Reference: Course on Subject Clearing
The Process
The Listing process is very useful when you have a number of things to handle. For example, when you have a number of subjects that you do not understand; you do the following:
- Make a list of the subjects you do not understand.
- Arrange them in some logical order.
- Handle the subjects on that list one at a time in that order.
Here a subject could mean a school subject, such as, grammar, mathematics, or biology. It could also be an area of knowledge, such as, education, logic or teaching. Or it could be a life skill, such as, communicating, problem solving or meditating. You make a list of whatever is taking up your attention.
Next, arrange those items on the list in the order they are important to you, or in the order that you would like to handle them. You may also arrange them in a logical order, where handling an item will make the handling of the next item easier. Make sure you rearrange all the items on the list.
When you have done that, then take the first item on that list, and concentrate on handling that item only.
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A Complex Item
When that first item that you are handling happens to be complex, you may break it down further into its parts and apply the listing process to those parts. For example, if the first item on your list of subjects is mathematics, then make a list of all those parts of mathematics that you do not understand. You, then, arrange them in an order, such that, understanding a part will make it easier to understand the next part.
If the first item on that list of the parts of mathematics is still complex, you may break it down to another level, and apply the listing process once again. Such a breakdown may come down even to a list of words; and then to a list of definitions of a word.
You continue the breakdown until the first item on the list becomes easy to handle.
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Handling
Once the first item is handled, it is possible that all the confusion is gone and the rest of the items on that list needs no further handling. If this is not the case, then you need to reevaluate the whole list, at least. So, after you have handled the first item, you make the list newly once again at that level. You may find that some of the earlier items are gone, but some new items have appeared on the list. You rearrange the list, and handle the first item on this new list.
Thus, each time you have handled the first item, you repeat the Listing process at that level. Soon you may find that the whole list is handled, and you move one level back up. You continue in this manner, and, very soon, your doubts, perplexities and confusions on that whole subject will be cleared up.
Then you newly make a list of subjects that you want to handle.
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Summary
Once your doubts, perplexities and confusions on a subject are cleared up, you will understand exactly what you know and what you don’t know. If you are further interested in that subject, you may now pick up relevant materials to study.
Or, you make a new list of subjects that you want to handle.
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