Forum: buddhism.stackexchange.com
Tags: <modern-world><learning-materials><learning>
Title: Watching Darma Talks on 2x Speed
Question: I really like Ajahn Brahm's Darma talks on YouTube. But, I can perfectly understand what he's saying on 2x speed.  Am I losing anything by listening at this speed or is it ok as long as it's not for any other reason than I can understand it so I can watch two in the same amount of time as one?

Answers:
sents: text: I have done the same thing for slower speakers.
text: In my opinion, it's just fine to speed up your listening as long as you grasp the content.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/5838/Sajeewa Welendagoda
score: 4
sents: text: Good idea but be mindful because in sometime your mind will feed your ego with "I am faster" feeling and you mind end up trying to listen or read faster than you should.
text: That can cause some harm because i have seen that sometimes it is better to listen slower when learning certain teachings.
text: And as Lord Buddha advised you should listen to things you have already learnt again and again because sometimes even if you know something going over and over makes you realize a whole another side of it.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/7141/Theravada
score: 3
sents: text: It is said that the Buddha spoke very quickly.
text: How quickly?
text: During the time an ordinary person speaks one word
text: the Buddha could speak 128 words.
text: Buddha spoke very fast.
text: Source: Handbook of Abhidhamma Studies, by Venerable Sayādaw U Sīlānanda, Volume 1, page 19.
text: So it might be OK to listen fast
text: but if you can comprehend what is been said.
text: Perhaps to 128x times faster.
text: But remember though the Buddha spoke (I would say communicated) 128 words when someone else spoke 1 word, each listener would hear a subset as if this has been said to him.
text: So in this case the amount you can speedup is something less than 128x but also limited by the rate you can understand what is spoken and also comprehend what is spoken.
text: If you can understand what is spoken and comprehend what is spoken at the rate of 2x speed then it is OK.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/295/Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
score: 1
sents: text: If the content of the Dhamma talk can be understood in a satisfactory way, there should be no problem in increasing the speed.
text: If increasing the speed is done due to restlessness , then that is a hindrance that should be dealt with by taking it as a meditation object, in order to cultivate insights.
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/2424/Lanka
score: 1
sents: text: Great question...
text: I would say consider the fact that his calmness and slowness might be characteristics you want to absorb/emulate
answer_details: author: buddhism.stackexchange.com/users/120/Adamokkha
score: 1

Summary of the answers:
Many people consider that, as Lord Buddha advised, you should listen to things you have already learnt again and again because sometimes even if you know something going over and over makes you realize a whole another side of it.  If increasing the speed is done due to  restlessness , then that is a hindrance that should be dealt with by taking it as a meditation object, in order to cultivate insights. Others believe that it is fine to increase the speed of listening as long as you are sure you are understanding the message.
If the content of the Dhamma talk can be understood in a satisfactory way at 2x speed, then there should be no problem in increasing the speed. However, it may be worth being mindful to not take things too fast. Sometimes it is better to take things slower, for improved meditation and insight. Indeed, the calmness and slowness may be lessons to learn.