Think on These Things
An inquiry-based program for high school and college students, with the goal of creating a space
for authentic exploration of fundamental questions
Think on These Things is one of the outreach programs of the Krishnamurti Educational Center, aimed toward young adults in high schools and universities. The purpose of this program is to extend fundamental questions and to bring about the space necessary for a deeper self-inquiry and self-understanding. Think on These Things is discussion-based: We explore challenging questions and film our discussions so that others can participate (click here to watch videos). The questions we ask are meant to challenge the deeply held assumptions we have about ourselves and about our life. For example, “What would it take for me to not compare myself to anyone?” or, “Would it be possible to end psychological suffering in my life?”
Part of our shared humanness is our ability to observe. Yet, observation can become instantly clouded amidst our attempts to self-analyze, label and solve whichever internal problem we are experiencing. Think on These Things is a direct invitation for us to simply look and observe oneself and one another. When one is presented with a question they may not have considered before—a question that has the potential to radically challenge the very perspective from which they begin to think—a different kind of inquiry and learning is possible. Our intent is to ask questions that can bring about the space for this learning.
The issues explored within Think on These Things are widely relevant, regardless of age, background or education. As such, the program has been expanding.
We have visited students in local high schools and universities including UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz and Golden West Community College, have held gatherings in Maine, Maryland and New York, and are beginning to plan a second East Coast tour.
We welcome all and any support to help us reach as many classrooms as we can: If you know (or are) a professor who might be interested in hosting us in their classrooms or homes, or if you have any questions about the program, please contact Amanda Lezra at amanda@kfa.org.
By engaging young adults, with the questions and topics he delved into throughout his life and work, we are able to bring out a depth of discussion and exploration that is often untouched in classroom settings.
“The function of education is to create human beings who are integrated and therefore intelligent. We may take degrees and be mechanically efficient without being intelligent. Intelligence is not mere information; it is not derived from books, nor does it consist of clever self-defensive responses and aggressive assertions. One who has not studied may be more intelligent than the learned. We have made examinations and degrees the criterion of intelligence and have developed cunning minds that avoid vital human issues. Intelligence is the capacity to perceive the essential, the what is; and to awaken this capacity, in oneself and in others, is education.