Jiddu –

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and half way through you feel that the other person is at a different level and wonder when it will end? For me reading and understanding Jiddu’s book feels that way. For example, one such concept by Jiddu, is about Fear. He wants us to differentiate our inbuilt fears (such as fear of snakes) from the ones which were built through environment (such as fear of losing your money, fear of death). Jiddu argues that we should calm our Self (Atman) and address these external fears, by which we will find out that these external fears never hold value and over time will vanish. He then preaches how expectation and fear go hand in hand and to be totally free of fear he argues that one should live his life in the present not over analyzing the past or the future.

Now, the trouble is applying these principles in real life. Here is one such scenario using my life as an example, which per Jiddu is unfounded and that I should snap out of it. I don’t even know why I remember this but when I was young, a guy (whose name I don’t remember) used to visit my house. During this time my father was in charge of Temples in Chennai. When ever he made a visit he would reach his pocket and give 10 or 20 rupees to the Temple staff. For obvious reason, he was always surrounded by people, he used to walk into our house with 4/5 people. I was so impressed by this person and he was always in my mind. After about 10 year during my high school days, my father brought up a conversation which somehow referenced him. My father told me that he had lost all his money and he is in a retirement home with no one to support. Now, I have a fear that a scenario like that might happen to me!! One reason is that I am a spendthrift like him. As per jiddu, this fear is unfounded and I should overcome this fear without any reason, but the more I think about it the more it grows!!!! Maybe, what jiddu means is that I should concentrate on "The Truth" which is "me being a spendthrift" and try to overcome it through actions which are practical rather than trying to erase "Fear" which is a derivative of something real.

So, my point here is, reading Jiddu book is like reading a Science book. Newton's laws are always a sentence or two, but to understand it you might have to read hundred page journals. Each sentence in jiddu's book spirals in a completely different direction and to understand, it takes effort. Maybe this is the reason why U.G Krishnamurti didn’t like him (but it’s funny that his life (UG) for some reason revolves so much around Jiddu). As Humans we (by saying I do not compare myself with UG) like to be spoon feed. We are happy with Quran or Bible because the path is right there. But in East, its preacher doesn’t give us a path do they?