It broke into its bird song. A tailor bird is amazingly musical. Its bird song lasts for a few minutes sometimes. The whole body goes into swinging motion each time it takes a breath and sings. It holds the musical note for several seconds.
A bird which measures about 15 cm in its length, not so easy to be noticed except when the leaves move on its arrival on a branch, has a bird song which is distinct and melodious.
Some of the experiences can move us. That is what happened to me this morning. I had spotted a Bulbul in the tree in the garden. I watched it in its grooming ritual.
As soon as the Tailor bird broke into its bird song, this Bulbul had its body turned towards the direction of the tailor bird, attentive to its bird song. The way the bulbul was perched in an attentive mood surprised me.
Listening is with the whole body!
It occurred to me yesterday, how demanding listening can be if we are in such an open presence to the listener. A person shared his distressing experience and took a while to describe the story. At the end of half an hour of listening, I felt 'full' with concern and and anguish. I took a walk to process internally my own feelings. I recognised that a similar event which occurred about forty years had arisen within me at the end of that listening activity. That event had left me anguished at that time and I needed a long time to recover. But a faint recollection of that returned to me yesterday although not with anguish or distress.
Our experiences, pleasant or difficult reside within us. Every time such an event returns to our conscious mind in sleep through a dream or when awake, that event is calling us to pay attention to diffuse the sharpness of its impact. A difficult experience ought to be received as a learning resource and an exuberant experience with an abundant spirit of gratitude.
It is an external event that that leads us to the interior of our lives. It is in the interior we need an ambience of acceptance, tolerance and peace.
It is by being in touch with our interior consciously, we can grow out of valley experiences or stay sober when blessed with a peek experience.
To be present to oneself and be oriented towards oneself in a friendly manner without getting absorbed in guilt or anger or suspicion or reaction is the way to be a listener. When we wrestle with our own discordances, we might be hearing but not listening. Listening is a way of becoming present to others.
It is by practicing to be present to oneself and God, one can gradually become an active listener to others and be present to them!
The Bulbul was present with its body, tuned to the bird song of the Tailor Bird.
The Tailor Bird and Bulbul were timely messengers to me this morning!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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