The Art Of Listening
Through the entire opening chapter of the Gita, it is Arjuna who continuously speaks, while Krishna listens, listens and listens!
Only an intelligent man will allow the other person to speak. We all continuously speak to each other, but a ‘real’ conversation does not happen. We simply carry out simultaneous monologues with each other. We are polite enough to pretend that we are listening, so that we will, in turn, be heard. You need intelligence to allow the other person to speak. You need intelligence to listen!
When you listen to others, you listen to yourself. And when you don’t listen to others, you also don’t listen to yourself. Are you getting it? Only when you listen to you, you will be able to listen to others. When you listen to others, you will also listen to YOU! Because any listening that happens, happens from the space of completion. Please understand, you can only listen when you are complete. If there is any incompletion in you, you will not be able to listen.
What is incompletion? For example, you are sitting here right now, hearing me speak, but you are not listening to me, you are thinking—‘I have not done this, I have not done that, this has not happened, that has not happened, I am restless’–that is incompletion. If you have such incompletions inside, be very clear, you will not be listening to me. You may be sitting here out of compulsion or some other reason, but you will not be listening to me. And when you don’t listen, more and more incompletions happen. It is a vicious circle.
If you listen, especially to the words that come out of the space of completion of an enlightened being, you will suddenly see that the energy of those very words goes and changes your inner space.
See, if you come to me and tell me about your problems, I give you my authentic listening. That is why you suddenly feel light; you suddenly feel that all your problems are not big anymore. It is the power of listening. Listening awakens your intuition. Listening awakens your innermost intelligence. Listening is GOD!
By His very listening, Krishna is able to heal the restlessness in Arjuna, the incompletions in Arjuna. Krishna is showing us the power of His completion, the power of His listening. He just listens while Arjuna empties himself. He allows Arjuna to speak into His pure listening.
- Bhagvad Gita Decoded