Hear, Here!

Think about it… The entire Bhagavad Gita is a conversation, and it would not have the kind of transformational impact that Krishna desired for Arjuna, if Arjuna had not listened attentively to what Krishna said. That kind of connection, born of authenticity, is only possible when one makes an effort. And the one who makes an effort with what is heard, is the one who is convinced by what is being said. Even if it starts small, with just a word that clicks, it can grow into a belief that serves the very core of your value system and vision of life.All day long our senses are consuming, and more often than not, we dismiss things due to disinterest. Take YouTube Shorts as an example. How video content has shifted from extended to condensed, is evidence that our attention spans are fast spiralling down to almost nothing. And even those short videos are too long, for we scroll through those as well, and one is so quickly dismissed for the next. If I can’t even give that little attention to what I am watching and hearing, what hope do I have of taking it in at a deeper level?It is only if I can actively listen that I can understand and apply what I have heard. Here is a quick check-in to try on yourself: .Do I REALLY hear?Do I absorb what I hear?Can I remember what I hear?Can I repeat what I hear?Do I feel like I proactively CHOOSE what to listen to and what to dismiss? How much are my likes and dislikes at play? Sometimes our hearing is selective, and we only pick up the points which we feel are of interest. It is a limited approach, which won’t allow for much growth and expansion in our understanding. We need to leave our moods and preferences aside and listen to what is being conveyed. Even when we hear something and listen intently, we don’t necessarily absorb it because our thoughts are chattering away at the same time. We drift off in the direction shown by the mind, and our learning is left incomplete.One way to train the mind is to take written or typed notes. When we take notes we have to keep our mind where the pen and paper (or these days phone or tablet) are, as well as on what we hear. That leaves less scope for the mind to wander. Eventually, when the mind is trained, stop making notes while you listen. Instead, reflect on what you have heard as soon as you can; next, be in silence. Spend at least a few moments alone, trying to commit to memory the main takeaways from what you have just heard.If the lesson has felt important to you, keep coming back to it, repeat it, memorise it. Not because you have been told to or because you will be tested on it, but because you feel that the subject is something that would be good to remember. At first you may think of it daily and you will know it well. Later, if you find that you have forgotten it, come back to it, revise it, and re-discover the joy of learning it.Listen up! This crucial lesson from the Gita can be applied to school classes, college lectures, professional training programmes, and even to relationships and hobbies! It may feel like a faculty you were born with, but to truly listen attentively is an art to be mastered; a doorway to wisdom.

Hear, Here!

Related Stories