Communicating what we want to communicate precisely is an art and it needs a deliberate practice. Real understanding of our communication comes when we, you and I, meet on the same level at the same time. That happens only when there is a communion. It is very difficult to commune with one another easily, effectively and with definitive action.
Other side is an art of listening. To be able really to listen, one should abandon or put aside all prejudices, pre-conceived notions, beliefs, and daily activities. You need to keep your mind in active listening state. When you are in a receptive state, things can be easily understood. Unfortunately most of listen through the screen of resistance. We are screened with prejudices and we listen really to our own noise, to our own sound, not to what is being said.
Practicing the Art of Active Listening
- Understanding is now – not tomorrow. Tomorrow is for the lazy mind, the sluggish mind, the mind that is not interested. When you are interested in something, you do it instantaneously, there is immediate understanding, immediate transformation(I will explain later what really is the transformation). If you do not change now, you will never change, because the change that takes place tomorrow is merely a modification, it is not transformation. Transformation can only take place immediately; the revolution is now, not tomorrow.
- While you are listening actively, if anything is said which is opposed to your way of thinking and belief, there is no need for you to interject and condemn. Just LISTEN ACTIVELY. Do not resist. You may be right and I may be wrong; but by listening through and reflecting the thoughts together we are going to discover and find new realities, new ideas, new thoughts which would lead to new actions and result.
- Understanding comes through being aware of what is. To know exactly what is, the real, the actual, without interpreting it, without condemning it or justifying it is the beginning of opening your conscious to awareness of the problem. What we believe or know is just an opinion. It doesn’t need to be true always. It is just an opinion. Opening our ears and actively listening without any biases would leads to different kind of realization and learning.
