The Art of Listening – Technique give by Guru Nanak to realize self

I have picked up SOME from the verses of Guru Nanak’s Japji Sahib – V (8-11) which roughly transalates as

By listening Meditation transpires spontaneously
By listening one rises to become perfect and venerable
By listening the ignorant finds the way
By listening, the earth and sky above revolve
By Listening, exists the trinity of Shiva, Brahma and Indra
By listening even the ignorant praise the name of God
By listening Truth and contentment are attained
By listening sages, saints and Kings come into being
By listening one becomes virtuous like deep oceans
By listening one learns the mysteries of Yoga and the bodily humors
By listening all the scriptural knowledge is known
By listening, Death does not strike
By listening the Unfathomable is close at hand

Says Nanak,
Through listening the devotee is always blissful
thus, all miseries and sins are annihilated

Sounds very simple! Just listen and everything is attained! To a layman this appears to be impossible. We have been listening throughout but nothing is happening to us! So to us, Nanak appears to be 100% wrong!

Just hold on..

Anything that synchronizes with our understanding cannot change us. It can only help to reinforce that understanding. Rather than transform us it gives yet more stones and cement to strengthen our foundation.

Consider this statement carefully:

We hear only that which we want to and not what is being said. With great effort we hear what lets us remain as we are; nothing goes in which may cause a change in us. We only hear that which fits into our understanding. That which does not fit our understanding, passes by.

Right now we think and think, and then listen. By Listening, the listener attains the knowledge of the witness. The day we listen without thinking we will become the witness.

With Listening, we become a witness..Then the witness crystallizes..At last, only witness remains

For those who have mastered the Art of Listening, there is nothing more to know. All existence comes into being through listening.

Leave a Reply

Or

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *