Learning to Listen

Listening may not be as simple as one might think. It can encompass a lot more than one may even imagine.

How do we evolve through our practice and our life? As time goes on, so does our understanding of the arts and our lives. It is as Ghandi once said: "If you ever find two of my teaching that are contradictory to each other, please take the later one, for I have grown further in my understanding." Let's look into some old principles of practice to find some answers. There is an old principle that states, "the ears must listen in all directions." What does this mean, and how can someone listen in "all" directions?

Of course, we can think of listening in all directions as we are practicing. We should be able to hear if someone is next us or behind us, and adjust our training accordingly. The old masters referred to listening to one's body as a means to master the individual moves and techniques, paying close attention to the structure of one's body as the form guides the student through his/her training. The old Hua manual tells us "to avoid the barbaric styles of practice that lead to disorders of the body and mind." As we listen to their advice, it helps to guide our training and our journey to mastery, but how can we take the practice outside of the school and implement it in our every day lives? Well, if you learn to listen to everything and everyone, this is probably the quickest way to learn. According to the old masters, everyone can teach us if we have an open mind, are receptive, and can truly LISTEN to what they are saying. After all, one of the best forms of communication is having the ability to be receptive to another person's viewpoint, to listen to what s/he is trying to say without interruption. Of course, this is easier said than done, and we realize that throughout life, this is a skill that must be developed; it is not a skill we are born with. By developing our listening skills, we increase our ability to get along and actually work together with others, even if their viewpoints are different than ours. Is this listening in all directions?

Can listening in all directions encompass listening within oneself? We have all heard our "inner voice" advising us from time to time. Is this another direction that the old masters were referring to? Having the ability to go within to find the answers we seek is just as important as listening to the external world. That is where we get the phrases "I'll sleep on it" and "I had a gut feeling." This idea of listening has so many levels that from the deepest perspective, we must turn our consciousness within. It becomes a state of awareness, allowing us to be aware of our environment, ourselves, and our existence.