Gasshō,

We just finished a retreat on egocentricity, ending suffering, and enlightenment here at the Monastery. While it’s true that all retreats and workshops are essentially the same (we look at the causes of suffering and how to end them), we do try to mix up the content enough that we keep egocentric, karmic conditioning off balance and out of control.

The approach in this particular retreat was heavily influenced by an experience I had just prior to the retreat. I was away for a few weeks, out of the country for a couple of those, and upon my return decided to catch up on what’s been going on in this part of the world. I read, I listened, I watched… Oh my! “Something wrong mind” and “not enough mind” are alive, well, and deeply embedded in the media.

I understand fairly well how the human being works on the level of process, and that the content actually doesn’t change regardless of the appearance technological advances creates. The Buddha talked about society as fueled by greed, hate, and delusion. I’ve heard it said that the history of humanity is the history of wars. It seems to me the history of humanity is a history of self-serving. None of that surprised me as I immersed myself in “what’s going on.”

What I was struck by was what seemed to me to be a race to the bottom. We now have the ability to know everything that has gone wrong, every accident, tragedy, and heinous crime; every evidence or suspicion of lying, cheating, deceiving; all the raping, pillaging, and plundering from around the world 24 hours a day! And it’s presented by people who seem devoted to “all the worst, all the time.” This is supported, I’m guessing, by a belief that we need to know, that it is important for us to be informed.

We pay a terrible price for that “need to know.” We turn our emotions over to people whose jobs depend on being able to successfully manipulate those emotions. We are fed an endless diet of anxiety and fear. We have daily opportunities to feel angry at the misdeeds of business leaders and politicians, frustrated at corruption and injustice, hopeless and despairing over our powerlessness. Then, just before we are ready to give up completely, there’s a product to buy that will make us feel good again, something for our flagging sex lives, something that will give us the youthful health and vitality we are missing, or failing that, medical and retirement plans (along with plenty of drugs) that will at least insure we will continue to stay alive and consume.

I came away from the whole experience determined to redouble my commitment not to be “informed”—which brings us back to the retreat. Our focus was on the importance of being able to direct attention. It’s good to be able to be aware of attention as it goes from thing to thing to thing in life. It’s helpful to know that attention moves in the field of awareness. But if we cannot know where our attention habitually (karmically) goes, and if we cannot direct it away from there and to where we want it to be, we are sunk. Without the ability to direct our attention, we are doomed to a life of being victimized by conditioned mind, which is an exact parallel to the life we have when we turn our attention over to the control of media.

The practice that will move your life from egocentric, karmic conditioning’s domain to a life you get to have and live is blessedly simple: Each time you are aware of your attention focused on a story, move your attention HERE. Each time you realize you are caught up in something (planning, imagining, fantasizing, rehearsing, story-telling, defending, explaining), bring your attention from that and to HERE, to your body, to the breath, to what you’re seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling. You can do this simple practice as much as you choose. You can sit down in a comfortable chair and, as your attention wanders to its habitual haunts, practice bringing it back to you. You can do it as you’re driving, doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, sitting at your desk. You’re not doing this so you can have a particular experience. You are simply practicing directing your attention.

We often compare attention to a puppy. If the puppy is to be safe and happy, if you as the owner are to be relaxed, the puppy must learn to attend to you and to stay with you. It must always be aware of you, obedient to you, and looking to you for guidance. It’s not a relationship of controller and controlled, it is a relationship of mutual sensitivity and service. When attention stays with you, when it serves you instead of karma, life is easy. When your attention serves karma, well, we all know what that’s like—the media from hell.

My teacher would tell us, “You are far more concerned about controlling your bladder than controlling your attention. This is a foolish choice.” He was right—as always!

I hope you, too, will prove him right. Even your bladder will feel better for it.

Before you race off to begin practicing, I have a few favors to ask you:

1. I will be leaving for Africa the first part of July and will not return until just before the year-long email class begins. Before I go, it will help me to know if enough people will be doing the class to make it worthwhile to do. I don’t need people to pay now, but I would very much appreciate a verbal (written) commitment if you plan to participate. A quick email to emailclasses@livingcompassion.org will do.
2. If you have favorite quotes on service please send them along to the same address.
3. We have a real need for laptop computers right now. Our new power system at the Monastery handles laptops much easier than desktops, and we would like to be able to take a couple to Africa for Mrs. Mupeta to use at Masala Primary School. If you have an extra, know of a source, or are able to purchase one for us, please let us know. They must be fairly state-of-the-art as our “making do” abilities in both locations are limited.
4. We’ve decided to purchase the house in Assisi for the Peace Center rather than trying to find people to donate the price. If you have, or know of anyone who has, the ability and willingness to loan us the necessary funds, would you let us know?

I wish you the peace of attention happily resting in conscious, compassionate awareness.

In lovingkindness,
Cheri

 

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