Rote learning vs Understanding - Act 10

Understanding does involve thinking, but the less assumption or attachment in it, the more rapidly it grows.

When I look at the seaweed and shells on the high tide line, I can understand that was how high the tide came in. If I look higher up the beach I may see the residue from earlier even higher tides or high tides that co-incided with on-shore winds.

This is how we come to understand our environment, by observing change, thinking about what the causes may be and updating our pattern knowledge. The next time we walk on the beach or near a river, we may make further observations that build upon or alter our understanding.

If I just see the rubbish,plastic bags and straws on the tide line I may get upset and learn nothing, I may even go running off with my mind thinking about how all this trash should not be here…

If I see the shells and stuff and go, oh shells and stuff, but am not curious, I may never understand that the movement of the ocean is filtering out objects of different weight and particle size. Grinding mixing minerals while also oxygenating and gathering organic matter that crabs, birds and other creatures will take advantage of.

The more curious I am the more I learn, If I just see the labels I have memorised for all the things around me, I may never look and question the relationships between them. Why are they in this place, in this way and how are they interacting, is it a good use of energy, what are the outcomes, how will that alter the air flow, water and heat absorption, the food chains?

Seeing relationships
Now admittedly, I chose an area of my own interest for this example. For another person they might look at asset prices, production lines, mechanical structure problems, chemistry challenges or family conflicts.

The more we can see, what is the energy or force that is moving and why, the more we can understand what will probably happen next and how to influence that, or not.

The quality that allows us to view the causational relationships between objects, people and their ideals. To recognise the emotions, forces and energies at play. Is a type of focus that is curious and devoid of assumptions or attachments, or at least, aware of where they still exist.

Equanimous is not detached, its sensing fully without assuming
Now devoid of attachments does not mean not caring, If I am watching my family members, I am not going to be emotionless and cold. There is a big difference between being appreciative and fearful, however.

We do not have to be emotionless, we do need to be not invested personally.
Now that is the hardest thing, but like it or not, without that distinction, true intelligence is severely limited.

To fear for my loved one is in fact my own fear of loss intermingled with genuine compassion and wanting the best for them, only those with great self knowledge can feel the difference between love and fear - fear is tense and resisting, controlling, it has clear bio markers. Love, appreciation, respect, rapt attention, the complete opposite.

Isn't it odd that we should get so confused in ways that other creatures could not fathom? Much of our complexity arises from trying to compare memory to reality, when we never truly understood the memory to begin with, we just agreed to store it.

Recap some of the possibilities, I write them as assumptions, but lets throw them out and see where they land

To remove assumptions and attachments we need to check in with reality.
To remove assumption we must re-examine the evidence or at least be prepared to explore anomalies.
To remove attachment we must see if we are personally involved - if we are getting upset then we have attachment and guess what, it is being stored as an assumption.

Even if the assumption is correct, such as a mathematical formula, if you did not fully understand the causational relationship used to create it, you will have stored it as an assumption, rather than as an understanding.

Idea viruses
Assumptions are opinions, we remember them because we think we need to, the greater the need the more attached to them we become and the more insecure about them.

The more insecure we are about a stored memory, the more we will keep testing it, either by re-enacting the story, or by trying to sell it to other people. Yes that is part of what drives internet trolls, religious fanatics and many other special interest group behaviours.

Needless to say
Reality does not need to be memorised, the patterns that we observe in nature, will still be there if we forget them, it is wonderful if we can learn, record and share them. Even better if we can learn to invest in ways which move more gracefully with them. There need be no insecurity about promoting them however, for they are self evident for any and all to access.

I remember trying to learn trigonometry for my electrical apprenticeship, I was always poor at transposing formulas, so I had to memorise each configuration, as the formulas piled up, I was quickly overwhelmed so I tended to shut down when confronted with math problems even though my critical thinking was pretty good.

As kids we are all exposed to confusing emotional signals to with aggression and affection. If our first attempts to connect, express or just protect ourselves are not understandable, we may tend to shut down and just remember the bare minimal response as we wait for it to go away.

With awareness comes choice
We have a choice then, we can either appreciate that we may have made some incorrect associations and assumptions, and still need to find a safe way to continue learning. Or we absorb stories and behaviours to protect us, so that we do not have to change or take any more risk. Well we can make that choice if we are aware of it..

There are thousands of experts, selling a lot of ideas that they themselves are insecure about, that they do not totally understand, they will gladly offer you a patch, a solution, grant special membership, offer certainty…control. All you have to do is show that you believe their story.

This is not one of those stories, I use metaphors, but there is no absolute story here, this is an invitation to check in with reality through your senses and accept whatever emotions and sensations you find there, without taking it personally.

Movement with Focus
That is to say, whatever I am sensing or feeling, just is… if I can accept, it will pass, for everything is in motion, when we allow it to be. If I can not allow it, chances are there is fear..chances are I don't need that fear right now.

Imagine who I could be without that fear, without that interference pattern, what might be allowed to happen next?

There is what flows and there is what I allow, how is that working out?
Which is more fun?
Where was my skill at controlling appreciated and where...not so much? lol...

Skills and "teachings", which can we apply gracefully and which can cause so much conflict and waste?

Which are understood via experience and training and which are just dumb up-loads with predictable outcomes?
I am guessing we need both, we certainly have both.

Do we have methods for virus scanning our belief systems and upgrading our assumptions with understandings?
Why yes....movement and focus with the possibility of appreciation, (non assumption based resistance).

Wisdom as Action Series
Act 1 - Do you remember?
Act 2 - What is Love?
Act 3 - Feeling Swell
Act 4 - Bound to be Free
Act 5 - Trust Issues
Act 6 - Knowledge
Act 7 - All you Desire
Act 8 - Virtue Reality
Act 9 - @tension