When I began to look for a poem today, I chose one by Hafiz. It reminds me of the following Buddhist proverb:
How do I listen? The question is eloquent, as it does not have a fixed and expected answer. It suggests being present and mindful as another person speaks and as the universe speaks to me. Hafiz counsels me to treat what the other says as a gift to be cherished as the last words of a Master.
It is when I listen that the teacher appears. I am ready for the teachings of the Other. Emmanuel Levinas capitalized other to point out an unconditional responsibility for the Other. How I listen reveres the Other, who is my teacher in that moment.
How
Do I
Listen to Others?
As if everyone were my Master
Speaking to me
His
Cherished
Last
Words.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 