Introduction
THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMPILATION is to bring together the several statements Krishnamurti made, and the questions he raised, on the subject of tradition, especially in India. He came to India every winter and gave a series of talks in Madras, which was his home. Though the city was well known for being a stronghold of religious ortho-doxy and for being steeped in traditional values, besides being a bastion of culture, it provided a large audience that came year after year to listen to the unconventional philosopher. The Theosophical Society, where the young Krishnamurti grew up, was nearby, across the Adyar river, and many of those who came to attend its annual conven-tion in December made it a point to listen to Krishnamurti too. In the winter evenings, under the very old and huge trees of Vasanta Vihar, Krishnamurti gave talks for three week-ends and, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, held discussions with the public.
In these talks, as elsewhere too, Krishnamurti's use of the word tradition goes beyond its usual association with religion and orthodoxy. For him, that which is considered ultra-modern is also a tradition, handed down from the old to the young. It is not just the age-old religious beliefs and rituals that are a tradition: war is also a tradition, as are violence and competition. Political rebellion, the revolt against the established moral values of society, the pursuit of academic success, and the cultivation of the intellect are also traditions. Leading a mechanical life of going to the office every day, accumulating wealth, settling down in life, and being part of a consumerist and pleasure-seeking permissive society are the modern traditions. Belief in effort and slow evolution and the practice of meditation are also traditions. It is also tradition that makes us say that we are different from tradition and so we have the capacity to break free from it. Tradition thus provides its own justification for continuing itself.
Then, what about those who 'follow' Krishnamurti? Answering a question on whether he has a technique to offer for freeing the mind, he says: 'Technique means a system, a method, a way of living pointed out by the speaker, and you will live according to that. That's the new tradition. And that's what is so deadly in following somebody.'
Thus the book poses a challenge to all those who use tradition to establish an identity for themselves either in the spiritual world or in the material world.
The first part of the book consists of short excerpts, drawn mostly from Krishnamurti's talks and some from his published books. The second part contains all the six public talks that he gave in Madras during 1978-79, and the third is a discussion with the audience the same year.
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