishnamurti's second mother; and the mysterious and painful "process" that brought Krishnamurti to enlightenment. Besides the influences on his public persona, Vernon is also fascinated by the sometimes contradictory and less well-known private side of Krishnamurti. He had close ties to his brother Nitya, whose death galvanized Krishnamurti to forsake the organization that created him. And he carried on an extended clandestine affair with Rosalind Williams Rajagopal, his early companion and later wife of his friend and business partner. Not quick to pass judgment, Vernon looks at various perspectives of these people and events, unafraid finally to come down with his own well-reasoned opinions. Star in the East depicts Krishnamurti as a complex man who encouraged everyone to think for themselves. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Vernon, a professional writer educated at King's College, Cambridge, offers the most comprehensive Krishnamurti biography to date, promising "water-tight impartiality." He presents detailed accounts of the New Age teacher's life (1895-1986) and career in chronological order, using primary and secondary sources scrupulously quoted as well as unattributed interviews with students, friends and colleagues. However, Vernon's objectivity is a fairly unreflective one that often fails to systematically interpret and connect the details of Krishnamurti's life and career to important trends of his time. Vernon fails to recognize, for example, that Krishnamurti's story does not so much herald the arrival of Eastern mysticism in the West as it clearly describes and anticipates the construction of a unique Eastern mysticism by the West. Also, Vernon does not detect the apparent influence of Victorian notions of sexuality and hygiene on Krishnamurti's early trance inductions and later physically punishing purification experiences (known collectively as the "Process"). The custody and training of young Krishnamurti by the Theosophist Charles Leadbeater clearly involved what would today be viewed as child sexual abuse, and the author's reluctance to acknowledge it as such precludes a more comprehensive and accurate psychological interpretation of Krishnamurti's important religious experiences. However, this biography is still the best available, providing a wealth of detail that will be appreciated by followers of Krishnamurti.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Top Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 starsA Truly Balanced Critical Assessment
By JGN on July 25, 2001
Format: Hardcover
True believers in K-talk are not going to like this book, but as someone who is an alumnus of years of going to Krishnamurti talks and living the life as best I could, and can, I am truly glad that someone has done a good critical assessment of Krishnamurti, who he is, where he came from, and how he fits into the world. This is not a hagiography any more than Krishnamurti is a saint. I was fascinated with the detail and the research and the amplifications the author presented. I found myself checkings the references and notes constantly because Mr.Vernon seems to have read everything on K.--and I am envious of his indulging himself so much in the material. He is obviously a closet devotee, who has kept his own center of balance, and maintained his own independent critical mind and a soulful interest in Krishnamurti as a teacher of our times. Vernon revivified my interest in Krishnamurti's thought, simply because Krishnamurti is so compelling, so simple,and so straighforward, yet so complex and paradoxical. Vernon presents the philosophy by presenting Krishnamurti himself. We learn of the man, what he has to say, how it developed, and the context in which it is said. This book stimulated me to turn again to the path or yoga of knowledge which Krishnamurti followed even while he denied he was following any path at all. In some sense Krishnamurti even denied that he had anything to teach. Vernon helps us make sense of this so that we can actually discuss Krishnamurti in a western philosophy class and not have to consign Krisnamurti to "The wisdom of the East" or "mystical philosophy" dustbin. Krishnamurti is relevent, and necessary not only for modern psychology but also for the philosophy of mind as taught in our contemporary universities. Krishnamurti has great psychological technique which ought to be the envey of any depth psychologist. The paradox is that we must live our own lives even while we are studying life itself as K. demonstrated, and Vernon grasps. Krishnamurti's genius was that he could do this in his teachings,and it worked for him, but now we each have to live a life of our own, and K. cannot tell us how to do this. Vernon has provided the context of the life which produced this teaching and he does it convincingly and with scholarship. The whole picture of the man and his philosophy is much greater than the parts. For those of us who struggle with authority, there is no greater authority than Krishnamurti, and even he must be overthrown to attain the liberation that he so throughly castigates as "mere thought". With Vernon's insightful study we can put Krishnamurti on the shelf where he belongs--with Socrates,Plato, Nietzsche, perhaps Descartes,and maybe even St. Augustine. If there ever was a romantic and spiritual idealist, it was Krishnamurti. We need to free ourselves from him, even while we immerse ourselves in him. Vernon's book frees us from the ideal state he promulgated and proposed. We are human, and Vernon has written a very readable, if tame, assessment of a very human philosopher.
---
5.0 out of 5 stars
A paradox explained.
