The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

126 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING
Listening is a far more difficult process than most people
imagine; really to listen in the way that is meant by the masters
is to let go utterly of ourselves, to let go of all the information,
all the concepts, all the ideas, and all the prejudices
that our heads are stuffed with. If you really listen to the
teachings, those concepts that are our real hindrance, the one
thing that stands between us and our true nature, can slowly
and steadily be washed away.
In trying to really listen, I have often been inspired by the
Zen master Suzuki-roshi, who said: "If your mind is empty, it
is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the
beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's
mind there are few." 5 The beginner's mind is an open mind,
an empty mind, a ready mind, and if we really listen with a
beginner's mind, we might really begin to hear. If we listen
with a silent mind, as free as possible from the clamor of preconceived
ideas, a possibility will be created for the truth of
the teachings to pierce us, and for the meaning of life and
death to become increasingly and startlingly clear. My master
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche said: "The more and more you listen,
the more and more you hear; the more and more you
hear, the deeper and deeper your understanding becomes."
The deepening of understanding, then, comes through contemplation
and reflection, the second tool of wisdom. As we
contemplate what we've heard, it gradually begins to permeate
our mindstream and saturate our inner experience of our
lives. Everyday events start to mirror and more and more subtly
and directly to confirm the truths of the teachings, as contemplation
slowly unfolds and enriches what we have begun
to understand intellectually and carries that understanding
down from our head into our heart.
The third tool of wisdom is meditation. After listening to the
teachings and reflecting on them, we put into action the
insights we have gained and apply them directly, through the
process of meditation, to the needs of everyday life.
DOUBTS ON THE PATH
Once, it seems, there was a time when an exceptional master
could give one teaching to an exceptional student, and the
student could attain liberation. Dudjom Rinpoche used to tell
the story of a powerful bandit in India, who after countless
successful raids, realized the terrible suffering he had been
causing. He yearned for some way of atoning for what he had