Friday, November 28, 2008

Dealing with distraction

Dealing with distraction

George Clark, 28 November 2008

 

Most people's attention dives about all over the place. Their focus does not stay the same for more than a few moments. They are easily distracted by sights, sounds, tastes, smells or touches from the outside and by all manner of thoughts, feelings and emotions that emerge in a constant stream from the inside. Such people experience a lot of mental chatter over which they do not feel they have any control.

Some people can focus their attention. Artists can be in flow, athletes can be in the zone and ordinary people can be absorbed in washing the dishes. The key to this state of one-pointed attention is to be non-egoic and outside of space and time - to be absent-minded. The experience is of a kind of effortless action – 'the poem wrote itself'. There is little mental chatter, and 'control' seems to rest with something deeper than the everyday 'self'.

At a deeper level everybody can, but few people do, experience the fearless peace that passes all understanding. There can be flashes of deeper understanding when faced with a glorious sunset. Such moments, for most people, are short-lived and relatively rare. But they can become a much more substantial and soul enhancing part of the living experience.

The undisciplined mind is easily distracted but the disciplined mind is not. The ultimate goal is to shut down conscious, egoic thinking and thus to allow the wisdom of the inner self to make its presence felt. Discipline involves making time for peaceful stillness, time to just sit, time to be still and know. With enough practice the mental mud settles and nothing remains but a mild awareness of 'stuff' on the margins of the attention centre. With even more practice even these faint traces pass away and there is a state of being awake and aware but without 'content'. This is your true home where you are fresh like a flower and solid like a mountain. To take up residence all that is required is dealing with distraction.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

when I consider

When I consider …

 

John Milton, (1608 - 1674) Sonnet 19 (Sonnet XIX)

 

When I consider how my light is spent,

Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,

And that one talent which is death to hide

Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent

To serve therewith my Maker, and present

My true account, lest He returning chide,

"Doth God exact day-labour, light denied?"

I fondly ask; But patience, to prevent

That murmur, soon replies "God doth not need

Either man's work or his own gifts. Who best

Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best. His state

Is kingly: thousands at His bidding speed

And post o'er land and ocean without rest;

They also serve who only stand and wait."

Note:
Many people refer to this poem as 'When I consider how my life is spent' however when Milton wrote this poem he was referring to his rapidly failing eyesight


http://www.poetry-online.org/milton_when_i_consider_how_my_light_is_spent.htm

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/sonnets/sonnet_19/index.shtml

 

William Shakespeare, (1564 – 1616) Sonnet XV.

 

When I consider every thing that grows

Holds in perfection but a little moment,

That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows

Whereon the stars in secret influence comment;

When I perceive that men as plants increase,

Cheered and cheque'd even by the self-same sky,

Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease,

And wear their brave state out of memory;

Then the conceit of this inconstant stay

Sets you most rich in youth before my sight,

Where wasteful Time debateth with Decay,

To change your day of youth to sullied night;

  And all in war with Time for love of you,

  As he takes from you, I engraft you new.

http://www.cs.usyd.edu.au/~matty/Shakespeare/texts/poetry/sonnets

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/15detail.html (with paraphrase)