Star in the East: Krishnamurti--the invention of a Messiah - Softcover

Vernon, Roland

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0971078688 ISBN 13: 9780971078680

Publisher: Sentient Publications, 2002

Synopsis

An impartial account of J. Krishnamurti's life.

About this title

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

About the Author:

Roland Vernon was born in 1961, and was educated at Eton College, King's College, Cambridge, and the Royal College of Music in London. He first came across the work of Indian spiritual teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti in the 1970s. Years later, Vernon. who grew up in the Church of England and was disillusioned with traditional religion, discovered Annie Besant and the Theosophical Society. This led to a renewed interest in the life of Krishnamurti, and the writing of "Star of the East."

About this edition

• Publisher: Sentient Publications
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0971078688
• ISBN 13: 9780971078680
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 306