Using Attention in a New Way
ध्यान का नए तौर से इस्तेमाल
-गिल फ्रोंस्डैल (14 जनवरी, 2013)
तो एक चीज़ जो हम यहाँ करने जा रहे हैं, वह यह सीखना कि हम उन चीज़ों पर कैसे ध्यान लगायें जो हमारे ध्यान को उलझाती हैं -- हम कहाँ अटक जाते हैं, और ऎसी क्या चीज़ें हैं जो ध्यान के रास्ते में आती हैं। क्योंकि जिस जगह पर हम अटक जाते हैं, वही ऐसी जगह है जहाँ हमें तनाव महसूस होगा। जिस जगह पर हम फंसते हैं वह अकसर इस बात की चेतावनी देती है कि हमें किस किस्म के कष्ट भुगतने की सम्भावना है, या फ़िर हम अपनी ज़िंदगी में किस तरह की परेशानियों को बुलावा देने वाले हैं।
तो फिर हम ध्यान देने से शुरुआत करते हैं , जो कि हम सब में करने की क्षमता है। पर जब इस अभ्यास को करने में हमारी रूचि बनती है, तो ऐसा क्यों होता है कि हमारा इस क्षण के साथ शांति से जुड़े रह पाने के सामर्थ्य में किसी न किसी तरह विघ्न का पड़ जाता है। जो लोग ध्यान करते हैं वे कभी-2 सोचते हैं कि यही उनकी सबसे बड़ी समस्या है। विघ्न एक बड़ा बुरा शब्द मालूम होता है: "मेरा ध्यान बंट गया।" मैं अटक गया। जब हम इस तरह का ध्यान अभ्यास करते हैं, हम कोशिश करते हैं कि हम किसी भी चीज़ के बारे में ऐसा मत न रखें कि यह बुरा है या यह अनुचित है। बल्कि हम हर चीज़ को वापिस अपने ध्यान में लाने की कोशिश करते हैं। दूसरे शब्दों में, हम उस पर विचार करते हैं। उस पर ध्यान देते हैं। यह क्या हो रहा है। इस पर ध्यान दो, उस पर ध्यान दो। "मेरा ध्यान फिर कहीं अटक गया। मैंने किसी को खांसते सुना,और उससे मुझे याद आया कि मेरा दोस्त बीमार था, और मैं सोचने लगा कि मुझे अपने दोस्त को मिलने के लिए हस्पताल जाना चाहिए, और फ़िर मैंने सोचा मालूम नहीं काइसर हस्पताल कब तक खुला है, और तब मैं ध्यान देता हूँ, "मैं तो अपनी क्लास पढ़ा रहा हूँ ...!" तो यह एक उदाहरण है कैसे इंसान अपने विचारों में खिचता चला जाता है। यह कुछ अनजाने में होने का उदहारण है, पर यह ज़रूरी नहीं है की हम अनजाने में ही ऐसे सोच में पड़ते हों। तो बजाए यह कहने के कि ऐसा नहीं होना चाहिए था, मुझे एक विचार के बाद दूसरे विचार में नहीं पड़ना चाहिए था, हमें करना यह चाहिए कि हम उन सब विचारों को वापिस अपने ध्यान में ले आएं। "देखो, तो ऐसे ध्यान भंग होता है। ऐसे मन चीज़ों में फँस जाता है, विचारों और भावनाओं में बह जाता है। तो यह इस तरीके से होता है। तो यह ठीक इस तरीके से होता है।"
क्या आप इस सिद्धांत को समझते हैं? यह एक महत्त्वपूर्ण सिद्धांत है। कभी-कभी जो लोग दस-दस साल से ध्यान कर रहे हैं, उन्होंने भी यह सिद्धांत नहीं सीखा है। उन्होंने यह नहीं सीखा है कि ऐसा कुछ भी नहीं होता है जिसे होने की ज़रुरत नहीं है। ऐसा कुछ भी नहीं है जो आप कहें कि," ऐसा नहीं होना चाहिए"। बल्कि, यह एक और चीज़ है जिस पर हमें ध्यान देना सीखना चाहिए। और अगर आप अच्छी तरह से ध्यान देना सीख लें, तो उस ध्यान देने में भी आप मुक्ति का अहसास पाएँगे। जब हम किसी चीज़ पर ध्यान दें, उस ध्यान देने का भी एक खास तरीका है जहाँ आप उस समय जो भी हो रहा है, उसमें अटके या फंसे नहीं है, उससे पीड़ित या प्रभावित नहीं हैं, या आप इस बात से संचलित नहीं हैं कि आपके अन्दर या बाहर क्या हो रहा है। और अगर आप में अपने अंदरूनी दबावों और बाहरी प्रभावों से बचने की क्षमता है तो यह प्रक्रिया आपको अपना जीवन बिताने के लिए अक अद्भुत शक्ति देती है। यह ज्ञान हमें तब मिलता है जब हम ध्यान को इस नए तरीके से इस्तेमाल करना सीखते हैं।
-गिल फ्रोंस्डैल
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What do you understand by "folding everything back into the attention?" How do you develop the ability to not beat yourself up for lapses, and instead constructively move forward? Can you share a personal story where this principle has played an important role in your life?
