Both ways have their benefits, both have their defects. Then there is a third possibility which has never been used before. Krishnamurti is the first in the world to have used a third possibility. The third possibility is to deny both: the predecessors and the successors both. It is negative.

Krishnamurti’s method is via negativa. So first he denied those who prepared the ground for him. That was the only way to get out of the limitations. He denied the whole Theosophical movement – Annie Besant, Leadbetter. They were the people who prepared the whole ground and worked hard for Krishnamurti. They were the John the Baptists for him. They created a vast opportunity in the whole world for him. But then he looked when he was ready and he saw the defects and the limitations, that the same would be the case as happened with Jesus. He simply denied. He denied that they created a ground or that there was any need to create the ground.

While denying them he was aware that he had to deny his messiahship also – because if he said that he is the messiah then he could deny the predecessors, but the successors would follow. Then the same trouble would be there as it had been with Ramakrishna. So he denied: “There is nobody who has preceded me and there is nobody who is going to succeed me.” He denied Leadbetter, Annie Besant and the Theosophical movement, and for his whole life he has been denying that anybody is going to become his heir or successor.

This has its own beauty, but its problems also. You may be free, very free, absolutely free – because there is no limitation on either side, before or after – but your freedom is in negativity. You don’t create. Your freedom comes to no fulfillment, it is futile – you don’t help. It is as if somebody is so conscious about not falling ill – he continuously works and remains aware not to fall ill – that he forgets that sometimes you have to enjoy the health also. Otherwise you may not fall ill, but the very awareness that “One should not fall ill and should remain aware” becomes an illness of a sort.

Krishnamurti is so alert about it – that no bondage should be created anywhere, no fetters should be created anywhere – that he worked hard, but couldn’t help anybody. It is beautiful for himself, but it has not been beneficial for humanity. He is a free man, but his freedom is his alone. That freedom could not become a taste in thousands and thousands of throats; it could not create an urge. He has remained a pinnacle of freedom, but no bridge exists. You can look at him – he is like a beautiful painting or beautiful poetry – but nothing can be done about it, it doesn’t change you. He has broken all the bridges. This is the third possibility – never tried before. He is the first to try it.

I have tried the fourth. That also has never been tried. The fourth is that half of my life I have worked myself as John the Baptist, and now half of my life I will function as a christ. That is the fourth possibility: to prepare the ground and to sow it also, to sow the seeds.