Salvation and the young

ALMOST THREE decades after his death, speaker and writer on humankind, Jiddu Krishnamurti, continues to inspire young listeners to follow his path and teachings. This Sunday afternoon, Thais of any age have the chance to learn more about his thoughts at a talk titled “You Are a Second-hand Human Being” being held in Benchasiri Park.
“Dialogue in the Park”, which is being hosted by the Quest Foundation, also features the “J Krishnamurti – To the Young” rotating exhibition, a performance of Indian classical dance and Bollywood dance by Odissi Dance and music by the Sanjai Chorus.
The talk itself will be led by writer Sarawut Hengsawad aka New Klom, actress Natharika “Nampueng” Thamapreedanan, Tanistha Dansilp, Dr Worachat Cherdchomchan, Dr Chatchawan Silpakij, and Raman Patel. The panel will be joined by Thai translators Jamras Bamrungrat, Soree Pokaeo, Vanerath Sornprasit, and moderated by Prasarn Inkhanan.
The Indian guru is known for such quotes as “If we can really understand the problem, the answer will come out of it, because the answer is not separate from the problem” and “Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay”.
Yet he also insisted he had no philosophy to expound. Rather, he confronted problems of contemporary society and analysed with scientific precision the workings of the human mind. He lived through a most tumultuous century that witnessed not only the phenomenal growth of science and technology, but also two world wars, the collapse of faiths, traditions and ideologies, the savage destruction of the earth, and rapid degeneration in every sphere of human life. He addressed the social, political, and economic issues of the times with an insight that pointed directly to the root of the innumerable problems that confront us – “What you are, the world is.”
One of Krishnamurti’s most remarkable contributions was and remains today his invitation to engage in a novel form of investigation or dialogue. This investigation, in form and spirit, points to the very core of his teaching – that no new answer can emerge in a mind crowded with memories and knowledge, beliefs, and ideals. Perhaps this explains why, throughout human history, our attempts to find solutions to the most persistent problems have failed miserably.
The “J Krishnamurti – To the Young” exhibition will be on display in the park on Sunday then travel around various public venues in Bangkok through the end of May 30. This mobile exhibition by Anveekshana, a non-profit organisation of Krishnamurti’s work in Thailand based in Songkhla province, is an interestingly designed walk-through show that comprises prism-shaped columns of graphic displays alongside the guru’s quotes. For more than two decade, Anveekshana has worked at translating Krishnamurti’s works into Thai, and conducted many discussion groups to delve into the teachings.
The inspiration for this unusual exhibition is Krishnamurti’s deep concern for the fate of the young, who, he always said, have the great misfortune of inheriting an earth that is on the verge of collapse, torn as it is by bloody conflicts, deep insecurities and a battered ecology. The hope of the elders, that the miraculous advances in science and technology will adequately address these dilemmas, has turned out to be a lie. On the contrary, these very advances have so magnified the problems that no corner of the world is safe anymore, Thailand included.
During his long life that almost spanned the entire tumultuous 20th century, Krishnamurti exhorted the young to address the crisis that loomed before them. He emphasised that old ways of problem-solving were proving too inadequate to deal with the complexity of present-day dilemmas. An entirely new approach was essential, one that necessitated an entirely new insight into the nature of this crisis. Such an approach called for minds that were youthful, intense, supple and agile.
- “You Are a Second-hand Human Being” takes place on Sunday at Benchasiri Park (BTS: Phrom Phong) starting at 2.30pm.
- Admission is free.
- To check the exhibition venues, visit www.StreamFarden.org and Facebook.com/JKcommunion
- For more on Krishnamurti, visit www.KinfoNet.org and www.JKrishnamurti.org.