have attained what was said to us. Through speech we act, and in response to speech we act, together with listening. The two are thus linked: neither can stand independently of the other. They are two relations.
Through speech and listening we know what is in the Self of the Real, for we have no knowledge except through His informing us, and He informs us through His speech. An instrument is not a condition of speech or of listening; either may occur with or without an instrument. By the instrument of speech I mean the tongue, and by the instrument of listening, the ear.
(Unrestricted Listening and Restricted Listening)
Now that you know the rank of listening in existence and its distinction from other relations, know that listening among the Folk of God is unrestricted or restricted. Unrestricted listening is the practice of the Folk of God, but they need immense knowledge of the balances in it, so that they can distinguish speech calling for compliance from speech that puts one to the test. Not everyone perceives this. Whoever lets listening run loose without a balance goes astray and leads others astray.
Restricted listening is listening restricted to pleasing melodies, to which nature moves according to its receptivity. This is what the people of the Path generally mean by listening, rather than unrestricted listening. Listening as thus defined falls into three divisions: divine listening, spiritual listening, and natural listening.
(Divine Listening)
Divine listening takes place through the innermost secrets. It is listening from every thing, in every thing, and through every thing. For them, all existence consists of God’s words, and His words are inexhaustible. Corresponding to these words, they have inexhaustible hearings. These
