About study at Chisholme

What kind of education is offered here?
The education at Chisholme provides a living and dynamic context for the development of an enduring awareness of the unity of being and our place within it. It is an education for the whole person.

Who is it for?
It is for everyone who is convinced of our potential as human beings for goodness and positive effect on this earth, and who wish to be of service to it – to love and to learn.

What are its roots?
Its roots lie in the sincere desire in each student to truly know themselves. While this is a perennial question, it is also an urgent requirement today.


The primary texts studied include the writings of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240) who articulated the premise of the unity of existence and the place of the individual person within it in a metaphysical system of enormous breadth and scope. Of equal importance is Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273), whose poetic writings speak directly of the primacy of love.

Although not a school of Ibn 'Arabi nor of Rumi per se, the curriculum reflects the universal principles inherent in their works. The aim is to connect the seeker to the source of all genuine spiritual practice. The materials studied in depth at the School also include wisdom texts from the Buddhist, Christian, Taoist and Hindu traditions.

Why is it important?
The School's focus is towards an all-inclusive vision. In each person, timeless universal truths meet the global necessities and unique concerns of the present day. Climate change, political and economic crisis, and dwindling natural resources are just a few of the indications of our changing relationship to the planet, and to each other. 
This education is for the realisation of our essential unity with the whole of life, which can be expressed as an enhanced willingness to be of service to reality, to the world and to humankind.

How does it work in practice?
The truth that no-one can teach another person about their inner reality is completely respected. There are no teachers as such here, but there is a body of very experienced and dedicated staff in service to the education, who are themselves committed to continuing self knowledge.

Meditation and the cultivation of awareness and receptivity is offered as an important part of the core curriculum, both as a subject in itself and as an aspect of the daily programme.

On each of the School’s courses, the whole matter of this education is presented from the start. Nothing is held back for later, except perhaps the development of even finer understanding.

Overview of all courses: see What's On

Intensive Winter Retreats One Year On-line Courses