We can name four means that promote the perception and memorisation of what is heard:

First, you should acquire spiritual firmness and deter­mination;

secondly, you should heed wise counsels attentively and with an open heart, eager to grasp the meaning of what is said;

thirdly, you should ponder over these wise words and repeat them over and over again so as to imprint them in your memory;

fourthly, you should avoid harmful states of the mind and re­sist them even in the face of temptation.

These states of mind are: careless sloth, indifference, sense­less amusement, the inclination to morose reflection and destruc­tive passion. These vices can destroy both your mind and your talent.