By Paraig on November 20, 2002
Format: Paperback
I believe that this book could not have come about except for the history of other writings on Krishnamurti. The Lutyens books were written by a friend and follower and acknowledged to be so, it is therefore understandable that they were not unbiased. The Sloss book was in some senses a reaction to all the other stuff written on Krishnamurti and perhaps felt to be an overdue exposé of many facts conveniently hidden from the general public. It was because of the existence of the Sloss book that Vernon could get such open access to the people who knew Krishnamurti. People no longer had anything to hide and everything to gain by being as open as possible. Also an unbiased book is the only book that Vernon could write because the market for the other two extremes was already full.
Vernon draws clues from the huge amount of material and presents the main arguments for all the significant events in Krishnamurti's life. But where this book excels is in differentiating the two sides of Krishnamurti, the private person and the teacher. This is Vernon's point as far as I can see, there are two sides (well at least two), but many people did not realise this while Krishnamurti was living and teaching. The cause of this incomplete view according to Vernon appears to be largely due to Krishnamurti's control of his public image. It seems inevitable that the effect of the revelations would be in proportion to the original investment in the image of someone so special. Therefore we have the irony, Krishnamurti would not have been be so popular without the image but in the end the image did huge damage to all the previous work.
I also enjoyed Vernon's insights into all the other characters in the story, for example Leadbeater "slipped like an eel beneath the waters of Theosophy".
Overall I believe that Vernons sympathies fall in the Krishnamurti camp, a respect for the teachings and a respect for the man. I would hope that Krishnamurti would find this is a worthy biography and also find it an open intelligent look at the facts which seemed to be Krishnamurti's message throughout his life.
----
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding ++
By S. A. Felton on July 18, 2003
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
It is such a pleasure to review a book that is about as flawless as any book I've read, that covers its topic so thoroughly, so completely, in such depth, and has so many insights. "Star in the East" is easily such a book.
In the acknowledgements the author states that his family had to suffer through "three long winters" of his research into the history of Theososophy and the phenomenon called Krishnamurti (K). The reader
reaps ample benefits of Mr. Vernon's total understanding of his subject. He really "groks" the material, to use Heinlein's term from "Stranger in a Strange Land."
An author writing about K doesn't have any room to err or miss aspects of K's life. There have been many books written on the topic, for example, Mary Lutyens comprehensive and insightful biographies
(I'd recommend the first two highly). And of course K himself wrote many books. Yet Mr. Vernon somehow succeeds, in less than 300 pages, in covering the entire topic of the background to K's discovery by
the Theosophical Society, then his being thrust, albeit gradually, into the public as the "World Teacher," to his break from theosophy, and establishing himself, on his own terms, as a world teacher, and the author is almost always dead on in his discussions of the
teachings themselves.
Mr. Vernon starts the book with the very famous sighting of K on a beach in Adyar, India, by the world-renown but controversial psychic C.W. Leadbetter, and gives a great description of the latter's viewing of the advanced "soul" of the apparently outwardly "stupid" Brahmin boy, and Leadbetter's careful consideration that indeed he
has identified the "chosen one." Following is a fine historical overview of the Theosophical Society's (TS) beginnings (or perhaps resurrection) in 1875, by Blavatsky and Olcott. Next we read about
Annie Besant and Leadbetter, Blavatsky's successors, who believe that theosophy has a destiny to bring to the world a Christ, a World Teacher. While the author becomes very critical of Besant later in the book, deservedly so it would seem, he very much honors her amazing courage and achievements (pp. 18-19, etc.) prior to her becoming a "priestess" for the "New Age."
The rest of the book is totally consistent with the above -complete and insightful. Many very complicated topics are handled with amazing balance. Three examples are 1) K's gradual decision
to break with his "Amma," Annie Besant, and how she, Leadbetter, and the TS handle this "betrayal" - and yet after leaving the TS K might have become the exact "flowering" of theosophy its founders envisioned!; 2) K's relations with many people as a very flawed personality, vs. his amazing presence in his role as a teacher, and the power of his simple, direct teachings; 3) the problem of using word symbols to convey teachings that are beyond words. On p. 260 (and elsewhere) with great skill he shows that while K's teachings are contradictory if followed to the letter, the solution is simply to accept them at whatever level works for a person, as millions have
done. Personally I have met people who over-analyse K's teachings, and worry more about how aware they are than simply being, which is perhaps the main point in the first place!
Yet another example of the author's acumen is his fine analysis of K's teachings and their impact (pp. 213-5), followed by a proper quoting of K himself on the core of the teaching (pp. 216-7).
Then the author recommends and discusses the book "Freedom From the Known" so that the reader can delve into the topic him or herself.
If there is a better book that covers the background, life, and teachings of Krishnamurti better than "Star in the East," I would certainly like to know about it!
