Humble Learning

From any level of learning, no matter whether it is in school, in society, in the Craft or elsewhere, any time we are being taught, it behooves us to have true listening skills and an utterly humble attitude.  No one has cornered the market on learning and anytime we find ourselves not wishing to listen with every part of our being, we're missing something.  If we challenge immediately what is being presented, we've already stopped learning.  If we place ourselves above others we might learn something from, we've stopped learning.  If we choose to think ourselves better than someone else, whether because of our creditials when others have none or simply because we feel our perspective is more learned for one reason or another, we've already become blind, deaf and dumb on some level that we might otherwise learn from.

As a third degree High Priestess of the Alexandrian Path, some people might consider me "in the know" on some levels.  Yet, I am constantly finding places where I am right down in the kindergarten school yard with those that have never studied a lick of spirituality.  I have been taught from the very beginning of my learning that no matter what level we attain, learning is something that should be approached from a standpoint of abject humility and humbleness.  Sometimes our best teachers are those not as far along on the Path as we, ourselves are at that time and I am often shown lessons from those just beginning to learn about themselves and their spiritual connections in the Universe.  When stepping into any new arena of society or learning, it becomes absolutely necessary to walk in the door of that experience as though we know nothing at all and truly find out where we're at in that moment if we wish to gain the most from the experience.

It is traditional teaching that when you are given an opportunity to learn from Elders, Crones and Sages in our faith community, that all who are newcomers - no matter their level of elevation in their Craft - are wisest to literally or figuratively place themselves at the feet of the collective Knowledge represented and learn what they can before ever opening our mouths to state what they think they know.  It doesn't matter the subject or what our own mind or ego would like to make us think we know, it is about what we can learn.  Further, nuance is completely lost on those that are too busy asking questions or otherwise challenging the status quo in these circumstances to truly listen to the wisdom being shared. 

It is considered rude, not curious, to constantly question in the middle of conversation.  It is considered childish to present one's own viewpoints over and over and over again in a "comparison study" when those who have been on the Path longer than we have give us the gift of sharing their experiences.  It is considered extremely unwise to ever place one's self above another, no matter where they are on the Path or their personal struggles or mistakes.  And it is further considered one of the biggest acts of ego-based mistakes when we put our own life's choices in judgment of another life's struggles or perceived areas where our own moral values do not match.

Even when one has strong psychic ability to see more than the average person might, they never know all of another person's actions, motivations, issues or experiences.  Therefore, it doesn't behoove anyone to place in judgment where we think another person might be coming from or why they do things we don't understand.  If we don't understand, we should spend more time learning.  If we see repeated reflections of specific lessons in all those whose lives we touch, those are often the whispers of the God and Goddess teaching us a lesson all our own.  So, the next time you think you have something to teach, try listening instead.  You might have more to learn than you realized!