Don't Discipline your Attention

Summary

This transcript explores the concept of allowing thoughts and feelings to flow without resistance. It emphasizes the importance of not creating conflict between awareness and experience. Instead of trying to forcibly return attention to its source, the speaker suggests letting attention naturally follow the pull towards thoughts and emotions, recognizing that awareness pervades all experiences, even negative ones like depression. The message encourages patience with the body and mind, avoiding unrealistic expectations, and acknowledging awareness within every experience rather than separating from it.

Takeaways

• 🧲 Do not resist the 'magnetic pull' towards thoughts and feelings; instead, allow your attention to go to them without conflict.
• 🎥 Watching thoughts and feelings is akin to watching a movie, but being aware of the screen (awareness) without trying to turn off the movie.
• 🌟 Let your attention be sensitive to the awareness that is not just in the background but pervades all thoughts and feelings.
• 🚫 Avoid setting up a struggle between your experience (objects) and awareness; let your attention move freely.
• 🌱 There's no need to escape or control your experience, as awareness itself is illuminating every aspect of it.
• 🔍 Even in states like depression, awareness pervades the experience, and the knowing of the depression is pure awareness.
• 🆓 Allow your attention to move freely among thoughts and feelings, recognizing that awareness is the underlying current.
• 🌈 If there's a natural pull towards awareness, let your attention rest in its source; otherwise, follow the pull towards experience.
• 🤔 Don't set up unrealistic expectations for the state of your body and mind; accept them as they are in each moment.
• 🌟 Be sensitive to the awareness within the midst of your experience, recognizing it as the essence of all experiences.

Q & A

What does the 'magnetic pull' towards thoughts and feelings refer to?

The 'magnetic pull' refers to the natural tendency of one's attention to be drawn towards thoughts, emotions, and sensory experiences.

Why is it unnecessary to fight against this 'magnetic pull'?

Fighting against the 'magnetic pull' creates a conflict between the desire to focus on experiences and the intention to return to a state of pure awareness. It's unnecessary because awareness is equally available in the midst of thoughts and feelings.

What is the alternative to resisting thoughts and feelings?

Instead of resisting, one should allow attention to naturally move towards thoughts and feelings while maintaining an underlying awareness that pervades these experiences.

How does awareness relate to the experience of watching a movie?

Awareness is like the screen on which the movie (thoughts and feelings) is projected. It's the background against which all experiences occur, and it's always present even when you're engaged with the movie.

What is the significance of not needing to 'turn off the movie'?

You don't need to suppress or eliminate your experiences to access awareness. Awareness is not separate from the experience; it's the very substance that illuminates the experience.

What does it mean to let your attention go free without discipline?

It means to allow your attention to move naturally towards whatever it is drawn to without forcing it to stay in one place or adhere to a particular state of mind.

Why is it important not to set up a conflict between objects of attention and awareness?

Creating a conflict can lead to feelings of failure, effort, and resistance, which can reinforce the very state of mind you're trying to move beyond. It's healthier to allow a harmonious coexistence of attention and awareness.

What is the role of awareness in the experience of depression as mentioned in the script?

In the experience of depression, awareness is the knowing aspect that illuminates the depression. It's not separate from the depression but is the very essence that allows the depression to be known.

Why should one avoid setting up ideal states for the body and mind?

Setting up ideal states can lead to unrealistic expectations and a sense of failure if those ideals are not met, which can reinforce the very issues one is trying to address.

How can one be sensitive to awareness amidst experience?

By recognizing that awareness is not just in the background but is the pervasive quality of all experiences, one can remain sensitive to its presence even in the midst of the most challenging or mundane moments.

What is the advice for dealing with the 'magnetic pull' if it still occurs strongly?

The advice is to let the body and mind be impacted in its own time by this understanding, without expecting it to change immediately or setting up an ideal state of being.

Outlines

00:00

🧘‍♂️ Embracing Thoughts and Feelings in Awareness

The paragraph discusses the importance of not resisting the natural 'magnetic pull' towards thoughts and feelings. It suggests that instead of forcing the attention back to its source in awareness, one should allow the attention to flow towards these thoughts and feelings. The speaker likens this to watching a movie while being aware of the screen, emphasizing that there is no need to turn off the movie to see the screen. The key message is to let the attention move freely among thoughts and feelings, recognizing that awareness pervades all experiences, including even the most challenging ones like depression. The speaker advises against setting up a conflict between the experience and awareness or disciplining attention, and instead encourages a non-judgmental approach to the natural flow of attention.

Keywords

💡Magnetic Pull

The 'magnetic pull' refers to the natural tendency of the mind to become absorbed in thoughts and feelings. In the video's context, it suggests that instead of resisting this pull, one should allow the attention to naturally follow it without conflict. The magnetic pull symbolizes the strong attraction or attachment that thoughts and feelings can exert on an individual's awareness.

💡Awareness

Awareness is the state of being conscious of one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. In the video, it represents the underlying, ever-present field in which all experiences occur. Awareness is described as something that pervades all thoughts and feelings, not just existing in the background, and is essential to recognizing one’s true nature.

💡Conflict

Conflict, in the context of the video, refers to the struggle or tension between resisting thoughts and feelings and attempting to forcibly return attention to awareness. The speaker suggests that this conflict is unnecessary and arises from trying to separate or control experiences instead of allowing them to coexist with awareness.

💡Source

The 'source' is the origin or fundamental nature of awareness from which all experiences arise. In the video, returning attention to its source means reconnecting with the essence of one's being, which lies behind the mental and emotional activities. The source is described as the place where awareness naturally rests.

