Listening – Ahimsa Attentiveness 239By adhering to this teaching, ones will be able to understand others
through listening to their beliefs while maintaining our own position and
conviction. Interreligious dialogue should not be limited to pleasant
conversations and photo opportunities. Although followers of each reli-
gion may mention the good points of their faith, the crucial question is
to what extent they ‘walk the talk’, i.e. practise what their religion
teaches. Dialogue must be practised in everyday life and applied to the
conflicts arising each day. We must therefore encourage embedding
dialogue within the fabric of our existence, not merely using it in the
educational sphere or as the subject of occasional, amicable meetings.
17.3.3 Teachings of Loving Kindness and Compassion
Ones may realize that in ‘deep listening’ and a concept of ‘attentive-
ness’ must have an idea of love and compassion under their essence.
That is to say, while Christianity embraces agape, an unconditional love
or equal concern for everyone, Buddhism has the teaching of mettā, lov-
ing kindness and karunā, compassion. Both concepts are meant to ex-
tend to all living beings beyond any limited realms of existence. This
means that even those who oppose us, differ from us or even wronged us
are to be included in this unlimited compassion. To apply this teaching
to the process of dialogue requires openness and willingness to welcome
what others say. It also implies to the acceptance the value and care of
other people. For religions, that means we need to listen to what is dif-
ferent in other religions, even if it is unfamiliar to our own ears and tra-
ditions, on terms of loving kindness and compassion. This understanding
goes well with the abovementioned concept of ‘deep listening’.
Today, a famous Vietnamese Zen Buddhist leader, Thich Nhat Hanh,
who encourages people to attend to the development of their mind in the
present instant, constantly advocates the concept of ‘compassionate lis-
tening’. His concept of compassionate listening is similar to ‘deep listen-
ing’ in a process of dialogue. In fact, as Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that