Deep Listening

(adapted from a talk by Tara Brach)

It all starts with listening to ourselves. We can begin to very intentionally listen inwardly... What does your body say? What does your heart say? Where is your mind taking you to? Listen to these voices inside, and instead of fueling them with analysis and judgment, simply receive the messages with love. In that process what's clogged can become loosen and the spirt and heart and life that's there can be free.

And then there are others.
When we really listen, without impatience and resistance to how the other person is being, the other person will first go through all their habitual styles of discussion or argument. All the clogging in their fountain of speech will make it's way to the top in all shapes and forms; they'll try to impress, to dominate, to persuade, or try to do whatever they normally do in speech. BUT if we keep listening, if we can hang in there without resisting, without judgment, that person will gradually relax. And they will relax into a more naturally engaged flow of receiving and listening.

We cannot know someone if we do not listen. We cannot be close. When we can learn to listen, and unclog our fountain, we can help someone else unclog their fountain. It takes a tremendous amount of intension to do this training. It goes against all that we're wired to do. There's time to listen. There's time to practice. Just be patient.

Imagine.
We wouldn't be yelling and screaming and shooting and bombing if we didn't have a need to be listened to. We all deserve to be listened to we all need it, no matter how insane or terrible a person may seem, we all deserve to be listened to, deeply.