You Tell Me – I Will Listen

LISTEN and SILENT are two different words but contain the same alphabets. These two words are complementary to each other. In order to listen something as it is, you have to silence your mind first. Without listening something properly, you cannot understand it properly. Without understanding it properly, you cannot be the master of that subject what has been talking about.

Only 2% people listen, rest 98% just hear. If you listen properly then there would be no any misconception and misunderstanding about anything. Listening must be the pure. There must not be any prejudices and assumption in it. It must be listened as it is. The listening is so pure and divine that the highest and the most authentic scripture of Hinduism that is Veda is called Shruti – means – to be heard. It is so because without great listening ability no one can be the master of great, profound and divine knowledge.

Lord Ganesha is considered the god of wisdom. His wisdom is because of his listening ability. His big ears symbolize his great listening ability. Once his father, lord Shiva, wanted to visit his wife Parvati, but Ganesha tried to stop him. Lord Shiva tried to explain his relationship with his mother Parvati, but he refused to listen to him. And Lord Shiva chopped his head and replaced with an elephant head. Elephant has big ears and small mouth. Means – listening more and speaking less. At least listen twice than you speak.

Lord Ganesha became so great listener that he became the god of wisdom. He could understand and know what others could not. Due to this great quality, ability and wisdom he became divine and is worshipped first before any other gods and goddesses.

Mouth is one, but there are many works. And ears are two but has only one work – just listening. This is the design of nature. According to this design we must listen multiple times more than we speak. Speaking without listening is always a useless talk. If we want to flourish and be happy in this existence, without any alternative, we must conform to this design of nature.

In the Bagawat Gita, Arjuna kept speaking his doubt, and Krishna kept listening all his doubt patiently and carefully without interrupting him in between. When Arjuna stopped speaking, and after listening and understanding his concern properly, Krishna opened his mouth. When Krishna started speaking, Arjuna listened that patiently and carefully without interrupting him in between. With this great communication, Arjuna`s all doubts were washed away and he involved himself single mindedly in the action which was appropriate for that moment and emerged as a hero.

You cannot give the proper solution to someone without listening and understanding his doubts properly. And other party cannot get the solution of his doubt until he closes his mouth and open his ears. Speaking and listening cannot happen simultaneously, it must be in sequential.

Without listening ability, any communication is a weak communication. Great communication is not only speaking ability, but listening ability also. Communication between Krishna and Arjuna was very strong and effective communication, because both the sides had strong listening ability.

“The people with less intelligence and knowledge keep their ears and eyes closed and mouth opened."