----
Star in the East: Krishnamurti--the invention of a Messiah Paperback – October 1, 2002
by Roland Vernon (Author)
4 out of 5 stars 22 customer reviews
---
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Roland Vernon's biography of Krishnamurti, subtitled The Invention of a Messiah, could also have been called simply Understanding the Man. Krishnamurti's life has been well chronicled, but Vernon keeps his sights on the people and events that shaped Krishnamurti's life. We learn about Charles Leadbeater, the allegedly pedophilic discoverer of and tutor to Krishnamurti; Annie Besant, the notorious social activist and Krishnamurti's second mother; and the mysterious and painful "process" that brought Krishnamurti to enlightenment. Besides the influences on his public persona, Vernon is also fascinated by the sometimes contradictory and less well-known private side of Krishnamurti. He had close ties to his brother Nitya, whose death galvanized Krishnamurti to forsake the organization that created him. And he carried on an extended clandestine affair with Rosalind Williams Rajagopal, his early companion and later wife of his friend and business partner. Not quick to pass judgment, Vernon looks at various perspectives of these people and events, unafraid finally to come down with his own well-reasoned opinions. Star in the East depicts Krishnamurti as a complex man who encouraged everyone to think for themselves. --Brian Bruya --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Vernon, a professional writer educated at King's College, Cambridge, offers the most comprehensive Krishnamurti biography to date, promising "water-tight impartiality." He presents detailed accounts of the New Age teacher's life (1895-1986) and career in chronological order, using primary and secondary sources scrupulously quoted as well as unattributed interviews with students, friends and colleagues. However, Vernon's objectivity is a fairly unreflective one that often fails to systematically interpret and connect the details of Krishnamurti's life and career to important trends of his time. Vernon fails to recognize, for example, that Krishnamurti's story does not so much herald the arrival of Eastern mysticism in the West as it clearly describes and anticipates the construction of a unique Eastern mysticism by the West. Also, Vernon does not detect the apparent influence of Victorian notions of sexuality and hygiene on Krishnamurti's early trance inductions and later physically punishing purification experiences (known collectively as the "Process"). The custody and training of young Krishnamurti by the Theosophist Charles Leadbeater clearly involved what would today be viewed as child sexual abuse, and the author's reluctance to acknowledge it as such precludes a more comprehensive and accurate psychological interpretation of Krishnamurti's important religious experiences. However, this biography is still the best available, providing a wealth of detail that will be appreciated by followers of Krishnamurti.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
----
Top Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 starsA Truly Balanced Critical Assessment
By JGN on July 25, 2001
Format: Hardcover
True believers in K-talk are not going to like this book, but as someone who is an alumnus of years of going to Krishnamurti talks and living the life as best I could, and can, I am truly glad that someone has done a good critical assessment of Krishnamurti, who he is, where he came from, and how he fits into the world. This is not a hagiography any more than Krishnamurti is a saint. I was fascinated with the detail and the research and the amplifications the author presented. I found myself checkings the references and notes constantly because Mr.Vernon seems to have read everything on K.--and I am envious of his indulging himself so much in the material. He is obviously a closet devotee, who has kept his own center of balance, and maintained his own independent critical mind and a soulful interest in Krishnamurti as a teacher of our times. Vernon revivified my interest in Krishnamurti's thought, simply because Krishnamurti is so compelling, so simple,and so straighforward, yet so complex and paradoxical. Vernon presents the philosophy by presenting Krishnamurti himself. We learn of the man, what he has to say, how it developed, and the context in which it is said. This book stimulated me to turn again to the path or yoga of knowledge which Krishnamurti followed even while he denied he was following any path at all. In some sense Krishnamurti even denied that he had anything to teach. Vernon helps us make sense of this so that we can actually discuss Krishnamurti in a western philosophy class and not have to consign Krisnamurti to "The wisdom of the East" or "mystical philosophy" dustbin. Krishnamurti is relevent, and necessary not only for modern psychology but also for the philosophy of mind as taught in our contemporary universities. Krishnamurti has great psychological technique which ought to be the envey of any depth psychologist. The paradox is that we must live our own lives even while we are studying life itself as K. demonstrated, and Vernon grasps. Krishnamurti's genius was that he could do this in his teachings,and it worked for him, but now we each have to live a life of our own, and K. cannot tell us how to do this. Vernon has provided the context of the life which produced this teaching and he does it convincingly and with scholarship. The whole picture of the man and his philosophy is much greater than the parts. For those of us who struggle with authority, there is no greater authority than Krishnamurti, and even he must be overthrown to attain the liberation that he so throughly castigates as "mere thought". With Vernon's insightful study we can put Krishnamurti on the shelf where he belongs--with Socrates,Plato, Nietzsche, perhaps Descartes,and maybe even St. Augustine. If there ever was a romantic and spiritual idealist, it was Krishnamurti. We need to free ourselves from him, even while we immerse ourselves in him. Vernon's book frees us from the ideal state he promulgated and proposed. We are human, and Vernon has written a very readable, if tame, assessment of a very human philosopher.
---
5.0 out of 5 stars
A paradox explained.
