Subtraction not Addition

Throughout our lives, most of us have been conditioned to value addition instead of subtraction. Even the subliminal aspects of mathematical symbols color our opinion. In grade school we get a plus sign or a smiley face on our exemplary work and a minus sign or sad face for poor work. Electrical energy in a circuit is both positive (supply) and negative (return), much like a battery’s poles. Psychology says a positive effect relates to a person’s propensity to approach life optimistically and a negative effect refers to a pessimistic outlook. Banking refers to a positive balance (I have money in my account) or a negative balance (I owe money). We’ve been taught that positive means success and minus means failure.

While this theory may hold true for social status or professional growth, it does not necessarily apply to spiritual development. Is it possible that adding more knowledge from spiritual authorities can even obscure Divine knowledge and hinder our growth? Many noted spiritual leaders buttress this fact. In the thirteenth century, Meister Eckhart said, “God is not attained by a process of addition to anything in the soul, but by a process of subtraction.”

1 This quote comes directly from original writings of Meister Eckhart referenced in a book by Matthew Fox: Meister Eckhart: A Mystic Warrior for Our Times, 2014.

Antisthenes, a Greek philosopher in 444 BC said, “The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue.” Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest who currently runs the Center for Action and Contemplation says, “Jesus’ spirituality is much more about letting go of what we do not need anyway. It more often involves unlearning than learning.”

2 from CAC Daily Meditations, True Self and False Self: Week 1, Who Am I?, Sunday, August 6, 2017

In explaining the title of his book From Onions to Pearls, Satyam Nadeen refers to the process of unlearning as awakening. “So what awakening consists of is the realization that you are indeed this perfect Pearl of Consciousness; and then the deliverance takes over by removing each subtle layer of conditioning until only the Pearl again remains.” Ram Dass’ book, Polishing the Mirror, also talks about awakening. He says that it can happen when we polish the mirror daily and see our true nature beyond the illusion of our thoughts and emotions. He defines polishing the mirror as getting rid of our misconceptions.

Unlearning applies to societal norms as well as spiritual ideology. Even the modern social warrior, Gloria Steinem addressed this issue, “The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.”  Take White privilege for a contemporary example of social learning that requires unlearning. The Christian Century magazine reminds us that “One of the unspoken privileges of being White in America is to assume that racism is not a pressing topic.” The article goes on to say,  “According to Jesus, relinquishment is a ticket to abundant life.” 

Anthony Robinson, Christian Century, July 9, 2020

Along that same line, heterosexuals are having to learn something new about pronouns which requires unlearning that there is only “he” and “she” in referring to gender identity. In all cases, it seems that letting go, unlearning, discarding, conditioning and, many times, changing your mind (the real translation for the word, repent) are essential for growth. We have worked hard all our lives for our beliefs, but holding fast to beliefs instead of challenging them can become an obstacle to personal, social, and spiritual growth.

Even those of us who have embarked on a journey toward spiritual enlightenment encounter obstacles. We crowd so much into our lives, filling every waking minute with activity and tasks.  All these thoughts and decisions are within our immediate mental grasp at any one time. An old saying derived from the Bible paraphrases this condition,“There is no room at the inn.” While this refers to the inn in Bethlehem where Joseph and Mary sought shelter, it has a psychological meaning as well. Our minds are so crowded that no creative thought or Divine inspiration can wiggle its way in. Old sages often comment on a shiver running up someone’s spine, calling it the “spirit trying to sneak in.” because there’s no room in the mind.

Since we have so many decisions to process mentally, we may resort to snap judgments based on past experiences of similar (but not exact) circumstances. Then we are in danger of letting conditioning make our decisions. We tell ourselves we can handle it all. We base these decisions on our belief system which may be faulty,  leading to more poor decisions.

A quote variously attributed to Mahatma Ghandi sums it up:

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, 

Your thoughts become your words, 

Your words become your actions, 

Your actions become your habits, 

Your habits become your values,

Your values become your destiny.” 

Source: A speech referenced by multiple source s including AZ Quotes and  https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5810891.Mahatma_Gandhi

I think Gandhi was cautioning us to chart our destinies from our current position and not from the anchor of some belief, thought, or action accumulated from the past. To do that, we must engage on a path to unload a lot of information from our banks of knowledge.

Jiddah Krishnamurti taught that we are consumed by conditioning. We are trained by all sorts of influences that we have been fed since childbirth. Our parents, teachers, police officers, religious figures,  peers, and general media influence our view of reality based on standards of behavior taught by so-called authorities. Big business and advertising tell us that we’re not good enough unless we purchase these sunglasses, or wear that designer clothing. We are conditioned to accept our inadequacies in order to satisfy the objectives of another.

This is not to say we should unplug the TV and internet. We don’t have to become hermits, or forsake all conveniences and pleasures like deodorant, hot showers, fresh linens and movies. It doesn’t mean we should forgo education. It doesn’t mean to forsake religion and avoid spiritual practice. In many ways, our spiritual paths will not change our daily lives in the least.

My spiritual mentor once gave me a challenge: “For a year or so, write down every decision you make on a daily basis, and, at the end of the day, analyze your decisions. Ask yourself why you selected those decisions from the myriad options. What influenced your decision? From where does the rationale arise? How much of your decision-making is genuinely original? How much comes from being told somewhere along the line that this decision is most appropriate? You may end up with the same decision after you think it through and understand the source. The difference is that you will be aware of what you are doing and understand why you are doing it.” I followed his advice and found that this practice of subtracting long-held, but faulty beliefs has helped me to live more purposefully and authentically.