Learn

So, what is the point of living?
Why were you born?

There has to be a simple answer that later becomes complicated—just like everything else.
The simple answer is this: you came to planet Earth to learn.

Another way to say it is that you came to be involved with life.

That’s the simple part. Then it gets complicated.

You came to learn how to think for yourself, rather than doing what everyone tells you to do.
You came to make mistakes and learn from them—not to keep repeating the same dumb decisions over and over.
You came to learn Who am I?
You came to learn What do I want?
You came to learn What do I want to be when I grow up?
You even came to learn how to die.

That’s a lot of learning. How are you doing with all that?

You also came to learn how to read, write, and speak, so you can share your wisdom with others—maybe forever.
You came to learn certain lessons that are uniquely yours and, in doing so, become a star in your own way or a particular kind of success.
You came to live your life in your own unique style—not to copy anyone or compete with anyone, but simply to be yourself.
You came to learn how to live within the society of planet Earth and enjoy every moment of it.
You came to learn how to remember where you came from and where you are going, and to never be afraid to try anything.
You came to learn about love—what it is, how to be it, and how to never feel lonely.
You came to learn about friendship and integrity, and how not to be a dick.
You came to learn how to be in the right place at the right time—to be lucky and fortunate.
You came to learn how to trust your first impression, if you can figure out which one was actually the first.

That’s a lot of learning.

If you think of planet Earth as a school—and it is—then this is the curriculum. You get to choose the lessons you study:

• Learn

• Be involved

• Improve — yourself

• Clarify

• Believe

Each of these words must be defined by you. Ask yourself:

• What did I come to planet Earth to learn?

• What did I come to planet Earth to be involved in?

• What can I improve in myself?

• What do I need to clarify?

• What do I really believe about myself and the world I live in?

This is a good start.
The simple answer—learn—wants to become complicated.
But it must remain simple.

Tomas Burke
www.spiritual-pilgrim.com

When you work with people, they tend to fall into recognizable categories. They are usually one of the following:

• Apprentice — 50/50

• Opportunist — Steals the pie

• Associate — Teamwork

• Rebel / Maverick — Wrong time, wrong place

• Other — Who knows?

The Apprentice

The Apprentice represents a healthy 50/50 relationship. You learn from them, and they learn from you. A great deal gets accomplished, and everyone prospers. Even people outside the project benefit from the positive energy created by shared success.

This kind of relationship grows naturally and healthily, and the fruit is sweet when it matures. Mutual stimulation and friendly competition ensure learning, growth, and enjoyment.

The Opportunist

The Opportunist is a different story. This is someone looking to take advantage. They want to steal the pie off the windowsill, run away and eat it, then come back looking for another pie.

This is an out-of-balance narcissist. They are interested only in their own selfish gain. They rarely change until they hit rock bottom, and even then it often takes something close to a miracle.

You may feel compelled to help them, but it is usually a waste of time. They are a one-way street called Gimme.
The best approach is distance. If circumstances force you to deal with this type, you must set and maintain strong buffers and solid boundaries. They look for low-hanging fruit. All you can really do is deflect their greed toward an easier target and allow them to learn their lesson.

The Associate

The Associate is a good teammate. The energy is relaxed and balanced—equals pulling in the same direction, like a team of workhorses. The work flows easily toward completion, and you simply get along.

An Associate relationship grows from clear planning, established boundaries, and mutual respect. Each person brings different strengths that complement one another, allowing the task to be completed efficiently.

Both parties benefit and are willing to work together again. An Associate often becomes a good friend.

The Rebel / Maverick

Then there is the Rebel or Maverick. Like the Opportunist, they bring trouble—but of a different kind. The Opportunist wants to eat the pie; the Rebel wants to destroy the pie so no one can have it. The Maverick, untamed, simply wants chaos and thrives on confusion.

These types are not always recognized until it is too late. Then you are left with a major cleanup, which may become ongoing if they return—as some friends do.

No matter what boundaries you set, they find a way to break the fence and trample the garden. Often they feign helpfulness or helplessness, only to act at the critical moment.