💡Experience

Experience encompasses all mental and emotional phenomena, including thoughts, feelings, and sensory perceptions. The video emphasizes that one should not attempt to escape or control experiences, as they are illuminated by awareness. Every experience, even unpleasant ones like depression, is shown to be inseparable from awareness.

💡Depression

Depression is used in the video as an example of a challenging mental state or experience. The speaker discusses how even depression, though difficult, is still pervaded by awareness. The key idea is that awareness illuminates all experiences, including negative ones, suggesting that they too are part of the field of consciousness.

💡Attention

Attention refers to the act of focusing awareness on specific objects, thoughts, or feelings. In the video, it is suggested that attention should be allowed to move freely towards thoughts and feelings without restriction. Attention is also described as being identical to pure awareness, meaning it is not separate from consciousness itself.

💡Control

Control, in this context, means attempting to dictate or manage one's thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The video advises against trying to control or discipline attention or experience, as this creates unnecessary conflict and reinforces the ego. Instead, allowing experiences to unfold naturally is encouraged.

💡Pure Knowing

'Pure Knowing' refers to a state of awareness that is free from identification with thoughts and feelings. The video suggests that attention itself is pure knowing or consciousness, meaning that the act of observing thoughts and feelings is inherently a part of awareness. It implies a direct understanding of reality beyond mental concepts.

💡Body-Mind

The 'body-mind' represents the combination of the physical body and the mind’s mental activities, such as thoughts and emotions. The video discusses how the body-mind is naturally impacted by understanding one's true nature over time. The speaker advises against setting unrealistic expectations for the body-mind, which can lead to feelings of failure or conflict.

Highlights

Don't fight the magnetic pull of thoughts and feelings; instead, let your attention go to them without resistance.

Being aware is like watching a movie while being conscious of the screen; you don't need to turn off the movie to see the screen.

Allow your attention to move among thoughts and feelings, recognizing that awareness pervades the entire experience.

Do not escape or control your experience; let it be as it is, illuminated by awareness.

If there's a natural invitation to return attention to its source, follow it; otherwise, let attention go where it naturally wants.

Feel that the attention you give to your experience is itself awareness, pure knowing, and consciousness.

Even in the midst of depression, awareness pervades the experience; you cannot separate the depression from awareness.

Let your attention go free without disciplining it; there's no need to control the experience.

Accept the body and mind as they are, without setting up ideal states or expectations.

Avoid setting up unrealistic expectations and feelings of failure, which can reinforce the settled state.

Be sensitive to the awareness in the midst of experience, not just as a background presence.

The entire experience of the body and mind is at every moment pervaded by awareness.

Surrender to the natural flow of attention without setting up a conflict between objects and awareness.

Acknowledge the recognition of awareness and let the body-mind be impacted in its own time.

The awareness that knows depression is pure awareness; the knowing is all there is to the depression.

Transcripts

if you feel that magnetic pull towards

thoughts and feelings and don't fight

with it if you if you fight with that

and try and forcibly return the

attention to its source in awareness

you're going to set up a conflict

between these two and it's not necessary

to because when it is actually equally

available when your thoughts and

feelings are appearing so if you feel

that very strong magnetic pull let your

attention go to the thoughts and

feelings and this is it's like say

watching a movie but being aware of the

screen you're trying to turn off the

movie in order to see the screen you're

fighting with your thoughts and feelings

you're resisting the magnetic pull of

your thoughts and things in order to

return to awareness but you don't have

to turn off the movie so judge if you

feel that the strength of this pull let

your attention go to thought don't

resist them let your attention go to

thoughts and feelings but just be be

sensitive to the awareness that is not

just in the background of thoughts and

feelings but actually pervades all

thoughts and feelings so you don't have

to escape or even control your

experience if you feel this natural

invitation to return attention to its

source then return attention to its

source behind the mind but if it's a

struggle if you feel that actually what

your attention wants to do is go towards

experience that is go towards objects

then let it do so feel that the very

attention with which you are attending

to your experience is it self awareness

so then you just let your attention and

move amongst thoughts and feelings and

feel that

awareness itself is pervading your

entire experience you don't need to turn

the movie off you don't need to control

the experience whatever experience it is

even the deepest depression is only an

experience because it is illumined by

awareness and if you look at the

awareness with which the depression is

known the awareness is not off in the

background somewhere that the entire

experience of the depression is pervaded

by awareness you can't separate the

depression from awareness just like you

can't peel an image of a screen all

there is to the depression in fact is

the knowing of it and that that knowing

is pure awareness so let your attention

go free don't discipline your attention

as I say if you feel that a natural

invitation to allow the attention to

come to rest in its source as opposed to

going towards objects then that's fine

but if there is this magnetic pull don't

set up a conflict between objects and

awareness let your attention go wherever

it wants and feel that that attention

itself is is pure knowing it is pure

consciousness it is awareness itself

yeah thank you I I think that that is

that that recognition is there and I

guess I may be I just am surprised that

some of these you know some of it still

happens so strongly and I maybe I'm just

expecting it not to and yes yes it just

let the body mind be impacted in its own

time and by this understanding and don't

set up some ideal state of the body mind

what my body mind should look like if I

was fully aware of my true nature

because then we set up these unrealistic

patience and then we start feeling a

sense of failure a sense of conflict a

sense of effort and all of these

feelings actually reinforce the settle

itself so no expectations of the body

mind just take it as you find it from

moment to moment and see that the entire

experience of the body mind is at every

moment pervaded by awareness just be

sensitive to that awareness in the midst

of experience not just in the background

of experience