By Paraig on November 20, 2002
Format: Paperback
I believe that this book could not have come about except for the history of other writings on Krishnamurti. The Lutyens books were written by a friend and follower and acknowledged to be so, it is therefore understandable that they were not unbiased. The Sloss book was in some senses a reaction to all the other stuff written on Krishnamurti and perhaps felt to be an overdue exposé of many facts conveniently hidden from the general public. It was because of the existence of the Sloss book that Vernon could get such open access to the people who knew Krishnamurti. People no longer had anything to hide and everything to gain by being as open as possible. Also an unbiased book is the only book that Vernon could write because the market for the other two extremes was already full.
Vernon draws clues from the huge amount of material and presents the main arguments for all the significant events in Krishnamurti's life. But where this book excels is in differentiating the two sides of Krishnamurti, the private person and the teacher. This is Vernon's point as far as I can see, there are two sides (well at least two), but many people did not realise this while Krishnamurti was living and teaching. The cause of this incomplete view according to Vernon appears to be largely due to Krishnamurti's control of his public image. It seems inevitable that the effect of the revelations would be in proportion to the original investment in the image of someone so special. Therefore we have the irony, Krishnamurti would not have been be so popular without the image but in the end the image did huge damage to all the previous work.
I also enjoyed Vernon's insights into all the other characters in the story, for example Leadbeater "slipped like an eel beneath the waters of Theosophy".
Overall I believe that Vernons sympathies fall in the Krishnamurti camp, a respect for the teachings and a respect for the man. I would hope that Krishnamurti would find this is a worthy biography and also find it an open intelligent look at the facts which seemed to be Krishnamurti's message throughout his life.
----
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding ++
By S. A. Felton on July 18, 2003
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
It is such a pleasure to review a book that is about as flawless as any book I've read, that covers its topic so thoroughly, so completely, in such depth, and has so many insights. "Star in the East" is easily such a book.
In the acknowledgements the author states that his family had to suffer through "three long winters" of his research into the history of Theososophy and the phenomenon called Krishnamurti (K). The reader
reaps ample benefits of Mr. Vernon's total understanding of his subject. He really "groks" the material, to use Heinlein's term from "Stranger in a Strange Land."
An author writing about K doesn't have any room to err or miss aspects of K's life. There have been many books written on the topic, for example, Mary Lutyens comprehensive and insightful biographies
(I'd recommend the first two highly). And of course K himself wrote many books. Yet Mr. Vernon somehow succeeds, in less than 300 pages, in covering the entire topic of the background to K's discovery by
the Theosophical Society, then his being thrust, albeit gradually, into the public as the "World Teacher," to his break from theosophy, and establishing himself, on his own terms, as a world teacher, and the author is almost always dead on in his discussions of the
teachings themselves.
Mr. Vernon starts the book with the very famous sighting of K on a beach in Adyar, India, by the world-renown but controversial psychic C.W. Leadbetter, and gives a great description of the latter's viewing of the advanced "soul" of the apparently outwardly "stupid" Brahmin boy, and Leadbetter's careful consideration that indeed he
has identified the "chosen one." Following is a fine historical overview of the Theosophical Society's (TS) beginnings (or perhaps resurrection) in 1875, by Blavatsky and Olcott. Next we read about
Annie Besant and Leadbetter, Blavatsky's successors, who believe that theosophy has a destiny to bring to the world a Christ, a World Teacher. While the author becomes very critical of Besant later in the book, deservedly so it would seem, he very much honors her amazing courage and achievements (pp. 18-19, etc.) prior to her becoming a "priestess" for the "New Age."
The rest of the book is totally consistent with the above -complete and insightful. Many very complicated topics are handled with amazing balance. Three examples are 1) K's gradual decision
to break with his "Amma," Annie Besant, and how she, Leadbetter, and the TS handle this "betrayal" - and yet after leaving the TS K might have become the exact "flowering" of theosophy its founders envisioned!; 2) K's relations with many people as a very flawed personality, vs. his amazing presence in his role as a teacher, and the power of his simple, direct teachings; 3) the problem of using word symbols to convey teachings that are beyond words. On p. 260 (and elsewhere) with great skill he shows that while K's teachings are contradictory if followed to the letter, the solution is simply to accept them at whatever level works for a person, as millions have
done. Personally I have met people who over-analyse K's teachings, and worry more about how aware they are than simply being, which is perhaps the main point in the first place!
Yet another example of the author's acumen is his fine analysis of K's teachings and their impact (pp. 213-5), followed by a proper quoting of K himself on the core of the teaching (pp. 216-7).
Then the author recommends and discusses the book "Freedom From the Known" so that the reader can delve into the topic him or herself.
If there is a better book that covers the background, life, and teachings of Krishnamurti better than "Star in the East," I would certainly like to know about it!
----
