learning how to listen

[Guest guest]

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!!!

 

Namaste all!!

 

interestingly enough in the monthly e-magazine from Amma's ashram in

Amritapuri, the Amritavani, the topic of discussion on one of the

talks is "listening"....it seemed really relevant to us here on this

list also, where there are many beginners, and many not so beginners,

and quite a few "experts" too...no matter where we are in the spectrum

of our Jyotish studies, however, we are all beginners in one sense of

the word...as none of us can really know how it REALLY works....we are

all in kindergarten playing with blocks, and trying to build houses

with them...the "experts" have had a lot more experiences with these

blocks, and so can put them together pretty well, and fast, but us

beginners are in sore need of advice, guidance and just plain help in

these studies...thus we are very beholden to them for their kind

contributions on this list...

 

as a consequence of this, i believe that we should learn to regard

every other member of this list as someone from whom we might learn

something...and instead of being intellectual giants, and emotional

midgets, we can reverse the roles, and be emotional giants, and

intellectual "midgets".

 

there is no room for personal attacks of any kind...We should each be

free to pursue the truth as we see fit to do so...and while we are

very indebted to those experts who kindly contribute to our learning,

we will learn much quicker if the teaching is done on a more equal

basis, rather than the looking down upon the student way....we ALL

need to learn to LISTEN...as Amma says below:

 

"To be able to listen to, and assimilate the words

of a true master, we need to develop our inner ear. The

physical ears are not capable of listening to God. They usually

work like two ventilators: the sound comes in through one ear

and goes out through the other."

 

"To be able to imbibe the teachings of the master,

we have to be open within. We need to develop a special

'womb' to contain the master's teachings. A noisy mind that is

full of words should be taught to be silent and to listen

intently. Not just a part of you, not just with your mind and

ears alone - you should listen with your whole being."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

this applies to reading as well...instead of reading with a mind set

up like a cocked pistol, ready to go off, and just waiting for the

other to finish talking, without even really listening...we need to

listen with some humility...

 

i am including here part of another letter which i sent privately

earlier, and which is very relevant to our plight here on the Goravani

list....

 

When i was commenting on beginners, i wasn't

attempting to make any comments about where

people are in their studies, so much as an

ATTITUDE to have towards those studies...you know

like that "Zen Mind Beginner's Mind" book by

Shunryu Suzuki

 

Even an expert Jyotishi can be a "beginner" in

this way, and my Guru, Ammachi, recommends this

attitude in everything we do, as it will inspire

us to be far more open to learning more, and in

fact leaves some room in that head for more to

come in...

 

She tells the story of the Mahatma and the

university professor...

 

The university professor came to visit the

Mahatma, and wanted instant illumination...wanted

a teaching right now and here...

 

the Mahatma said: "But wait, let's have some

tea!"

 

the professor grudgingly allowed himself to agree

with this...

So the Mahatma made tea, and placing the cups on

the table, starting pouring tea into the

professor's cup...he poured and poured and poured

until the cup was full, and then poured and

poured and poured some more. Tea was running all

over the table and down on to the floor...

 

"Stop! Stop!" yelled the professor,"The cup is

already full, can't you see it?"

 

the Mahatma said, "just so!...your mind too, is

too full...and when the cup is full, no more can

be poured into it...you come here stuffed with so

much knowledge, and then want me to give you the

real teachings...But there is NO ROOM in your

head for any more!!!you are completely STUFFED

with knowledge, and like this cup, will simply

overflow if more is added."

 

This is a good lesson to all of us, as we in the

west tend to really value a lot of knowledge...We

think we really are somebody, if we can just

learn the entire curriculum of whatever course we

are taking...but try to apply it in the real

world????

 

so my comments about the beginner's mind wasn't

directed at anybody in particular, but rather a

general comment about the right attitude to take

towards the Jyotirvidya...and spirituality in

general...if we take this attitude, we can NEVER

attack another for his or her beliefs, because we

will see that there might be something valuable

in them for that person...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

i had just sent this off, and started to read my Amritavani magazine,

which had just arrived in the email....and the quote which i had

included further above was there....just like Amma knew what we were

talking about!

 

in the Divine Mother's Love,

and in Her Service,

 

as ever,

Your Own Self,

 

visvanathan

 

Om Amrtesvaryai Namah!