Three Teachings: Attentionia Three Teachings: Attention

 

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February 27, 2025 Attention: In Practice as in Life Most of the time it’s easier to look away from our troubles, personal or global, than straight at them, and sometimes that self-protection is necessary. Turning away may offer the Buddhist values of refuge, stability, and tranquility.  However, Buddhist wisdom also maintains the importance of paying attention, or focusing on, suffering to understand and alleviate it. We need both calm and equanimity—the sublime state that means poise or steadiness—to withstand the vicissitudes and pain of life. With this resilience, we can look closely for enough time to cultivate wisdom. This is the goal of mindfulness meditation and a goal we can also hold for real-world applications. Sometimes the world is too much to take, and withdrawing from information overload helps us find solid footing, or refuge. Sometimes looking directly at the storm can help us find solid ground, too.  This week’s Three Teachings recognizes the power of attention, not just in practice, but also in life. Forward today's teachings to a friend » Attention Means Attention By Charlotte Joko Beck Attention to the present moment through practice helps us in myriad ways. “There is nothing but this. When we don’t pay attention to each little this, we miss the whole thing,” wrote Charlotte Joko Beck, the founding teacher of the Zen Center of San Diego and the Ordinary Mind Zen School. Read more » Overwhelmed? Pay Attention By Kimberly Brown Choosing to direct our mindfulness and compassion to other living beings can help us deeply connect with everyone’s struggles and suffering—including our own, writes meditation teacher Kimberly Brown. Read more » Examining Attention By Iain McGilchrist Attention, no matter the subject, yields awareness. So if you’re worried about becoming what you pay attention to, wait to see what you discover when you give your whole attention to something. Read more » Follow Us