23 Jiddu Krishnamurti

Dr. Manjunatha S.

Introduction

Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986) was an educational philosopher who believed that one of main objectives of education is to empower children with technological proficiency and inculcate those values which help them to function with clarity and efficiency in this modern era. More importantly he had thought that education must create an atmosphere in which children could develop as complete human beings. He has written extensively on issues of education, in general and the overall personality development of children in particular. According to him education is not just about preparing a child for some part of life, but it is a process in which a child is prepared for an entire life time of learning.

J. Krishnamurti is an educational philosopher whose thoughts are focused on understanding its basics as well as praxis of education. His views on education are integrated with the ideas on life, humanity and world. He had a holistic understanding of education and that is the reason why his concerns for education have great contemporary relevance. In his view the right kind of education is concerned with individual freedom, which alone can bring true cooperation with the whole, with the many; but this freedom is not achieved through the pursuit of one’s own aggrandizement and success. Freedom comes with self- knowledge, when the mind goes above and beyond the hindrances it has created for itself through craving its own security. It is the function of education to help each individual to discover all these psychological hindrances, and not merely impose upon him new patterns of conduct, new modes of thought. Such impositions will never awaken intelligence, creative understanding, but will only further condition the individual. Surely, this is what is happening throughout the world, and that is why our problems continue and multiply (http://jiddu-krishnamurti.tumblr.com).

J. Krishnamurti’s educational ideas cannot be separated from his overall thoughts. He attended to all the day-to -day educational problems with deep understating and insight. His philosophical understanding of education includes ideas such as ‘intentions of education’, ‘physical nature of the places of education’, ‘participants in education’ and the ‘process of learning and teaching’ which are explained in detail in this module. It is very essential to understand Krishnamurti’s ideas of education since they are largely based on deep concern for humanity. The purpose of education, according to him is to cultivate the right relationships, not only between individuals, but also between the individual and society. Education must help an individual to understand his/her own psychological process. To be intelligent means ‘going beyond oneself and also conquer fear’

Life Sketch

Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was born on 12th May, 1895 in the small town of Madanapalli in Madras Presidency. His father Jiddu Narayaniah had worked as an official in the British administration. His mother Sanjeevamma was very religious wand this had a profound impact on Krishnamurthi during the later years of his life. The childhood of Jiddu Krishnamurti was not an easy one. He was a sensitive and sick child who had suffered from malaria during most part of his childhood. He lost his mother at the age of ten and her death had a deep psychological impact throughout his life.

After retirement, Krishnamurti’s father having very limited means of earning found a clerk’s job in the Theosophical Society at Adyar in Madras. Later, Krishnamurthi and his brother were adopted by the Theosophical Society. Krishnamurti ’s experiences with the Theosophical Society had a deep impact on his thinking. He did not belong to any religious organisation or sect, nor did he adhere to any political ideology. Throughout his life Krishnamurthi travelled extensively talking about the need for bringing about a radical change in human beings.

(Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895 – 1986)

The following four aspects provide the basis for understanding the educational philosophy of Jiddu Krishnamurti. They are analysed under separate headings in the section that follows.

The Intentions of Education

Krishnamurti frequently stated the intentions of educational centres he founded in very unequivocal terms and religious terms. He was of the view that ‘children must be rightly educated so that they become religious human beings’ (Krishnamurti, 1974).

According to Krishnamurti these centres of education indicate a way of life which is not based on the goal of achieving pleasure. The emphasis must be on the understanding of right action, building meaningful relationships and the sacredness of religious life. These centres of learning exist as Krishnamurthi says for the enlightenment of human beings. In his own words “Surely they must be centres of learning a way of life which is not based on pleasure, on self-centered activities, but on the understanding of correct action, the depth and beauty of relationship, and the sacredness of a religious life” (Krishnamurti, 1981).

