Listen. Just listen. At any time of day or night, anywhere. Listen to the sounds of the world. This simple practice is always available in the midst of activity or stillness. One of the gifts of just listening, according to Master Dogen, is what that allows for.
At the very time
When my ears hear
The voice as it is
Everyone that I talk with
Is my friend.
Friendliness, or intimacy, arises when just listening and only listening. We chant, “Absorbing world sounds awakens a buddha right here.” What “wakes up” when we drop our usual add-ons, side murmurings and mental commentaries that ordinarily sound-track our experience and distract us – with friends and acquaintances, co-workers, while walking in nature, while gardening, doing the dishes, driving the kids somewhere. What is speaking to us that we miss? There’s so much we notice when we truly listen. It’s so simple and yet can be hard to get to. Sound expresses so much in this intimate space and perpetually touches the inmost heart of our goings and comings. Listen, just listen and hear the voices of the ten-thousand things, any and all phenomena. What did you never notice before?