A Day in the Life of...

Down through the ages, the great spiritual teachers gave sermon after sermon to their followers. One could explain this as the wise illiterate conveying knowledge and wisdom through speech to their followers because they couldn't write it down. I believe though, that speech has a power all its own. We learn language by ear long before we learn to read or write, therefore, our auditory and verbal speech centers are probably one of the earliest and most developed areas of our brains. Also, reading a book adds layers of comprehension that differ from speech. You read the words, try to place them in proper context, tone and pacing due to punctuation, then synthesize everything into a whole concept or gestalt. What is almost an automatic unconscious act when listening becomes a conscious chore when reading. It is said that the Buddha and Jesus didn't wish their teachings written down, quite possibly because they didn't wish their pupils to be distracted. Also, you tend to pay more attention to a teacher when all you are doing is listening. This is just my personal experience, but I have found it easier and more insightful to listen to Eckhart Tolle rather than read his books. I have read The Power of Now twice and A New Earth once. While I have gleaned insight from reading each book, I've remembered more just listening to the audiobooks, perhaps, because it was easier. This is my own personal experience. (Caveat - I had cataract surgery last summer and I'm still getting used to the ocular implants. They make reading less easy for me than in the past because I have to move the book into my focal plane because I can no longer focus my eyes like a normal person. On the other hand, I can actually see out my left eye whereas before everything was a blur.) Decide which path to knowledge and wisdom is best for you. If you have a spiritual teacher and audio and reading materials exist of those teachings, experiment and see which format is best for you. I am guessing though, that because it is easier to listen and that people were largely illiterate, that this is why sermons or the equivalent have lasted so long in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Sometimes I think the Quakers were closer to the spirit of The New Testament. They sit in stillness until the spirit moves them to speak.