Krishnamurti always criticised the kind of education which merely fulfils the objective of obtaining a degree or a job using knowledge only for self-satisfaction. He never felt that education is to be seen as a mechanism for thrusting a lot of information on the child. Education is usually taken to be an organised, purposive activity, with pre-established goals. Krishnamurti’s view that “truth is a pathless land…it cannot be organized…” provides a base for rethinking the very goal of education. He located education in the active, existential, living present and considered it as a cooperative exploration by the teacher and student (Krishnamurti, 1912).

The real intention of education is to achieve freedom and the overall transformation of society. Here, Krishnamurti uses freedom as more of an inner aspect of human beings rather than being political in nature. Both parents and teachers need to give students the freedom to choose their future options. Education is not meant to cultivate technical competencies, but its primary focus must be on making people realise the true value of freedom. In the modern world, most often educational institutions concentrate on technical realms in which pupils mechanically learn without thinking of consequences. This, in turn leads to destruction and does not do good to humanity.

Krishnamurti sees education not with the eyes of a reformer or as a means to serve this or that end, but as an intrinsic, self-fulfilling experience requiring no further justification. The function of education, he said, is “to bring about a mind that will not only act in the immediate but go beyond…a mind that is extraordinarily alive, not with knowledge, not with experience, but alive”. “More important than making the child technologically proficient is the creation of the right climate in the school for the child to develop fully as a complete human being”. This means giving him “the opportunity to flower in goodness, so that he is rightly related to people, things and ideas, to the whole of life” (Krishnamurti, 1974).

The Physical Nature of the Places of Education

Jiddu Krishnamurti has also laid emphasis on the physical nature of educational centres. In his philosophical understanding of education, Krishnamurthi focused his attention on the following three aspects of physical nature of educational centres:

Aesthetics: All the schools started by J. Krishnamurthi are known for their pleasing physical ambience, which is serene and aesthetically appealing. A pleasing school environment is not just about beauty, but aesthetically appealing surroundings are necessary for proper development of a child’s personality. J .Krishnamurti connected aesthetics to religion. He expected his staff to develop an appreciation for beauty and always ensured that they adhered to this rule. In the designing of educational centres Krishnamurthi gave a pivotal place to nature. He felt that relationship with nature had a significant impact on the development of a child’s personality. His schools are mostly located in the countryside and places close to nature.

Special Areas in Centres of Education: J. Krishnamurti insisted that each educational centre must have special areas to maintain silence and religiosity. He often spoke to the students of the importance of a quiet mind or silence so that they could concentrate on their thoughts. He used to tell his students “…you see meditation means to have a very quiet, still mind, not a chattering mind; to have a really quiet body, quiet mind so that your mind becomes religious” (Krishnamurti, 1981). He was of the opinion that the “mind of a religious man is very quiet, sane, rational, logical – and one needs such a mind… (Krishnamurti, 1963). He emphasised that such special places must be in the centre of educational institutions rather than in the periphery.

Atmosphere: Apart from the atmosphere created by aesthetics and special areas in educational institutions Krishnamurti says that at least a part of the atmosphere must be created by the participants themselves. This atmosphere is another link in understanding the religiousness of education. A place may carry an atmosphere, but it is the people who create it or destroy it. To illustrate this he would cite places that at one time were known to have had very special and powerful atmospheres but which were destroyed through neglect, incompetence or corrupt behaviour.

The Participants in Education

Krishnamurti noted that there are two categories of participants in education- staff and students. He perceived staff as those who are in regular contact with educational environment, if not directly with students. He used to say that every function of the staff, however small it may be was very significant for the growth of a child.

He distinguished the participants of education from the participants of any other organisation such as hospitals, police etc. The single reason he gives for such uniqueness being seen in the participants of education is their religious fervour, attitude and behaviour which stand distinct in an educational setting. In the J. Krishnamurti model of model of education there was no hierarchical order in which staff and students were placed. However, there were some differences among them with regard to their experience and responsibilities. Though he laid emphasis on the need for an educational fervour in education, he maintained that the participants in this system do not belong to any clan, sect or to any organised religion.

