非耳聽也，以意揣奪而聽敵意以動機，以手捫索而聽敵手之動向也，以手捫索而聽時，即心解所謂「彼不動，我不動。」聽之而不自作主張，隨彼之緩急而緩急之，即從人之謂也，此聽之前半一段工夫也，以意揣奪而聽時，即心解所謂「彼微動，我先動」是也，微動是機，非意聽不可得，先動是意，非意動不能先，此聽之後半段工夫也，皆本老氏「外其身而身存，後其身而身先」之旨也，意聽，手聽，亦當如老氏所謂「綿綿若存，用之不勤」乃可。
This does not refer to listening with your ears. Use your intention to anticipate the opponent’s action, “listening” for his own intention to move. Use your hand to touch and examine, “listening” for his direction of movement.
　　Listening with your hands relates to this saying from Understanding How to Practice: “If he takes no action, I take no action.” Listen for what the opponent is doing and do not simply act on your own. Go along with his speed of movement and match it, “following the opponent”. This is the first half of listening.
　　Listening with your intention relates to the next part of the saying: “But once he takes even the slightest action, I have already acted.” The slightest of actions cannot be “heard” without the listening of intention, and to act before him cannot be done without the use of intention. This is the second half of listening.
　　Both kinds of listening are like this saying from Laozi [DDJ, chapter 7]: “He puts himself behind others and thus ends up placed in front. He goes away and thus ends up staying.” Listening with your hands and intention is also like another saying from Laozi [DDJ, chapter 6]: “The Way goes on forever, accomplishing without effort.”