Yes, if actuality, the unfolding of events, has no beginning and no end. But can the conditioned mind acknowledge the possibility that consciousness is unconditional?
Why do you ask these questions?
Why do you ask these questions?
Don’t you ask questions? If you do, you know why. If you don’t, why not?
I am interested in the topic of listening and found this old thread.
How is the listening going, any more news on the listening front?
I am still experimenting with listening and find that most of the time, I am unable to listen deeply to Krishnamurti or to others speak. Also, I have a hard time listening to what others are sharing here in the forum and or in dialogues. My mind seems distracted, all over the place, thinking, interpreting, comparing, etc.
Some of what was discussed in this thread was about reactions, thought, etc. But am curious if any new insights or reports about listening have taken place since this thread was started.
K said listening is an art, and my guess is few have mastered it. Has the opening poster mastered the art or still working on it? Has anybody here mastered it?
I think it is more important that you listen to yourself rather than X,Y or Z. Then you’ll listen to that which is relevant and related to you rather than forcefully/willfully try to listen to some thing or situation.
If you are distracted, let it be so. Watch yourself being distracted.
So the word ‘art’ means giving their proper place, proper proportion, putting everything in harmony - not just paint a picture or write a poem.
So, if you will this morning apply the art, the art of listening. We rarely listen to anybody. We are so full of our own conclusions, our own experiences, our own problems, our own judgements, so we have no space in which to listen. We ought to have some space so that as two friends, you and I, the speaker, are talking over together their problems, amicably, under the shade of a tree, sitting down and looking at the mountains, but concerned with their problems, and so they are willing to listen to each other. And to listen is only possible when you put aside your particular opinion, your particular knowledge or problem, your conclusions; when you’re free to listen, not interpreting, not judging, not evaluating, but actually the art of listening. To listen with great care, attention, with affection. And if we have such an art, if we have learnt such… rather, if you are capable of such listening, then communication becomes very, very simple. There’ll be no misunderstanding. Communication implies to think together, to share the things that we are talking about together, to partake in the problem as two human beings living in a monstrous corrupt world, where everything is so ugly, brutal, violent and meaningless, it is very important, it seems to me, if I may point out, that in the art of listening one learns immediately, one sees the fact instantly. And if you, if one listens rightly, as we pointed out the meaning of that word ‘right’ - correctly, accurately, not what you think is right or wrong, but in the art of listening there is freedom, and in that freedom every word, every nuance of word has significance, and there is immediate comprehension, which is immediate insight, and therefore immediate freedom to observe.
Public Talk 4 Ojai, California, USA - 10 April 1977
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Drax, good advice. Like i said, this is all just an experiment in listening. Curious how it is going for the opening poster or anyone else, if they would be so kind to share.
As K says in the talk I shared, "We rarely listen to anybody… We have no space in which to listen.
He also says “not interpreting, not evaluating, but actually listening.”
This part about interpreting and evaluating I am stuck on. I just dont see how it is possible not to have that interfering when I am listening to another speaking. Anybody work through this?
DavidS,
Space is crucial here and it is so important to understand how one’s beliefs take up so much space. It is like a home, so filled with so much, like a hoarder’s home. They can hardly move around, because of all the things they have filled their home with, all the memorabilia which they have littered their life with…does one really need to keep all that stuff? One is so astonished at the degree to which people remember everything that they themselves say, or what others say, how they keep all those memories at their beck and call.
Howdy - as a complete newbie to this idea of conscious listening, here’s my take so far : the problem is not so much my knowledge of what the words mean, its more to do with motive. Can I let go off my desire for some habitual outcome (offering solutions, changing opinions, solving what I think the problem may be, showing off, being helpful etc…) and actually be motivated to understand what is being said, why its being said?
Questions usually help I find.
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This is a description of an inward difficulty, right?
This is looking outward for an answer, right? If the difficulty is inward, isn’t that where the inquiry may reveal something? Yes reactions were discussed. Is it possible that observation, (not ‘I observe’, not observing from the self, the centre) but observation of the self reacting, may reveal something? may reveal why you do not listen? may reveal what the self does to move away from listening?
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Very good point Charley. Our minds are so filled and occupied with the non essential, that it takes up so much space.
Doug, I like that phrase “Conscious listening”. Conscious is the key part I feel. And yes, what you highlighted from me, the quote, is my main issue I feel, how to listen to Krishnamurti without interpretation taking place. What you shared is helpful pointer, to look at motive and let go of desires and expectations.
Bob, yes I have hard time listening to others in forums and dialogues. Even reading what you write here, I have a hard time listening to it. It is indeed an inward difficulty I have.
Yes, I asked for others to share, it is a forum and we are here to discuss, share, dialogue, explore, etc. But yes, of course, equally, I have to inquire within. Both have their place, inward watching and outward discussion.
Just by quoting K and sharing a little, and listening to what others wrote in here, I feel there has been some seeing into Listening.
I don’t know anything about the art of listening, but I know I can listen, I can enjoy listening, and I can tune-out what I don’t want to hear. It’s an ability we all seem to have, whether practiced skillfully or carelessly.
Listening takes time, so one can learn how to listen and get better at listening until one is considered a master or an artist.
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I like that reply, Inquiry, thank you. I know I can listen too and I can learn how to listen and get better at it.