It is evidently pertinent that staff had some authority over certain parts of educational activities such as for example, administration or gardening. However the major goal of education is to achieve inner liberation and freedom. Krishnamurti repeatedly pointed out that both staff and students are learners and therefore both are equal. He noted that “…authority has its place as knowledge, but there is no spiritual authority under any circumstances… That is, authority destroys freedom, but the authority of a doctor, mathematics teacher and how he teaches, that doesn’t destroy freedom” (Krishnamurti, 1975).

When discussing the selection process for students and staff at his English Educational Centre, Krishnamurti always stressed the importance of the candidates’ ‘being’, their ‘deepest sensitivities’, ‘goodness and intelligence’ and the ‘depth of their questions about themselves and the world’(his definitions of these words had nothing to do with conventional morality or IQ). Although he wanted both staff and students to be intellectually sound, he never stressed academic prowess, cultural abilities, or capacities as being more important than the willingness and ability to lead what he called a religious life’. In one memorable discussion Jiddu Krishnamurti questioned the staff about all the qualities they looked for in prospective students (this group comprised of the staff who were involved in the selection of new students and staff). Krishnamurthi then described himself as a boy. He said he had been vague, shy, dreamy and bad in academics, but sensitive, full of wonder, trusting, and affectionate. He would want to know from his teachers if, according to the criteria they had just enunciated, they would have accepted him as a child.

The Process of Learning and Teaching

J. Krishnamurti’s point of view was that education is fundamentally the art of learning, not only from books, but from the whole cycle of life. A student has to learn about the nature of the intellect, its dominance, its activities, its vast capacities and its destructive power. Learning is not from a book but from the observation of the world about you…without theories, prejudices and values ((Krishnamurti, 1981).

Krishnamurti writes about the method of education in the following passage. “If one really has something to say, the very saying of it creates its own style; but learning a style without inward experiencing can only lead to superficiality…Likewise, people who are experiencing, and therefore teaching, are the only real teachers, and they too will create their own technique” ((Krishnamurti, 2000).

To J. Krishnamurti schooling was without competition and comparison: When A is compared to B, who is clever, bright, assertive, that very comparison destroys A. This ‘destruction takes the form of competition, of imitation and conformity to the patterns set by B. This breeds antagonism, jealousy, anxiety and even fear; and this becomes the condition in which A lives for the rest of his life, always measuring, always comparing psychologically and physically… Goodness cannot flower where there is any kind of competitiveness’ (Krishnamurti, 1981). To him learning is pure observation, which is not continuous and which then becomes memory, but observation that must happen every moment, not only of the things outside us but also of what is happening inwardly. One must not look with one’s mind but with one’s eyes. It is only than that you find out that the outside is the inside…that the observer is the observed (Krishnamurti, 1974).

Krishnamurti’s views on education clearly indicate that he gave a prime place to freedom and order in the teaching-learning process. He laid great stress on values such as punctuality, kindness, generosity and fearlessness. One has to discover discipline through the practice of these values. By avoiding constraint one does not become free, there is need to develop clarity of perception, which is in essence freedom from self. Only respect for freedom could lead to development of healthy relationships (Krishnamurti, 1974).

Summing Up

Krishnamurti is essentially a philosopher of education. His teachings had a core concern for education. He also finds a place as an important educational thinker in courses on educational theory and philosophy.

The educational issues raised by Krishnamurti—place of knowledge in education, freedom and discipline, learning from nature, role of sensory experience and observation, comparison and competition are of such abiding concern that they have been discussed by several educational thinkers in the past and continue to hold contemporary relevance. He dealt with issues pertaining to education not just as being part of a mechanical teaching-learning process, but as concerns that had to be addressed if a meaningful system of education had to be evolved. His educational thoughts provide a framework for revisiting the methodologies and outcomes of the present system of education. J Krishnamurthi’s writings, talks and reflections on education have also generated a lot of thinking on various aspects of schooling, teaching and learning.