If your policy is live and let live, your choices are limited: constant surveillance, which only delays the damage, or repeated cleanup until they finally move on.

These people crave attention. As children, they got it by throwing tantrums. As adults, they get it by creating messes. The less attention you give them, the more likely they are to seek it elsewhere.

In Summary

Apprentices and Associates are the people to work with. For everyone in your circle, check inwardly—or with guidance—about which category they belong to. If they don’t clearly fit one of these four or five, then they fall into Other.

And that is another story.

To be continued…

Tomas Burke
www.spiritual-pilgrim.com

You’ve heard of the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve. They were banished from the garden because they ate the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil. Some people take that literally, as we see in paintings: Adam with a fig leaf, Eve with her long blond hair, and God pointing his finger, telling them where they can go.

Back when the Bible was being written, language was limited. One word often carried many meanings—just as it does today. (“Still,” for example, is also the name of an apparatus for making whiskey.)

But what if we looked at this story in another way? Instead of “eating,” what if we translate it as accepting, taking in, allowing something to become part of us? When we eat something, it becomes part of our bodies.

What if “fruit” meant something good, something enjoyable—a desire? What if it represented the concept of good or evil? (It was the Tree of Good and Evil.) Or perhaps good and bad, right and wrong, mine and not mine, my family and not my family, us or them—my society versus a society unfamiliar to me.

Could it be about accepting the concept of society itself: boundaries, ownership, loyalty to country? Could it mean becoming loyal to something (the “fruit”) outside myself—allowing society (the “tree”) to become my guiding star, my decision-maker? Allowing society to choose what is right and wrong for me, instead of following my true feelings?

So what is the Garden of Eden all about? The Garden is being one with all things—no limitations, no pain, no shame. Only joy, happiness, fulfillment. All needs met. Could it symbolize my true feelings?

What is the snake? Could it be a secret desire to control, a childish rebellion against the way things are? Could it be my programming—what I learned as a baby?

If I want to be happy, I need to do what I came to Earth to do. I need to live in my own Garden of Eden and refuse to suffer, refuse second best, refuse to wait for my solution. I want it now. I want to live my purpose now—not later.

So God is simply the way things are. If I jump into a river, I get wet—that is God. If I jump off a cliff, I fall—that is God. If I stop breathing, I die—that is God.

The story of Adam and Eve, then, expresses the same truths found in the Man and the Universe Orientation Lecture—just through metaphors and symbols.

Picture yourself in the Garden of Eden: naked, the temperature perfect, breathing deeply, enjoying warm sunlight. A gentle cooling breeze. Everyone around you the same—shameless, content, doing what they came to do in the best way they know how. Living in the moment. No fear. No expectations. Just being.

Then you start thinking (you “eat the fruit”): “This can’t last.” “What do I do now?” “I want…” “I don’t have…” “I think I need…” And off you go—you’ve left the Garden. Banished to a life of suffering.

We came to Earth to suffer, to be inspired to do better. We also came to learn how not to suffer—to enjoy every moment. That’s where our goals lead us. Sometimes our goals work out and we feel confident; sometimes they don’t and we doubt ourselves. Our fruit was sour—but what does that mean? Maybe it wasn’t ripe. A matter of timing.

So what do I do in my own garden? Unlike Adam, none of us are without programming. He needed Eve—a stimulus, a reason—to be sad. Eve represents the pleasures of the earth, the pleasures of the body—our wants. Religions used this comparison to make women the “lesser sex,” which is a shame, because sex is meant to be enjoyed, not used as a method of control. Women can enjoy sex repeatedly; men need time to “reload.”

Some say the apple symbolized sexual intercourse—that the first sin was sex. But maybe the “apple” was the programming that said sex was sinful—that working was more virtuous than being intimate with your partner. Under that interpretation of religion and the Bible, that’s exactly where we ended up: working too much, too tired or worried to enjoy sex at all.

But what is sex? It’s not the moaning and groaning of pornography. It’s enjoying the moment. Perfect sex is being one with all things—no programming, no greater or lesser, no good or evil. Just accepting the energy of the universe and simply being oneself.

If you don’t think about it, you have it made.