Rumi said when you hear something, your character changes, but when you see, there is an inner change.
The saying ‘don’t lend out your ears’ comes to mind. When you listen to things, your judgment and preconceived ideas kick in.
There is another saying, ‘you only hear what you want to hear’. A classic example is when a child asks for something and you say, ‘I will think about it’. Then the child starts reminding you ‘remember when we talked about this, and you promised me I could get it?’ Of course, the child is twisting the truth, and this impacts on their character. Are you going to finally give in, or are you going to stick to your guns and remind the child that you only said you would think about it?
‘… when you see, there is an inner change.’ This reminds me of my favourite quite from Carl Jung: “Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”
When you see through your inner eye, you gain wisdom. This wisdom can never be taken away from you.
Everything we see, hear, and feel in this world is an illusion. Different people can look at the same object and give different descriptions, and the object remains the same. I can describe a cup with the ear on the left side, and a flower on the other side. You can describe the same cup with the ear on the right side and no flower. Someone else can describe the cup as a circle with a little line to the side (seen from above). All of us are correct.
However, when you go inside and find the one truth, you will discover that all these perspectives are correct and form part of the truth. This is how tolerance is born. This is how you understand that your point of view is one of many, and if you are willing to see other people’s points of view, your view of the world becomes clearer.
When you are looking for the truth, always go inside and listen to your heart. Then you will see the truth rather than the illusion.
Namaste
