Inattention and Attention

Good morning everyone,

Here is today's quote:

There are the states of inattention and of attention. When you are completely giving your mind, your heart, your nerves, everything you have, to attend, then the old habits, the mechanical responses, do not enter into it, thought does not come into it at all. But we cannot maintain that all the time, so we are mostly in a state of inattention, a state in which there is not an alert choiceless awareness. What takes place? There is inattention and rare attention and we are trying to bridge the one to the other. How can my inattention become attention or, can attention be complete, all the time?

Talks and Dialogues Saanen 1968

Here is my reflection.

Can the mind that is disordered be aware of its disorder? This is a question that K poses a lot. What is the effect of trying to impose order on a disordered mind, either through a teacher or a method that we find ourselves? Is this not a continuation of the disorder, a continuation of the lack of self-awareness? Surely, the attempt to build the bridge from inattention to attention is an example of disorder, rather than the ending of it? Isn't it just an escape?

It's important to consider the consequences for our whole existence as a planet if we cannot be aware of ourselves, if we depend for our transformation on another person, a guru, a technique that is other than self-observation. But it's really qute simple too. Can you, in all of your relationships, not just to people, see your disorder in the way that you relate to this person or thing. The person is the gift to you, the mirror that will reveal your disorder to you, but you have to look at yourself and not expect the person to show it to you.

Best wishes

Robert