At the Feet of the Master (book)

1911 Frontispiece - portrait of Jiddu Krishnamurti

At the Feet of the Master is an inspirational work considered by many to be one of the classics of Theosophy. Jiddu Krishnamurti wrote it under the pseudonym or "star name" Alcyone. He was awarded the Subba Row Medal, and the medal was presented in December, 1911 at the annual convention of the Theosophical Society based in Adyar, Chennai, India. During that year alone, the work had passed through 5 English and 22 translated editions. Within a year an English edition was also made available in Braille.

Writing of the book

C. W. Leadbeater reported that on the night of August 1, 1909, Master Koot Hoomi had put Krishnamurti on probation as a chela.

Then, Leadbeater started taking him every night in his astral body to the house of the Master to be instructed for fifteen minutes in occult science. The next morning Krishnamurti would write down what he remembered, and these notes were later published as the book At the Feet of the Master.

In her December 1910 Preface to the work, Annie Besant added:

The privilege is given to me, as an elder, to pen a word of introduction to this little booklet, the first written by a younger Brother, young in body verily, but not in Soul. The teachings contained in it were given to him by his Master in preparing him for Initiation, and were written down by him from memory - slowly and laboriously, for his English last year was far less fluent than it is now. The greater part is a reproduction of the Master's own words; that which is not such a verbal reproduction is the Master's thought clothed in His pupil's words. Two omitted sentences were supplied by the Master. In two other cases an omitted word has been added. Beyond this, it is entirely Alcyone's own, his first gift to the world.

Structure of the book

At the Feet of the Master is a short work, and simple in structure. It addresses the qualifications for a person to enter a spiritual path:

• Discrimination
• Desirelessness
• Good conduct

• Self-control as to the Mind
• Self-control in Action
• Tolerance
• Cheerfulness
• One-pointedness
• Confidence

• Love

2013 Vietnamese edition

Editions and excerpts

This is one of the most-quoted works in the Theosophical literature. Within the journals produced by the Theosophical Society in America alone, disregarding all other national and international periodicals, there are several hundred references to or quotations from At the Feet of the Master. It has also been extensively covered by journals and books in England, Australia, New Zealand, France, and other countries, and has been translated into many languages.

The following versions are available online:

• At the Feet of the Master, unidentified edition from the Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
• At the Feet of the Master, Theosophical Press edition from SanctusGermanus.net.
• At the Feet of the Master, Rajput Press 1911 edition from Internet Archive. Scanned at University of Wisconsin, Madison.
• At the Feet of the Master, Rajput Press 1911 edition from Internet Archive. Scanned at University of California.
• At the Feet of the Master ebook from How to Change Paradigm website. Includes Preface by Annie Besant.
• At the Feet of the Master ebook from Theosophy World.

Book reviews

The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals lists 52 articles about At the Feet of the Master. Some are reviews; some are commentaries or courses; and others are direct quotations.

Additional resources

Books

• Thoughts on "At the Feet of the Master" by George S. Arundale, available from Hathitrust and also from AnandGholap.net.
• Talks on the Path of Occultism: A commentary on "At the Feet of the Master" by Annie Besant and C. W. Leadbeater, available from IAPSOP and also from AnandgGholap.net.

Articles

• "At the Feet of the Master" in Theosophy World.

Audio

• At the Feet of the Master by Alcyone (Jiddu Krishnamurti)

Video

• Living Theosophy: At the Feet of the Master (4 Talks) by David Bruce, Tim Boyd, Pablo Sender, and Juliana Cesano.
• Guideposts for Living: At the Feet of the Master (2 Parts) by John Algeo
• At the Feet of the Master by J. Krishnamurti Read by a (very imperfect) Human YouTube video by SputnikTripulator V.
• At the Feet of the Master, Alcyon / J Krishmurti Part 1 and three other parts on YouTube by Patreon.com.
• The Challenge of Living in the World as a Theosophist by Helen Bee. Discusses the question of personal ethics for a Theosophist, using "At the Feet of the Master" as a guide. Presented in 1988.
• Four Essential Steps for Living a Spiritual Life by Barbara Hebert. Presented on May 10, 2018 at the Theosophical Society in America. "There are many profound and creative ways to describe the spiritual path, but finding a quick and easy presentation can be difficult. The small book written by J. Krishnamurti, At the Feet of the Master, gives us exactly that. Though it sounds simplistic, it is anything but. Through Discrimination, Desirelessness, Good Conduct, and Love we transform the ordinary life into a truly spiritual one."