Listening is special

 Why is it that we have two ears but just one mouth/tongue? To listen more (to self and to others) and to speak less, right? Have you noticed how our favourite most God (at least currently! There is no knowing, given the very short memory the general public has!) has huge ears? Yet again the answer would be the same. He is a great listener, and hence in each and every critical situation, he comes up with a very creative, imaginative answer or solution.

Listening is indeed special. It is a science. It is a philosophy. It is an art as well. Listening is much much more than the physiological activity. It involves 'listening' to the body language as well. We always listen in. In other words, we are all attention, literally drinking in every word. All in all, listening is a combo of cognitive, behavioural and affective procedures.

Listening carefully can change your very being, nay, your entire life. Better hence to listen to not only to music or to people, but to books of all sorts. To nature one must listen.  Indeed every rustle and each rumble has its own message. At times, on a full moon or no moon night, one can listen to the very universe. Every morning has its own unique sweet song of hope, right? May be, thus bloomed the great prayers in the Vedas.

Look at mythology or at history. The most interesting individuals always are the great listeners, be it Rama (his version of  listening created both, an i-deal and a scandal), be it Arjuna (he listened, and thus emerged the Bhagwad Geeta), be it Shivaji Maharaj (who listened sensitively to the commonest 'mawla'/foot soldier, too) or be it Maharshi Karve, these great souls listened to both, the guru/the teacher and to their own selves.

Listening is special. Why, the very beginning of every human birth, anxiously awaited, is confirmed through listening to the baby's lusty cry! If listening is so central to existence, why is it that there is so much 'noise' in the process? Why so many barriers?

May be, very few people listen because most people have horrible attitudinizing, huge egos and very little grey matter! Most are so egoistic (and egotistical) that they hate to listen to anyone else, as very full of themselves they are! Actually, a very co-operative activity, listening may thus be vitiated into spreading rumours against a very good person who you do not want around for your selfish reasons and stupid goals!

Yet any good thing carried to an extreme can have its own dangers, too. Remember the Aesop story about a father, a son and their donkey? Best it is hence to listen to our real self, our own soul. That is the sole path to a great dia-logue which is the utmost gift we can give ourselves!

Pratima@Listening makes a great speaker, a nice societal citizen, and a good human being who leads, if at all, by and through his very own example!