Krishnamurti on Listening
A selection of Lectures and Conversations
“I think if I can learn the art of listening I have solved a great many problems.”
Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) was a writer and speaker on philosophical and spiritual issues, including psychological transformation, social change, the nature of the mind, meditation, and human relationships. Widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers and spiritual teachers of the 20th century, he declared himself unbound by any tradition or philosophy. From the time of his break with the Theosophical Society in 1929 until his death in 1986, Krishnamurti spoke throughout the world to large audiences as well as to individuals about the need for radical change in humankind.
This is a selection of Krishnamurti’s views on Listening from the vast collection of his writings, interviews and public talks.
The Arts of Listening, Seeing and Learning (1981 · 17 minutes)
“So first, as we said, to learn the art of listening. Listening to yourself. Never distorting what you listen to. Are you listening now what the speaker is saying, or are you distorting what the speaker is saying, to suit your own theories, conveniences, happiness, comfort, this or that; or saying tradition has already said this. Which indicates that you’re not listening. So first thing is to learn the art of listening. Not only to the speaker, which is unimportant, but listening to your wife, listening to your son, listening to your husband. And you cannot listen if you have an image about him or her, a conclusion about him or her, that will prevent you from listening. Do it. If you listen that way, your brain becomes extraordinarily sensitive, alert, active, which it is not now.”
[Text Source: Youtube Transcript edited by HOL]The Art of Listening, Learning and Perception
(1983/84 · 5 minutes)
“The art of listening, not merely hearing words. The hearing of the words is quite a different process than the art of listening. The art of listening implies you are actually listening, not interpreting, not agreeing, not putting up resistance, but listening to what another has to say, so that you are not the translator of what is being said. You don’t project your own conclusions, prejudice, opinions, judgments, you are actually listening. And that requires certain attention. And in that attention, you as the listener disappear. You are just listening.
If you are listening to those crows and to those birds, you are listening. You don't say, that is the noise of the crow calling, you just listen. And when you do so, listen so attentively, there is neither agreement or non-agreement, you are just in a state of attention.
Not only to what the speaker is saying, but also listen to your wife and husband, which is much more difficult because you have got used to it, to each other. But fortunately you don't know the speaker, the speaker doesn't know you, so we can both listen without any prejudices, and which implies great sensitivity, to have your senses active, so that you are listening so completely, and if one listens so attentively, there is a certain miracle taking place.
It is not a listening of one opinion against another opinion, or argument against another argument, however reasonable, however crooked, illusory—but a listening in which there is silence. […] Listen to that crow.
So you listen with your senses naturally, not just with the hearing of the ear, but with all your senses awakened, listen to that. Then you don't exist, only the sound. Sound has an extraordinary importance in life. May I go on like this? You don't mind? The sound of the sea, the sound of the voice of your wife or husband, the sound among the leaves, the sound of the waves, the sound of a tree which is very still. The sound has extraordinary importance.
[Text Source: Readable edited by HOL]Do you ever listen? (1978 · 9 minutes)
“So first let’s find out what it means to listen. Don’t say ‘I’ve heard that before from you.’ […] You know, when you look at a flower day after day, the flower is never the same, isn’t it—the beauty of the flower varies from day to day. In the same way, those who have listened to the speaker for many, many, many years: listen to it as though you are listening to it for the first time. Then you are learning. Not memorising, but you’re learning about yourself. Without learning about yourself you have no basis for correct action. The right response for objective comprehension.
So first we’re going to find out together. I’m not telling you what to do, but together we’re going to find out what it means to listen. Do we ever listen to anybody? Are you listening to what I’m saying now? Are you—if you are honest—are you listening, or your mind is so occupied with other things? Or you are here because this speaker has a reputation, and you are searching what he’s going to say… All these movements prevent actual listening, right?
It is very important to learn the art of listening. You learn that art—not memorise it, because if you merely memorise how to listen, then you’re not listening. So what does it mean to listen, not only to the world outside of you, but also to listen to one’s own deep mutterings, the deep anxieties, fears—what does it mean to listen?
There is a listening with the ear, and also there is a listening without the operation of the nervous reactions. []It’s very important to find out what it means to listen, to observe. Because we are going to observe without any distortion to the actual movement of ourselves. And so to observe, to listen, is a great art, and we are learning that art together. I am not your teacher, and I really mean it. I’m not your authority. But as two friends talking over together their problems, their fears, their anxieties; and each friend talks over his own problems, and together they approach, they resolved their problems. So we are doing the same. Not that the speaker has resolved—he has—but we are trying to community, so we are sharing together.
So first, what does it mean to listen? To listen to a statement; to listen to the noise of that crow; to listen to that honking of that car; to listen to your own thoughts, to your own feelings… to listen implies no interference of thought. Because the moment thought intervenes—by saying it is good or bad, I don’t like that noise, I do like that noise—you are not listening. Right? Please do it now as you are there, and then explain it; do it now, not when you go home, then it’s too late, then you haven’t hears. The speaker is going to make many many statements, and you have to find out for yourself if they are true or false. But if you listen with what you have learned from books, from authority, from this or from your experience, then you are blocking yourself from actually listening to what the other person has to say. You understand the responsibility on your part. To listen to the world and to your own anxiety, insecurity, uncertainty, sorrow. We’ll go into it step by step, into the whole fear of sorrow, pain, anxiety, the whole human existence, we’ll go into it. But first we’ll learn how to listen to all this.
[Text Source: Youtube Transcript edited by HOL]On having an active brain and on listening without action (1985 · Mumbai · 10 minutes)
The Art of Listening – Krishnamurti in dialogue with Dr. Allan W. Anderson
(1974 · San Diego · 59 minutes)
On listening to Krishnamurti (1984 · Brockwood Park · 7 minutes)
“If one lives with these arts, then life becomes an extraordinary thing.”