In everyday life, we often hear the advice to “listen with your heart, not your mind.” It sounds simple, but what does it really mean? In a spiritual context, the art of listening goes beyond simply hearing words. It is about receiving a teaching fully, without allowing the mind to decide what should be accepted and what should be ignored.
Listening with the mind vs listening with the heart
HH Guruji Sundar explains that listening with the mind can be useful in ordinary conversations. But when it comes to spiritual teachings or guidance that may challenge us, the mind can become a filter.
A seeker may hear an entire teaching but hold on only to the parts that feel familiar or comfortable. Other parts may be dismissed because they seem difficult, inconvenient or unrelated. This can explain why an important teaching may feel clear at one moment but seem to lose its impact later.
Listening with the heart calls for a different approach. Instead of immediately judging or analysing what is being said, the seeker receives it as a whole. Even words that are difficult to accept are given space to reach deeper.
Also Read | Pheromone maxxing: Why the internet wants you to skip showers
What prevents us from truly listening?
Several habits can stand in the way of attentive listening. These include interrupting before someone has finished speaking, preparing a response instead of receiving the message, or listening with a sense of superiority.
A person may also assume they already know the answer, ignore advice that feels uncomfortable, or remain physically present while their attention has wandered elsewhere.
Recognising these patterns is important because they cannot be changed until they are first noticed.
How can you practise listening with your heart?
Listening deeply requires attention from the whole person. Rather than stopping at intellectual understanding, the words are allowed to settle within the seeker.
“A good listener is the one who listens with total acceptance in his heart without the restraints of the mind”, HH Guruji Sundar explains.
This kind of listening requires practice. It means putting aside the immediate urge to judge, defend or reject, and allowing the teaching to be received before deciding how to respond.
Why is the art of listening important?
Also Read | Feeling fear during meditation? The surprising reason may not be what you think
The ability to listen deeply matters beyond spiritual settings. The same habits can shape how a person receives feedback, handles relationships and responds to situations that demand change.
Listening with your heart is a discipline, not merely an emotion. When the mind stops filtering every message, a seeker can become more receptive to the teaching being offered.