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15 Past Reflections
On Jul 14, 2015 Jan O'Han wrote :
Our culture in the US is steeped in "good and bad", black and white - not race but solid opinions with no grey areas, judging everything all the time, so even in meditation the tendency will come up to judge the experience. It's helpful to become un-opinionated I have found, even though I may be judged for that! I love the idea however of folding the thoughts back into attention so that I can learn from them by paying attention rather than supressing or ignoring. With gratitude.
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On Feb 1, 2013 Michael wrote :
It's kinda funny to think of this as a 'New Way' with something that's been around for thousands of years; and it's still all good. Another interesting 'trick' is to ask your self "Who's having these thoughts?" This can lead us deeper and behind the surface distractions.
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On Jan 19, 2013 a wrote :
Yesterday, was "whisper, 'I love you' day" (heard it on the radio). I missed it by 27 minutes, but wish to have you "fold into your attention" that YOU are very much loved! Distractions are VERY healthy . . . they help us to meditate on people/things/thoughts outside ourselves. I think God built distractions into our 'lives of meditation' to add interest/ to take us "off our normal" course for a time. ilu
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On Jan 17, 2013 Luv4all wrote :
I agree with the point that several people who have meditated for years may not have learned this. This does opens my mind to look at what patterns of behaviour, emotions or situations hook / disrupt my attention. What are those situations / thoughts which make me lose my peace of mind or self control? If I am able to see those and learn to handle them with more insight and observation,that shall resolve several awareness problems and cause permanent, positive change in attitude.
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On Jan 15, 2013 navin sata wrote :
Its most simple ,and hardest thing just live in present moment ,and when reacting be vigilant .whatever it is we are facing it will pass.remember we are not mind or intlect ,we are user of this brain.always love navinchandra
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On Jan 15, 2013 Bruce Preville wrote :
Building the mental muscle of directing our attention is really strengthening and bringing forth our intention, enabling us to maintain our intentions in the face of whatever occurs, whether external or internal, that would otherwise take us out. Leading a life with intentions remaining present, thereby generating and realizing possibilities consistent with those intentions is living life powerfully. What this takes is persistent practice of a life-fitness program, like meditating, with coaching to keep us on the path and get us over the bumps along the way.
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On Jan 15, 2013 James Cowey wrote :
Meditation doesn't help if your land and house are being napalmed by by US B52 bombers from above, as happened in Vietnam. Or could it? when you fight back, staying focussed in the now and not getting hung up on past failures will allow you to win. When you fight back, accepting reality for what it is (i.e. I might very well die) and simply doing what needs to be done in each moment with no expectation of success will allow you to win, at least within your mind if not physically. Once you commit your life to a cause then even death cannot scare you, and thus you are easily able to enter the now without worrying about the future.
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On Jan 14, 2013 Narendra wrote :
Updated ...
