Full Moon – Receiving Guidance – 3rd March 2026

Imagine for a moment that you have received a profoundly important piece of advice; advice that is going to positively change the rest of your life. Then consider your good fortune at having been given such advice. Now, bring to mind how significant it is that you were actually able to ‘hear’ the advice that was given.

It is quite possible that wise beings are giving us direction and advice though we don’t ‘hear’ what they are saying. Making ourselves ready to receive wisdom from those who see more clearly is an important aspect of spiritual practice. If our minds are overly active in thinking about how things should be or shouldn’t be according to our preferences, then we might miss out on helpful guidance that is being offered.

As an exercise, when listening to someone speak, whether you think they are wise or not, try imagining your ears are in the middle of your chest. Invite your mind to be quiet. This is not about rejecting the value of discriminative analysis, it is about learning to listen more accurately.

(This post is also available at dhammakatha.org)

These Dhammapada quotes have been taken or adapted from, A Dhammapada For Contemplation, by Ajahn Munindo, published by Aruno Publications. They should not be understood as literal renderings of the Dhammapada. For literal translations, please read other works. The reflections are by Ajahn Munindo.

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