Once again, I'm trying to slow down a bit in life - to open up to the richness of every moment. I'm far too caught up in 'monkey-mind' these days, multitasking and sub-multitasking (setting aside three things that I'm working on so that I can work on two others from five different angles). There was a report on the radio the other day about how multitasking is a big waste of time. We become less and less efficient as we take on more and more and would get more done if we just focus on one thing at a time.
And of course I can here Dr. Borgmann's voice (as if through the wall that separates our offices) noting that COMPUTERS are the biggest causes of multitasking today. Let's do a quick check: 2 firefox browsers open, 6 tabs on this one, 7 on the other, 5 WORD documents open, Windows Media playing Pink Floyd, and one other folder. Plus student papers under my wrists (to be graded asap) and who knows what else bouncing around my currently non-conscious 'to do' list.
So... I don't really have a plan just yet (it's not like a plan is always needed) but I do aspire to cut some of this clutter out of my agenda, my life, and my mind.
This was inspired mostly by an assignment for the "Greening of Religions" course I'm taking now, where we have to (have to) go and just sit in a place in nature for an hour a week and observe. What I found there, aside from some fond memories and the pleasant calming effects of being in nature, was my monkey-mind, distracting me to no end, just as it is now, and probably will be for quite some time. But, having been faced with it (rather than having it just monkeying around with me without my noticing) leads me to desperately want to overcome it.
So... perhaps the first step will be in dropping my acquisitiveness, the 'I've gotta have that!', attitude that I seem to have developed lately (evident in my 41 pounds of books from the conference, new framed thanka painting and journal, etc....). The fact is simple: I felt better, happier in a very subtle way after an hour in nature and reflection on that than I have felt in a very long while (bracketing conversations with my girlfriend, which give rise to a different sort of happiness).
The Gospel of Thomas
3. Jesus said, "If your leaders say to you, 'Look, the (Father's) kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, 'It is in the sea,' then the fish will precede you. Rather, the (Father's) kingdom is within you and it is outside you.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Buddhism: slowing down, opening up
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8 comments:
To begin, COMPUTERS are a great boon to humankind. Skuttle your PC and try doing your tasks with a typewriter and bottle of white-out and see how happy you'll be. OR, get out the notebook and that stick-like thing people used to use called a "pen" and drudge up those skills with cursive. And when there is some little thing you need to know, try leafing through a stack of almanacs or finding that pithy fact at the municipal library instead of doing a quick googling.
It is a romantic notion that there is something swell about the sky. Truth is, the sky will rain on you or pummel you with pellets of ice or freeze your toes off or give you skin cancers. Damn the sky! Hooray for roofs!
There is nothing wrong with multitasking IF your multitasking is allowing you to quicking alter course and get something done when your main task is 'blocked' or awaiting action from somebody else.
It seems to me you simple are giving yourself too much to do. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Simply stop adding so much to your to-do list. Know what things you can forgo.
Make a list like this:
THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE, IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE
1) blog
2) eat, shit, breathe
3) talk to Anna
4) meditate
5) do money-earning job tasks
6) think deep thoughts
THINGS THAT I CAN FORGO
1) writing papers that will make me famous
2) having books, music and happiness in my life
3) carefully grading students' papers when I can get by with glancing at them and giving them a quick and rather arbitrary grade [I mean, Who's gonna know?]
4) my subscription to the Journal of Accountancy
5) being so much of a "numbers nut." Yes, I LOVE the number 5. It is so pretty and wholesome -- but, heckfire, I'm gonna move on in my life!
Tom - "tasks", "skills", "need to know".... tisk tisk tisk. These are not the materials out of which happiness is made.
The sky is our own mind, don't avoid it with a roof (or tasks).
If one's course is pure, there will be no obstacles.
Thinking deep thoughts should be #1. Blogging free of such thoughts goes on the latter list. Letting go of getting famous may be difficult; in fact, only 4 and 5 on that list will be doable any time soon.
Guess I've got work to do.
O Wise Buddhist Master,
Thank you for the kindness of your response. I think my mind was a little cloudy yesterday, but, yea, you have led me to see the silver lining.
