To listen is to share love with another person.
It is not an isolated activity, but an open movement; a complete sharing of oneself.
I must be open to you completely to really share with you. So I don’t want to waste my time with planning what to say next. If I plan everything while you are speaking, I will miss the beauty of your words.
To miss your words is to miss the meaning of life.
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Of course, this assumes the speaker has something to say worth listening to. (laughs) But even someone venting may be greatly relieved if they are finally really heard. This does not mean verifying their pain but rather listening to who is speaking beneath that. Verifying the life that is present. Who is speaking.
When we are surrounded by talking heads and market-speak, we learn to not listen, to tune out. The trick is in learning to switch back on again when there is a relationship. It is an aspect of being present. And I have to stop now, as I am saying more than the speaker… that tends to mean less listening (laughs)
Davidya,
You’ve said it nicely. It is an active process, if that is the right word, but it is still devoid of a controller. When listening we don’t say, “OK, now I am going to listen, because it is the right thing to do,” or whatever.
It is more of a seeing of ourselves, if I have said it right.
Yes, or put in context, hearing ourselves speak. Listening deeply, we hear from the Self and thus hear ourselves.
It is a curious thing. We learn to get out of ourselves so we can get into ourSelves…
Davidya,
I sat with this for awhile to see what words might turn up, but yours were better, haha.
Not ‘hearing ourselves’ in the sense of only paying attention to our thoughts, words, preparations, or how we might make ourselves look better, etc. But it is a hearing of the essence.
Yes, yes, it is not hearing with, but more like a hearing of, if that makes any sense.
Like it. A little helpful trick is to listen with the entire body.
That is a good pointer, Kaushik.
Thank you very much…
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