The passage below gives an idea of what J. Krishnamurti envisaged as education, and gives the reader enough thoughts to ponder over, especially in the context of changes happening both in society-at-large and the field of education: “Education is not only learning from books, memorizing some facts, but also learning how to look, how to listen to what the books are saying, whether they are saying something true or false. All that is part of education. Education is not just to pass examinations, take a degree and a job, get married and settle down, but also to be able to listen to the birds, to see the sky, to see the extraordinary beauty of a tree, and the shape of the hills, and to feel with them, to be really, directly in touch with them. As you grow older, that sense of listening, seeing, unfortunately disappears because you have worries, you want more money, a better car, more children or less children. You become jealous, ambitious, greedy, envious; so you lose the sense of the beauty of the earth. You know what is happening in the world. You must be studying current events. There are wars, revolts, nation divided against nation. In this country too there is division, separation, more and more people being born, poverty, squalor and complete callousness. Man does not care what happens to another so long as he is perfectly safe. And you are being educated to fit into all this. Do you know the world is mad, that all this is madness – this fighting, quarrelling, bullying, tearing at each other? And you will grow up to fit into this. Is this right, is this what education is meant for, that you should willingly or unwillingly fit into this mad structure called society? And do you know what is happening to religions throughout the world? Here also man is disintegrating, nobody believes in anything anymore. Man has no faith and religions are merely the result of a vast propaganda. (J Krishnamurti ONLINE The Official repository of the authentic teachings of J. Krishnamurti www.jkrishnamurti.org).

The essence of J. Krishnamurti’s thoughts on education could be gauged in the following quote- “The purpose, the aim and drive of these schools is to equip the child with the most excellent technological proficiency so that he may function with clarity and efficiency in the modern world, and, far more important, to create the right climate so that the child may develop fully as a complete human being. This means giving him the opportunity to flower in goodness so that he is rightly related to people, things and ideas, to the whole of life. To live is to be related. There is no right relationship to anything if there is not the right feeling for beauty, a response to nature, to music and art, a highly developed aesthetic sense. I think it is fairly clear that competitive education and the development of the student in that process —the pattern which we now cultivate and call education— is very, very destructive. You teach him to read and write within the present system of frustration then the flowering of the mind is impeded. The question then is: if one drops this competitive education, can the mind be educated at all in the accepted sense of the word? Or, does education consist really in taking ourselves and the student away from the social structure of frustration and desire and, at the same time, giving him information about mathematics, physics, and so on? We must be very clear in ourselves what we want, clear what a human being must be — the total human being not just the technological human being. If we concentrate very much on examinations, on technological information, on making the child clever, proficient in acquiring knowledge while we neglect the other side, then the child will grow up into a one-sided human being. So we must find a way, we must bring about a movement which will cover both. So far we have separated the two and, having separated them, we have emphasized the one and neglected the other. What we are now trying to do is to join both of them together. If there is proper education, the student will not treat them as two separate fields. He will be able to move in both as one movement; in making himself technologically perfect, he will also make himself a worthwhile human being”(http://www.j-krishnamurti.org/EducPhil.html).

References

• v Krishnamurti Jiddu. (1912) Education as Service. Theosophical Publishing Society. Adyar, Madras.
• v ________________ (1953) Education and the Significance of Life. Victor Gollancz Ltd. London.
• v ________________ (1963). Life Ahead. Victor Golancz. London.
• v ________________ (1974). On Education. Orient Longman. New Delhi.
• v ________________ (1975). Beginnings of Learning. Victor Golancz. London.
• v ________________ (1981). Letters to School. Krishnamurthi Foundation India. Chennai.
• v ________________ (2000). Education and the Significance of Life. Krishnamurthi Foundation India. Chennai.
• v ________________ (2000). The Awakening of Intelligence. Penguin Books India. New Delhi.
• v ________________ (2002). The Revolution from within. Krishnamurthi Foundation India. Chennai.