Visit to the Krishnamurti Centre

Yesterday Mark and I went to The Krishnamurti Centre at Brockwood Park in Bramdean, Hampshire for An Introduction to Krishnamurti day. The Centre is a place where people go to study Krishnamurti's teachings. It is run by the Krishnamurti Foundation Trust whose role is "to see that these teachings are kept whole, are not distorted, are not made corrupt. They will not give rise to any sectarian spirit in their activities... nor create any kind of place of worship around the teachings or the person." We had both been wanting to visit The Centre for some time now but until yesterday had not been able to attend any of the Introduction Days (not that you have to go to one of these days first - you can visit any time the centre is open).

The eight of us attending the day gathered in the lounge where we helped ourselves to tea or coffee and biscuits. Our guide for the day was Shakuntila. Shakuntila was a teacher first at the Rishi School in India and then, for 15 years in the 1970's and 80's, at Brockwood Park School. It was great to be shown around by someone who had actually known and worked with Krishnamurti. Our day began with a tour of the centre's beautiful, spacious building which was designed by Dr. Keith Critchlow. Kishnamurti himself was involved in the initial stages of the design and the building was completed in 1987 the year after his death.

There is an amazing meditation room. Guests are asked not to visit this scared space during the first day of their stay so that they bring quiet to the space rather than going there for the quiet (but not to worry as there are plenty of quiet places). The centre also has a library, areas for watching videos or listening to tape recordings of Krishnamurti's talks and discussions, a book store, a spacious lounge and dining room (quiet table available) and a magnificant kitchen as well as the Foundation's offices and guest accommodation.

The photos above show our first glimpse of the building and the central courtyard. Visit The Centre's Home page to see more images of this special space.

The tour was followed by a slide presentation about key events in Krishnamurti's life and after a refreshment break we watched a video by Professor Allan Anderson in which Krishnamurti's main teachings were outlined. The video included many clips of talks and conversations with Krishnamurti.

We then enjoyed a delicious lunch which included produce grown in the garden of the centre. Over lunch we chatted to some of the other guests. Some had come for the day while others were staying for a few days (the centre has 19 bedrooms). All appreciated the fact that there is no guidance or structured activities and that they were free to enjoy the peace and tranquility in their own way... going for walks, being on their own, being quiet, reading, watching recordings of Krishnamurti's talks or talking with other visitors and the staff. The centre does also run a number of themed weekends throughout the year where guests can get together to discuss the topic.

Fortunately there was then time for a quick visit to the bookshop before we reconvened :-) I bought 3 books (Letters to a young Friend, On Nature and the Environment and Meeting Life) and a DVD of two talks between K and Anderson ( A Wholly Different Way of Living Talks 17 & 18 Meditation, a quality of attention that pervades all of one's life & Meditation and the sacred mind).

When we had all gathered together again Shakuntila took us through the gardens to the school for a tour of the buildings. The grounds are fantastic. We walked through the Rose and Vegetable Gardens to reach the school buildings which are in the old house. The Vegetable Garden is amazing and very beautiful. The 1.5 acres are tended by two gardeners with help from volunteers. The produce from the garden is used in both the centre and the school and manages to supply 1/3 of  the school's veggie requirements). The school has around 60 students above the age of 14 from all around the world. What a special place to learn! Of note is the Art Barn - another fantastic building designed by Keith Critchlow. From the school we walked through the playing field to The Grove with it's giant sequoias, oaks, rhodedendrons, azaleas, camelias and other trees planted in the 18th century. Apparently this was a place that Krishnamurti loved.

We returned to the centre through the gardens for afternoon tea and a final Q&A session. Talking to Shakuntila we discovered that she stayed with and did yoga with Vanda Scaravelli in Italy! Next time we meet we will talk about yoga.

Mark and I both intend to return to this very special place to study, and be quiet and to enjoy it's tranquility.