Studentship – the Path of the Student

I have been teaching, and so working with students’, since I was in grade 8. I have taught reading, swimming, dancing, math, geography, English, French, computers, Yoga, Ayurveda, and now Vedic Astrology. And I have been a student forever. Like most, I started school when I was about 4 years old, and unlike some, I am still in school to this day (Yay Ayurveda Doctor School!).

A pattern I have noticed over the past few years, is that some students want to know everything their teachers know right NOW. As leery as I am to say this… I blame the Matrix (the movie). I know, I know… It is rare that I blame the Matrix for anything (Shock! Awe! Gasp!). That scene where Neo has Kung Fu downloaded into his brain in a matter of seconds plants a seed that learning should unfold quickly and passively. With that seed planted, students’ get frustrated that they don’t know everything immediately. As a student I am also familiar with this desire – the wish to get to the learning finish line quickly quickly quickly!

I could get on my soap box and talk for hours about why this might be: pressure, desire, culture, perfectionism, impatience… and so on. Instead, I would rather share the wisdom of a poem I came upon. It is called Ācāryāt Pādamādatte – A Student’s Four Steps of Learning.

A student receives

¼ part (of their learning) from a teacher,

¼ part from (their) own intelligence,

¼ part by means of fellow students,

¼ part with the course of time.

Love.

I appreciate how the title alone lets us know that learning has steps. It does not happen all at once. It is a process.

In many ancient teachings, finding a suitable, knowledgeable, and ethical teacher is an important step in the process of learning. It is amazing how much we can learn from those who have engaged with the subject matter to the depth of acquiring expertise. Being able to learn the theory from a trusted source, and from their personal experience is a huge gift. And the ability to ask questions for our own clarification is so helpful for us to progress on our path. Early in any learning process, the student is often in a place of “I don’t know what I don’t know”. At this stage, having a guide, a teacher, or someone who has walked the path and knows what needs to be known is immensely helpful for progress, and to avoid missteps or misunderstandings. Something I see a lot is folks learning enough to get into trouble, but not enough to get back out of trouble. A teacher helps us stay out of trouble, and if we end up in the trouble pond, helps us get back out of it!

In the next stage, the student needs to engage with the information, the teachings, the content, and the wisdom. This is likely the stage of “I know that I don’t know”. The vastness and complexity of the subject matter is revealed, and we start to understand the subject on a level beyond intellectual fodder. In Ayurveda and Yoga, this is where we would undertake daily practices to really get to know it for ourselves. At this stage, cultivating an attitude of non-judgment and curiosity is really helpful. Being open to the content helps us expand and explore.

Learning in a group affords us an opportunity to be part of someone’s (or many someone’s) learning process in a variety of ways. I appreciate when others ask questions – often I have not thought of it that way or I haven’t gotten far enough in my learning to even come up with the question! And sometimes, when I hear a question, I discover that “I don’t know what I know” – turns out I can answer some questions myself! It is also fun to share in discoveries, explore with others, and be part of a learning community.

I also love discussions with peers – Where are they at with it all? What area of the content interests them and why? How are they using and integrating the teachings? Where are they confused and curious? And have you ever done the thing where you are so excited about what you are learning that you try to tell someone new to the subject matter about it and it gets confusing when you try to explain things? Having these conversations with peers helps us find our words and practice talking about it so we can begin to explain the subject matter to others.

The final step, according to the poem, is time. Learning, engaging, understanding, practicing, refining, and ripening – all these take time. And this is the stage where integration happens – “I know that I know” and “I know what I don’t know”. And even at this stage, there is more to learn.

All to say that learning is a process. It unfolds in stages over time. There is no Neo-download. We have to be part of the process, and it takes time.

I would love to hear about your thoughts on these four steps in the process of studenting (is this a word? I guess it’s a word now), of your experience in learning, and anything else you care to share. Please let a note in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you!

with love, m xo

ps. If the idea of time is interesting to you, the last blog I wrote was about time, so you can check that out :)