What do you understand by "folding everything back into the attention?" Folding everything into attention means, a macro view of life that includes all things around us including our own ego (thought-patterns) and emotions. This is ‘Sakshitva’. Sakshitva is a background process or a habit of silently witnessing of our own mind and emotions without analysis.’ It is a macro perspective on life, as is . This helps us share our joys and sorrows with others, and reduces stress and increases happiness. The other choice would be a micro view of life that is ego-centered, where everything revolves around our likes and dislikes. This makes us more reactive and less sensitive to others. How do you develop the ability to not beat yourself up for lapses, and instead constructively move forward? If we have a macro perspective on life, we will be grateful for our blessings. We will also be less critical of others and ourselves. We notice that... [View Full Comment]
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On Jan 14, 2013 G Narayana wrote :
When we restrict something or restrain somebody, the reaction is aggressive. Let the natural flow of thoughts be through our conscious mind and slowly the come and drift away and by being conscious of distractions, we drift off into that blissful state where we experience the inner peace.
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On Jan 13, 2013 Narendra wrote :
What do you understand by "folding everything back into the attention?" Folding everything into attention means, a macro view of life that includes all things around us, including our own ego (thought-patterns) and emotions. This is ‘Sakshitva’ or a witnessing, macro perspective on life. This helps us share our joys and sorrows with others, and reduces stress and increases happiness. The other choice would be a micro view of life that is ego-centered, where everything revolves around our likes and dislikes. This makes us more reactive and less sensitive to others. How do you develop the ability to not beat yourself up for lapses, and instead constructively move forward? If we have a macro perspective on life, we will be grateful for our blessings. We will also be less critical of ourselves and others. We notice that perfection is inconsistent with change and evolution. We can only do our best with presence of mind and ‘witness’ the result. ... [View Full Comment]
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On Jan 13, 2013 david doane wrote :
"Folding everything back into the attention" means an ongoing process of noticing and allowing, allowing and noticing my consciousness. It is a process of not trying to make anything happen, not manufacturing, not forcing, not inhibiting, not holding on, and simply noticing and allowing. Deepak Chopra described this meditative mindful process of paying attention as similar to watching the clouds in the sky pass by without getting attached to any cloud, not trying to make anything out of it, not obsessing over it, and simply allow and notice them. It does happen that I get invested in some cloud, ie, some thought or awareness, or go off into thinking/confabulating/ruminating triggered by some thought or awareness, and when I become aware of that, I hope to have the same attitude of allowing and noticing it, not beat myself up over it, and allow to pass both what I became attached to and my awareness of becoming attached. I develop ability to not b... [View Full Comment]
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On Jan 11, 2013 Rajesh wrote :
The passage really resonated with me. I like the skillful way in which the author treads into the space of attention and its lapses. After reading the passage, I can see that its the "disruptions" where we "get caught" and lose our attention, bringing much suffering into ones life. While I have approached meditation with a very open mind where all and every thought is allowed to come in and nothing is a distraction, I certainly find it more difficult to approach things that way in daily life. Cultivating attention and awareness is a journey and perhaps being more serious about paying attention will help.
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On Jan 11, 2013 Conrad P. Pritscher wrote :
What I understand by "folding everything back into the attention, and how I sometimes do not beat myself up for lapses, and instead constructively move forward is by practicing what Reuters science editor, Sharon Begley, and psychiatrist Schwartz said in one of their books: "Through mindfulness you can stand outside your own mind as if you are watching what is happening to another person rather than experiencing it herself… Mindfulness requires direct willful effort, and the ability to forge those practicing it to observe their sensations and thoughts with a calm clarity of an external witness… One views his thoughts, feelings, and expectations much as a scientist views experimental data – – that is, as a natural phenomenon to be noted, investigated, reflected on and learned from. Viewing one's own inner experience as data allows ( one) to become, in essence, his own experimental subject." I do not h... [View Full Comment]
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On Jan 11, 2013 chitarta wrote :
years back i went to a vipassana retreat in sri lanka, nilambe, a beautiful nature setting, very quiet. after 10 days i left the retreat to visit kandy. i walked down the hill 35 minutes in walking meditation to reach a bus to town. when the bus arrived it was crowded. i hardly could get into the bus. it was hot. i managed after hanging for a while outside the bus, getting more inside. i felt irritated about this condition. after sitting 10 days on my own meditation cushion in peace undisturbed. somebody stepped on my toes, anger arising. how could he do this. we were packed like sardines in a tin, sweating, bad smells. why don't they have more busses? then i got pushed over, poked in my ribs, ok this is enough i started loudly complaining and felt so sorry for myself. the 10 days of practise, peace, happyness had turned sour quickly.
i got my l... [View Full Comment]