'Be your own teacher and your own disciple': J Krishnamurti's view point, quotes and an inspired poem

VIEW POINT

Renowned thinker and philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti completely dismissed the idea of gurus, teachers, and followers. He claimed that truth is a journey of self-exploration and self-discovery, of truth often referred to as a "pathless land," which cannot be attained through authority, preaching, set practices, dogmas, or structured belief systems. He argued that adhering to any authority undermines personal inquiry, which fosters self-observation and the discovery of one's inner pure awareness. The truth within does not necessitate dependence on an enslaving intermediary of Gurus, organized systems and words of books.

QUOTES OF JIDDU KRISHNAMURTI

• Nobody can teach you about yourself except yourself, so you have to be the guru and the disciple yourself, and learn from yourself.

• So you have to be your own teacher and your own disciple, and there is no teacher outside, no saviour, no master; you yourself have to change, and therefore you have to learn to observe, to know yourself.

• All authority of any kind, especially in the field of thought and understanding, is the most destructive, evil thing. Leaders destroy the followers and followers destroy the leaders. You have to be your own teacher and your own disciple. You have to question everything that man has accepted as valuable, as necessary.

INSPIRED POEM

The path unfolds alone, an unknown track,

No hand to hold, no looking back.

The truth you seek, a seed within,

Must break the shell, true life begins.

No chanted word, no sacred scroll,

Can fill the void within your soul.

No guru's gaze, however bright,

Can bring you to your own true light.

To lean on them, a fragile hold,

A fear of dark, a story told.

Of comfort sought, and safety's plea,

But freedom waits, for you to be.

For words once shared, become a chain,

A prison built of love and pain.

The guru fades, the book grows old,

And both are lost, within its fold.

Self discover under the open sky,

Let your own wings learn how to fly