any activity like seeing, listening, eating or walking can be a meditative process. it all depends on how much consciousness you bring in these acts. basically any action done with awareness becomes meditative. so advanced meditators make effort to be meditative in their day to day actions.
listening can also be used as a meditation technique. infact many enlightened masters like lord shiva, mahavira, guru nanak, osho have given emphasis on right listening. because if you can listen rightly then in that moment you are in a state of meditation.
listening has been used as an meditation for thousand of years. many people have attained to enlightenment by following the technique of right listening.
so are we listening wrongly? is there any right way to listen?
right listening happens under following condition:
1. when you listen without getting identified. most of the times you start relating with what other person is saying. you don’t need to relate. you just need to listen. so don’t get identified and instead practice detach listening.
2. when you listen without bringing your conditioning or judgement. your mind starts interpreting what other person mean or want to say. don’t do it. don’t bring your mind in between. don’t judge. remember, your job is just to listen.
3. when there is no internal dialog or thought process going on. there should be absolute silence inside you. because if your mind is chattering inside then how can you listen to what other person is saying. so there should be silence inside to receive what other person is saying.
now all these above conditions are possible when you are centered inside. when there is stillness inside you. right listening happens when you are listening not from your mind but from your inner center.
so if you want to practice right listening then develop your inner center. develop the knack of stop using the mind at will and coming to your inner center.
when i want to practice right listening then i bring my attention at my inner center and i just listen. i don’t try to interpret what other person is saying. instead i just try to be aware of my inner center. remember, listening is a spontaneous process. it happens on its own and you don’t need to make any effort to do it.
so when you are at your center and listen to other person story without getting identified or without trying to make any conclusion then you really listen. this type of listening is meditation.
the beauty of right listening is that you come to many things without even trying to know them. you might be able to find the solution of your friend problem. give it a try.