Listening vs Hearing

Of others the example fear; think for thyself.

This saying of Pythagoras is of a million dollar importance, and if it is understood, it would change the course of one’s life. It gives the sutra of awareness and the key to get rid of prejudices. Our prejudice is our prison and awareness is the only key.

That’s why Pythagoras lays emphasis on listening. Listening is spiritual- it has meditative value. But we confuse listening with hearing, we here but we don’t listen. There is a world of difference between hearing and listening.

Hearing is very superficial- it’s only physical. Hearing is related to our ears, we hear because we have ears. So it is an ordinary phenomenon. But listening is not limited to ears only- when it goes deep down the heart, it because listening. When we hear attentively, and with great love, intensity, passion, and then it become listening.

When our soul also gets involved in it, when we hear in silence, it is listening, and to listen is to understand. Truth needs no proof. Truth is self-evident. “The student hears; the disciple listens. The curious hears, because his inquiry is intellectual. But the one who is seeker, whose inquiry is not only a kind of curiosity, whose inquiry is a question of life and death to him, he listens. Listening means your Body and Soul function together in deep harmony.”

Down the ages, sages have been saying to listen to them, but we ignore and that’s why we suffer immensely. To listen to Buddha is enough. Listening is also a stage of no mind, when there are no thoughts, no commotion in mind, no traffic inside and only total silence. When listening ones the words of the Buddha reach the heart. If we only hear, then the words will reach the head. Prejudice keeps one closed. A prejudiced mind decides something a priori.  

And Pythagoras is not saying, “Whatever I say, you have to believe in it.” No, all he is saying is “Listen”. There is no question of believing or not believing. Truth needs nothing. Truth needs only to be listening to. And once the seed of truth falls into the heart, we become like a garden – we blossom.