There Are Many Voices Beside Ours

We have a lot to learn from indigenous tribes. One time I was inside the forest of Mindoro in the Philippines when I came to a peak along the path. Since it was a strenuous hike, it was but natural to take a pause and enjoy the panorama below. Apparently, this was also true for the natives. Not before long a tribesman also arrived at the peak. He was wearing a g-string, carrying a spear / walking stab. He was also a bit surprised to find me there. But he did not say a word. He simply squatted there in silence. After a short interval, another native arrived at the peak. Just like the other man, the 2nd indigenous tribesman was also just wearing a g-string. He was also a bit surprised to encounter a city fellow but did not say anything. So we all sat there in silence for a few minutes. I did not say anything because I do not know their language. They were contented with the silence. After some time, one of the men pulled out a small bamboo container holding tobacco. He rolled a cigarette using a leaf. While smoking, he was looking at his bamboo container. It was with some written text I could not decipher. They have their own language and unique alphabet. Then he gave the container to the other man who started to look at it. The second man also produced his small bamboo container with text engraved on it and gave it to the 1st man. Both were quietly reading and contemplating the texts written on each others tabacco container. There I was witnessing a deep communication in silence. Not a word was spoken. And yet I felt their deep connection with each other. Each left one after the other without exchanging a word. I later found out that those texts are the owner‘s short stories or poems that they engraved on their bamboo containers or other accessories. No need to talk or comment about it when it is shared with each other. Hide full comment

"I will listen. Maybe I’ll stop listening if I don’t like what you are saying, but I won’t interrupt you." Though I seem to grasp the heart of the matter, it arouses some questions in my mind: 1. Can we listen beyond our likes and dislikes ? 2. Why stop listening ? And if we stop listening, what will my mind do ? Either it would RESIST what is being said or go back to its old habit of mechanically wandering here and there denying itself the valuable opportunity of mindfully living in the Here & Now. 3. After all, when we listen to this chirping of birds or a tree's leaves rustling in the breeze, don't we put aside this whole business of agreeing or disagreeing? 4. And why fear interrupting the speaker if he/she is talking nonsense ? Yes, we have to be utterly polite--while saying, "I am sorry, what you're talking doesn't interest me, so why waste our time ? 5. Last but not least, I humbly suggest not to callously and indifferently 'go away'--without saying 'thank you for sharing your ideas and views'. I think basically the problem is that the text has been phrased rather too naively. Yes, there is no doubt that the trees, the mountains , the whole Universe keeps whispering the words of wisdom to us which gets drowned in the tumult of our non-meditative mind. Hide full comment

Speech is silver. Silence is golden. I love this wise saying. I hope and wish talkative people know it and put into practice. Sadly, it is mostly revesed. Speech has become golden and silenece has become silver. One of the hall marks of effective communication is lisenting with full and quiet attentiion and then respond. When someone talks, the poor listner is not interested in listening; he is intersted in talking. It is vey fustrating.experience for the listner. There is an ancient wise saying in Sanskit: " Guorostu maunam vakhyanam Shishtastu chinna samshayaha." Student's doubts ae shattered by the silence of the Guru. The Guru teaches by silence. The teacher becomes a role model. The Guru observes the student with full attention and reads the mind of the student. The student learns a lesson of silence by fully paying attention to his Guru. I am a teacher, counselor, and grandfather. I always listen to my students, cleints, and grandchildren by listening emapthetically what is going in their mind and heart. When I do this, they open up their heart amd mind. Remaining mindfully silent empathetically and compassionately by llistening they feel understood and connected. There are many ways we communicate besides verbally- we communicate though our sensory channels such as eyes, ears. brows, hands, and touch. In order understand the other person I need to be a silent obsever, a silent listener with emaphathy and compassion. If we do not relate to other person this way, the bridge of communication and relationship breaks down. It is challenging for me as a listner how to relate to someone who has a strong urge to talk about himself without stopping for listening. Then it becomes a unipolar communication. As I had mentioned before, when I encounter such situations I empatheically and compassiontely relate to such a person. And ask him to think about how he would he feel if he were in my position. This role reveasal techinque helps him. What helps me to relate to such people in my life is mindfulness practice, to relate to them wiith emapthy and loving kindness, patience, and perseverance. I keep a beginner's mind and do not let me bound by the past events and be feaful or anxious about the future. And that provides modelling for them. Acceping we are not perfect and there is hope for making a shift is comforting. Namaste! Jagdish P Dave Hide full comment