I note that you, O Wise One, in disparaging the idea of multiTASKing, embraced focussing on one thing, i.e., singleTASKing.
I was not meaning to disparage TASKS as laborious grunge work in my comment. I honor tasks. I praise tasks. And I praise multitasking as an efficient means of getting things done. I don't think we are hobbled by the new technologies; I think we are empowered by them to knock over barriers.
My course ISN'T pure, for I am not running circles around a track; I run where I have never been before: through meadows and up and down rough trails in the forest. The obstacles there are challenges as I pursue happiness, only later realizing that the pursuit of happiness is the happiness.
Of course, the meadows and forests that I run in are INDOORS so that I don't have to deal with nasty weather.
Tom - In my better moments I embrace tasklessness, or pure activity. This is the movement of nature, or Buddha-nature, moving those who have no task - no desire, no aversion.
Our creations may help us to some extent, but we all know that they can make slaves of us (eg. those who drive to work, work to drive). Sadly, getting things done becomes an end in itself for some people. Flourishing should be our goal, and the wise teachers I have learned from tell me that this is accomplished when one is "Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways." (from the metta sutta)
O Wise Task Master,
Again great wisdom.
One definition of task [at dictionary.com] does not come with chains. A task can just be "a piece of work."
I agree with you that we should find tasks that we might forgo.
But are you intent on forgoing showing up on time to teach, grading papers, writing papers and book chapters?
Would you really prefer to lie on your back and stare up into the sky than have a class to teach?
Do you really want to give up the satisfaction of putting a paper together on some weighty topic?
Mightened Buddha been speaking rather narrowly about grunge labor and the tasks of his time that didn't include the swell tools [computers!] of our day.
Sometimes I like having about ten windows open and Excel and Word. And I wouldn't want to completely forgo being under some pressures go get some things done.
Hooray for fewer pressures and less obstacles. But not all. What would a 21st Century Buddha do, I wonder.
Tom - A Task Master is an Egyptian. This I am not.
"...are you intent on forgoing showing up on time to teach, grading papers, writing papers and book chapters?"
Perhaps. "Intent" would be the wrong word though. "Willing" if I am so moved would be more correct. I failed to get the book chapter done on time, allowing myself to focus on other things. The deadline was extended. We have balance.
"Would you really prefer to lie on your back and stare up into the sky than have a class to teach?"
Often, yes.
"Do you really want to give up the satisfaction of putting a paper together on some weighty topic?"
My sense is that the satisfaction diminishes of its own accord as the novelty wears off and is replaced by a sense of demand.
"Mightened Buddha been speaking rather narrowly about grunge labor and the tasks of his time that didn't include the swell tools [computers!] of our day."
The Buddha often praised the life of the homeless wanderer, suggesting they give up even the rudimentary technology of their day -all but a parasol, bowl, and robes. I doubt he would have seen a new toy and said "wow, monks, we should get this." He also praised the life in the open air, under the stars at the foot of great trees (I know you're imagining an extension cord and a power strip, but again I doubt he would).
Ch'an, it seems to me, supports the idea of scheduled or necessary tasks. You should not eat without having done something to deserve it.
In China, ~1000 years ago, Zen thrived while the other varieties of Buddhism were shut down by the monarchies. These other forms of Buddhism were seen as leaches to society.
Obviously, you cannot hope to keep teaching were you to show up when the mood best suited you. Thus, tasks are necessary -- unless you think that Montanans would support you as a homeless wandering monk.
Can we not learn to have no aversion to tasks?
"Obviously, you cannot hope to keep teaching were you to show up when the mood best suited you. Thus, tasks are necessary -- unless you think that Montanans would support you as a homeless wandering monk."
I think I could not hope to keep teaching if my mood were not always already suited for it. A teacher cannot be one who is compelled to teach, it must simply be a natural process. The more of a task it is for me, the less I connect with my students; I can see and feel that in them.
"Can we not learn to have no aversion to tasks?"
To my mind 'task' is inherently permeated by aversion - we do them even when we want to do something else. Freedom from tasks is not inaction, but the spontaneous activity of one's own wisdom coming into contact with the suffering of the world.
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