Love and Knowledge: Recovering the Heart of Learning through Contemplation

By Arthur Zajonc, Physics Department Amherst College and Director of the Academic Program Contemplative Mind in Society

“Preventing conflicts is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of education.” Maria Montessori1

It is a privilege to add my thoughts to those we have already heard. Jon Kabat Zinn spoke about the unification of knowing through contemplation, reminding us both how available mindfulness is, but also how difficult it can be to bring full awareness to the entirety of life.

Marilyn Nelson told us the story of teaching silence to those whose lives take them into war and conflict. We remember the young officer who pretended to be listening to music on his headphones, when really all he was listening to was silence.

We have participated in discussions and workshops suggesting that contemplative practices can be an important pedagogical method for ourselves and our students. And we have heard how important it can be to establish peace in ourselves in order to foster and maintain peace in the world.

Read More