Learning to Unlearn

In speaking about learning to learn, it’s also important to speak about learning to unlearn. The question I continue to ask myself is: “What do I need to unlearn, to let go of that’s still keeping me stuck in old self defeating beliefs, thoughts, feelings and actions?” How often have you had these thoughts? What’s been your strategy to empty out the many mind parasites that infect your life so something new can be birthed in you to live a more abundant and authentic life?

I’ve been a part of the Western Church’s establishment all my life. I’ve spent decades studying and teaching what the Church has taught and yet, over the years, I’ve continued to have more questions than answers. It seems to be part of my ‘Soul’s Code’ to keep inquiring. I find myself in harmony with the great mystic Meister Eckart  who is reported to have prayed; “O God, help me rid myself of God.” which is a request to move beyond rational intellectual dogma to a more authentic ‘experiential’ knowing through intuition and non-dual multi-sensory inner knowing.

Is this surprising to you or have you had similar promptings to unlearn so you can more fully learn something new? One area of unlearning for me is in language. For example, I no longer see a Lord to be obeyed and revered. Instead, I see inequality in the human hierarchy we’ve created opposed to the divine directive to Love unconditionally. To Lord it over someone or something is then replaced with a Love that’s reverent and receptive: Embracing everything with an open heart of lovingness by realigning with our ever present Source in caring ways.

Why do we try to make the world conform to our own pridefully entrenched schemes? Are we so attached to our conditioned beliefs that we’re afraid to entertain any others? Are we so insecure in our own understandings and musings that we’re easily hoodwinked and manipulated by the fervently held and so call ‘true‘ beliefs of others? Are we so deaf and blind to our own inner promptings, our own soulful presence that we simply follow the loudest most prevalent forces?

How it’s possible for ‘God’ to be on my side and your side simultaneously when we’re warring with one another and we both claim a ‘God‘ of Love. Is it simply that ‘might makes right‘? Who actually determines what’s ‘right‘ and ‘wrong‘ and how is it that they always seem to change with more information and insight? Does ‘power over‘ and ‘control of‘ have anything to do with desire, exploitation, greed, inequality, and the conditions we create? Does punishment really trump compassion in creating kindness and where does liberty and justice for all come in?

If the beginning of Wisdom is wonder and knowing we don’t know, it would appear we haven’t yet become wise. Could ‘knowing we don’ know‘ actually lead to new leaning because of the opening it would create? Childlikeness is knowing we don’t know and in this ‘not knowing’, we’re curious and thus begin to know. Are you willing to ponder this paradox of unlearning?

• Check in with your many inner ego selves and your Soul Self today. Discern what you think you know, what you know you don’t know and ponder the difference. What are the feelings?
• Play at suspending your judgements today and see how you might trust your not knowing.
• Observe your conditioned learning, let it go and let come something new. What arises?
• Trust your not knowing and the Infinite Love that cradles you as you learn to unlearn.