How To And How Not To Educate With J. Krishnamurthi For Jiddu Krishnamurthi, the great Indian philosopher and religious teacher, education was a topic of immense passion. He had even founded numerable schools across the world and in books like ‘Krishnamurti on Education’, wrote about his vision for the ideal education system. So through this blog, let us explore and revere his fundamental ideas on education, as found strung across his numerable public lectures and written works.
Freedom of the mind “ Freedom is always at the beginning and not at the end.” Over and over again, J.K. emphasizes the need for cultivating independent minds. By “independent mind” he means - a mind that has not been lulled and dulled by conventions and conformity. J.K. says, conventional education makes independent thinking extremely difficult. Because of the desire for success, it is difficult to stray away from the conventional belief system. There is an urge to be successful within us all, a need for comfort. But the process puts an end to spontaneity, and causes fear to seep in, and fear in turn blocks our ability to intelligently assess the meaning of life. Objective truth, and nothing but the objective truth “ The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence.”
The truth that most people believe in and advocate is subjective to each person’s own beliefs and experiences. Our realities are a distortion created through the lens of a conditioned mind, ridden with biases and assumptions. The “true” reality is the one that is derived from objective, bias-free and unprejudiced observations of the world. Such a reality is found beyond the trap of our egos, and the ability to access this truth is the sign of true intelligence. Many revered and historic geniuses, such as, Albert Einstein, Fredrick Nietzsche, Carl Jung and Nikola Tesla have displayed a streak of this “objective thinking” that J.K. talks about. Not just the some of our parts, but the whole of us “ You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.” J.K. felt that most schooling tends to focus on developing one part of the child – which is the work or professional aspect. But schools should strive to help prepare the child for all aspects of life, such as social life, his or her humanitarian aspect, the inner understanding of self, spiritual learning, and so on. Schools should not only be nurturing one facet of the child, but the whole of the person. The child should walk out of the school equipped to carry out the process of inner transformation, which is the key for living our lives to the fullest potential. The nature connect “ If you lose touch with nature, you lose touch with humanity.” J.K. emphasizes on establishing a connection with nature. He says that to have a connection with mankind, one must have a relationship with all the living beings on the planet. Spending time in nature gives us an insight into the very process of life, the constant barter than goes on with everything around us – the air we breathe, the food we eat, and so on. Nature heals our minds. Be Unique, Be Yourself “ The right education should help the student, not only to develop his capacities, but to understand his own highest interest.” According to J.K., children should not be compelled to fit into a design, or to be told to become this or that. Education should not teach us to be like anyone else, but to become the best version of ourselves. The practice of self-awareness can help attain this goal. Each person has their own unique vocation and role in society and that can only be discovered on the path of being ourselves. Understanding over Technique “ To understand life is to understand ourselves, and that is both the beginning and the end of education.” While it is important to acquire some fundamental skills such as reading or writing, or other vocational skills, but focusing on only learning technique will not fulfill us as individuals. We must move through life with an attitude of understanding. Understanding creates technique, but the other way around does not happen. Even to be creative or innovative one needs to have a deeper understanding. Most schooling
over-emphasizes technique, even though technique without understanding creates non-empathetic and uncreative minds. To be a true specialist, one must acquire the practice and desire to understand. Love over Classification “ When I understand myself, I understand you, and out of that understanding comes love.” Classifying children on the basis of their skill-set or temperament only deepens their differences. It becomes the root of division and disharmony that prevails in society. Instead if we choose to simply be loving towards the students, we will form a connection with them that will help us to understand them and their individual abilities much better. If children are made to think about themselves in a departmental manner, then they will not be able to grow into fully integrated individuals, who are ready to meet life as a whole. Creating new values “ To transform the world, we must begin with ourselves, and what is important in beginning with ourselves is the intention.” Our world is constantly facing old and new problems and conflicts. Such as there is almost always an ongoing threat to world peace, and currently, we are also facing an environmental and sustainability crisis. It is important to view education as an instrument for social change. And therefore, we should take the opportunity to educate as a chance to instill values that will benefit and help transform society as a whole. The Teachers “ Teaching is not the mere imparting of knowledge but the cultivation of an inquiring mind.” J.K. believes that only teachers that have high self-awareness can create students that are self-aware, and self-awareness is the basis for living a life that is whole. Teachers should not depend on methodologies or processes for teaching, but they should lead from a place of self-conviction and the genuine understanding of every child and their needs. To understand their pupils, it is essential for teachers to form a loving bond, and to practice the quality of patience throughout their relationship with them. Teachers should not treat students as mechanical devices that need to be repaired or shaped in a particular design, but as impressionable, sensitive and affectionate living individuals.
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