Listen to the birds
I have heard Osho say that if you listen to the birds in the morning you will be able to listen to people throughout the day. While listening to birds the mind is at ease; it does not judge, reject or criticise. In fact, the music of birds soothes the nerves, it calms you down.
The birds are one with nature so their sound becomes the voice of nature. Refreshing and rejuvenating.
Listening silently to others is therapeutic. If you listen attentively, others feel that they are accepted, as if you give them a space in your being. This connectivity is the dire need of everyone today. You often hear people say, “Nobody listens to me!” Whether it is a child or a parent; a teacher or a student, everyone feels they are not heard. It is so frustrating that you cannot share yourself with others.
For the modern egoistic man listening may not be so easy, but it is crucial in relationships. It involves overcoming the habitual tendency of the mind to block itself.
Listening is a major element of a leadership skill to maximise the workers’ performance through inspiring them to use the full power of their brains. People have stopped listening because they have stopped connecting from the heart. It is interesting to know why people avoid listening to others. To listen deeply means to be vulnerable, to expose yourself to the other, to change your ideas and values.
Once you know how to listen, in deep receptivity, sensitivity, your ego melts. The energy moves from the head to the heart and you are deeply relaxed. Once you are relaxed with yourself you drop your armour and allow the other to come closer. It is a wonderful experience to listen to people from the heart. This kind of listening heals the listener as well as the speaker.
It may be asked how one can avoid the jarring noises of the street. Osho asks us not to differentiate between sounds. Even the buzz of the market, the traffic noise, the airplanes flying above, all sounds have to be listened to attentively, silently and lovingly, as if you are listening to music. And you will be surprised: you can transform all sounds into music. All that is needed is the change of attitude. The key is: If we are resistant, the sound becomes noise; if we are receptive, the sound becomes music. If listening is made part of living soon the heart will flower. And the qualities of the heart like peace, positivity, relaxation will be part of your being.
Now I have to stop here because a bird is chirping outside my window.
Amrit Sadhana is in the management team of Osho International Meditation Resort, Pune. She facilitates meditation workshops all over the world.
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