At the Feet of the Master and Towards Discipleship

Jiddu Krishnamurti was a fourteen-year-old Brahmin ragamuffin when early Theosophist C. W. Leadbeater discovered him on the campus of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, near Madras, India. Improbably sensing great potential in the boy, Leadbeater oversaw his education and spiritual development. As part of his instruction, Krishnamurti was apparently taught during his sleep by one of the advanced "Masters of the Wisdom." At the end of each session, the teacher summarized the lesson in a few simple sentences; and each morning the boy would write down what he remembered of the night's teaching. Aside from corrections to the English, spelling, and punctuation, his writings as they appear in this volume have not been changed. They were first published in 1910, when Krishnamurti was fifteen. He addresses the practical problems of daily living on the spiritual path and sets forth a simple guide to right behavior--the prerequisite for any spiritual progress. "Alcyone" is his "star name," alluding to his higher Self. Included with this classic of esoteric wisdom is a lecture given by Krishnamurti in 1924 to a gathering of friends and fellow seekers, and additional background material by Dr. John Algeo, past president of the Theosophical Society in America.

About the author: Jiddu Krishnamurti was born on May 11, 1895 in Madanapalle, a small village in south India. In 1909, the famous clairvoyant Charles W. Leadbeater noticed the scrawny and sickly teenager playing on a beach one day. Leadbeater saw the boy's potential to become a great spiritual teacher and world orator despite all appearances and took him under his direction. Soon after he was adopted by Annie Besant, then President of the Theosophical Society, and brought to England to be educated in preparation for his future role. He was given the "star name" Alcyone, the brightest star of the Pleiades, to designate the reincarnating individuality behind the present personality Krishnamurti. He wrote At the Feet of the Master under this name at age 14. From 1929 until his death in February 1986 at the age of ninety, he traveled around the world speaking independently of any organization, teaching, giving talks, and having discussions. Many of these talks have been published in books and on audio and videotapes. Krishnamurti maintained that there was no path to Truth, no method for achieving it, and individuals must discover their own way by themselves. During his lifetime, he established several schools in different parts of the world where young people and adults could come together and explore ways of becoming fully intelligent and integrated human beings. He authored over thirty books including The First and Last Freedom and Commentaries on Living.