As Adapted from Thich Nhat Hanh by Don Boice
Deep compassionate listening is essential to the creation of peace.
Listen with all your mindfulness and concentration. Give them a chance to speak out -even if their speech is full of condemnation, bitterness, and blame.
You still listen, because you know that to listen like this is to give them a chance to move in the direction of peace.
If you interrupt, deny, or correct everything they say, they have no chance to make peace.
Deep listening allows the other person to speak, even if what they say contains wrong perceptions, bitterness, and injustice. The intention is to restore communication, because once communication is restored, anything is possible.
Listening to someone with compassion can turn them into a friend. It may be that no one else has been able to listen. Perhaps you were the first one capable of listening and giving the relief they need.
You become a being who ends suffering.
You lose an enemy and win a friend. When you act out of fear, you cause harm and distraction to yourself, and others. Fear is a product of ignorance and lack of compassion, which are the very atmosphere of war.
Fear feeds off ignorance- whereas compassion and lucidity flower from understanding.
Deep listening and loving speech can stop new anger and fear from arising, as well as transform long held misperceptions and suffering.
With mindfulness, we can protect ourselves from danger.
Deep compassionate listening is essential to the creation of peace.
Listen with all your mindfulness and concentration. Give them a chance to speak out -even if their speech is full of condemnation, bitterness, and blame.
You still listen, because you know that to listen like this is to give them a chance to move in the direction of peace.
If you interrupt, deny, or correct everything they say, they have no chance to make peace.
Deep listening allows the other person to speak, even if what they say contains wrong perceptions, bitterness, and injustice. The intention is to restore communication, because once communication is restored, anything is possible.
Listening to someone with compassion can turn them into a friend. It may be that no one else has been able to listen. Perhaps you were the first one capable of listening and giving the relief they need.
You become a being who ends suffering.
You lose an enemy and win a friend. When you act out of fear, you cause harm and distraction to yourself, and others. Fear is a product of ignorance and lack of compassion, which are the very atmosphere of war.
Fear feeds off ignorance- whereas compassion and lucidity flower from understanding.
Deep listening and loving speech can stop new anger and fear from arising, as well as transform long held misperceptions and suffering.
With mindfulness, we can protect ourselves from danger.
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