Distraction And Attention

[Guest guest]

L: Justify? Validate? What for? According to what?

It's simply an observation. Everybody " escapes " ; we watch TV, go to

the movie, read novels, daydream, write and read stuff in forums like

this one.

This is distraction, and nobody is " globally aware " all the time.

Actually, being aware from time to time would be quite a lot.

I'm just pointing out that your daydream of global awareness with no

need to escape is itself an escape, however - a tricky one.

Thinking too much about global awareness can make one lose all touch

with reality.

 

Len

 

P: I think you are making escape and entertainment into synonyms.

Entertainment could be used as a means to escape, or simply

for pleasure. And to claim everyone goes to the movies,

or watches TV, or daydreams is an blanket exaggeration without

foundation. And not everyone who watches a movie does it to escape.

My question was how do you know everyone does it? You just

want to believe that.

 

Besides I didn't say anyone is, or should be globally attentive

all the time, but that it should be used as a sadhana. See below:

 

>

>>>

>>> To be 'globally attentive' is not to pay exclusive attention

>>> to one particular thing ( as you do when being

>>> distracted) but to pay attention to the whole perceptual

>>> landscape. It's a sort of wide angle, unfocussed

>>> attention. Vision, sound, touch, bodily sensations,

>>> awareness itself is swallowed in one gulp. In this sort

>>> of attention, " the Other that is the Self " appears. I'm not

>>> suggesting we should always remain in that attentive

>>> state, but that we give it a try as a sadhana.

>>> I promise you, you'll like it!

>>>

>>> Pete

>>>

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Nisargadatta , Pete S <pedsie4@e...> wrote:

 

 

> P: I think you are making escape and entertainment into synonyms.

 

 

 

It's because this was what you seemed to suggest:

 

" In our 'Communication Era' seeking distraction

is considered normal. Distraction purveyors are

not only flourishing, they seem to have taken

over the communication industry, so we are

bombarded with the banal, the shocking, and

the lurid which, media executives, believe we

crave.

 

Even if the distraction we seek is a ' cut above'

the usual TV fare, to be distracted means not to be

wholly present. "

 

 

 

> Entertainment could be used as a means to escape, or simply

> for pleasure.

 

 

 

Are you saying now that seeking pleasure is not distraction?

Pleasure has its place in life, but seeking it is certainly

distraction.

 

 

 

 

> And to claim everyone goes to the movies,

> or watches TV, or daydreams is an blanket exaggeration without

> foundation.

 

 

 

It's obvious that everybody does something to escape.

What it is, is a matter of personal taste.

Some have sex, some other write on a forum, some do both ;-)

And, no, I didn't spoke to all 6 billions of people on earth to check

it. Do I need to check all people to know that they all do breathe?

Do you really believe that you don't have the need to escape? This is

so silly.

 

 

 

> And not everyone who watches a movie does it to escape.

> My question was how do you know everyone does it? You just

> want to believe that.

>

> Besides I didn't say anyone is, or should be globally attentive

> all the time, but that it should be used as a sadhana.

 

 

What is a sadhana and why should it be used? What's your goal?

 

Len