“Teaching and listening are proper when they are beneficial to the mind. Controlled and disciplined behaviour is the sign of having heard teachingsâ€
When we are engaged in teaching, listening and attaining wisdom, it is essential to know the proper ways and effective methods of listening to the teaching. This involves the elimination of three main defects of a listener [likened to a vessel].
The first of the three defects is listening in a way that is like an upside down container. This means that physically we may be present but mentally we are busy somewhere else. So when someone is advising or offering us wisdom and teaching, we are in fact not listening at all. In such a case we in fact do not hear anything that is taught. This is a great obstacle to learning, and we must eliminate this problem, and attend to the subject or teaching with keen interest.
The second of the defects is to listen in a way that is like a container with holes. This means that even though we are listening to the teachings, we do not retain their contents. We lack mindfulness and memory. We should be able to take benefit from what we have heard. It is not a past time like listening to a story. The teachings and advice we receive give us guidance on how to live meaningful lives , develop proper attitudes, compassion and release negative emotions. In order to benefit we must endeavour to retain them with mindfulness. Pay full attention and remember their contents. When our interest is half hearted, we remember only half the contents and for only a short time. We should take time to reflect on what we have heard, and repeat it over and over again. In this way the knowledge will stay in our mind for a long time.
The third defect of a listener concerns the motivation, and is likened to a vessel containing poison. When we listen to the teachings, we must avoid deluded motives. Accepting wisdom, compassion, forgiveness and positive change must be done with a wholesome, and unselfish or corrupt motivation.
Once this is mastered, we can begin our journey to attaining a state of mind dedicated to working for the benefit of all sentient beings, and the perfection of ones own purpose and happiness.
“When the technique is obscure to you [yourself] Explanation is naturally difficult “