Q: How does one learn to hear the inner voice?
In order for this to occur, it is not a matter of adding something but removing what stands in the way.
In most, every day consciousness is filled with repeating thoughts, desires and patterns. These are the thoughts our culture has taught us are important and necessary for daily living. Many of these thoughts focus upon survival, self-interest and keeping the culture operative. Usually, these thoughts lead to actions that are essential to personal and community survival.
Beneath these layers of thoughts and feelings, which are necessary to participate in the physical world, there is another mode of awareness. In order to perceive spiritually, the noise of daily life must be quieted: over time and with guidance we learn to hear this inner whisper. This whisper can only be heard when the other desires and thoughts are stilled for a time. The ability to still every day thoughts and desires is within each, it is part of us, but for most it must be activated through the intervention of a teacher.
This capacity, to hear the inner voice comes and goes based upon the needs of the situation. Our every day thoughts and desires are necessary for our life in the world. The spiritual consciousness exists to integrate and make whole the interplay of factors in our lives. By tuning inward, and stilling the noises of daily life, we hear the inner voice and this helps us with decisions and life problems.
Remember we were created to live and participate in the world. The spiritual awareness is an additional capacity that integrates. It helps us with the problems of daily life, giving us a more complete, holistic view. The ability to see events from a higher perspective is part of the birthright of humanity and, for most, is awakened by one of the Teachers.
This can only happen when there is a correct alignment of the student, the teacher and the path. The student must be prepared and relatively free of self-interest; the student must be able to put aside, for a time, self-interest and listen objectively to what the teacher offers. For most, this is impossible; most students believe they already know and have everything they need.
* *
Most travelers make religion too complicated a thing; adding rules and customs that many times get in the way of direct communication. Religion should be a joyous conversation between your self, your higher self and the Infinite. Travelers must learn to listen to the quiet stirrings of their heart . . . here the communication is the sweetest
* *
The Heart
Traveler: What of the Heart?
Master: The Heart dwells
Within the soul
And is the window
Through which we experience God.
It is the fountain
Through which the river flows
And is the mirror
Of God’s Love.
It is God’s Gift
To you and I.
Some Hearts
Easily perceive God’s Wonders
And others
Are hardened to God’s Glory.
This mystery
Is God’s alone.
The Heart
Is like the babe
Who yearns
To be in the mother’s arms.
It is waiting to go home
And when God Calls
The rejoicing begins.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
“For most, this is impossible; most students believe they already know and have everything they need.” – I assure you, I haven’t become that student yet. 🙂 Though arbitrarily, one of our department’s teacher told me about this “Teacher” or spiritual guide. He said exactly “The student must be prepared and relatively free of self-interest; the student must be able to put aside, for a time, self-interest and listen objectively to what the teacher offers.” Now, please tell me, am I following your insight, or have I got the idea wrong? I want to tell you that before finding my Teacher, I should analyze me first, in order to discern the truth or knowledge. Thank you very much for your link. 🙂
Hi Ayan:
My point in sharing this piece: Hearing the Inner Voice was to go along with your essay and help further identify the structures which must be pushed aside so that the deeply hidden part of us might come forward. These structures, thoughts, expectations and feelings while so important to daily life and consciousness, in our society, are precisely those parts which must be stilled. As you indicated, we must learn and recognize those aspects of self/consciousness which are both hardwired and engineered into us, to help keep society going, so we might suspend them for a time and access the Higher Knowledge.
We all seek spiritual knowledge because there is a part of us that is empty (The Great Hunger) without it; and on some level we know what we need and this pushes us further. So in a sense, in a spiritual quest, there is a level of self-interest; however, the traveler cannot have too much of this self-interest- it can become an obsession, self-directing mechanism or the traveler might even miss what is being offered.
I found it interesting, that you chose to discuss this portion of the piece (self-interest) rather than my support of helping to identify the expectations and barriers which stand in our way?
Later, I look forward to reading the second piece to which you provided a link. Thanks. Stewart
When i don’t listen to my “still small voice” as the Bible puts it, i find all chaos breaks loose!
j/L “Granny” Matrika / Rolling Buffalo Woman
Sometimes, the noise in the ‘day to day’ world is deafening . . .