What Grabs Your Attention

What Grabs Your Attention

Imagine going to work as a trainer and you have client who is paying you $10/hr and you have another who is paying you $10,000/hr.  Whom will you give more attention to?  It is quite obvious that the high paying client has paid for your undivided attention.  Money is used as a way to divert our attention towards certain people over others. 

Imagine walking down the street and seeing a car that costs $5000 drive by and then moments later you see another car driving by worth $500,000.  Which car will you give more of your attention to?  It is quite obvious that you will give more of your undivided attention towards the vehicle that is $500,000. 

Imagine walking down the street and you see an old lady in her 80’s walking by and then moments later you see a young lady in her 20’s walking by that you are very much physically attracted to.  Which lady will you give more of your attention to?  It is quite obvious that you will give more of your undivided attention towards the younger lady. 

It is quite obvious that money and beauty grab our attention.  But these are examples of automated responses.  These are examples of very much predictable responses.  These are the common responses from the average man. 

Grabbing your attention, is essentially being aware.  Being present, being in the moment.  Not daydreaming, no dwelling in the past, not thinking about the future, but in the moment and aware of the entire experience and your surroundings.  This is Zen.  Zen teaches you to be aware.  Zen teaches you to be aware in every situation. 

Zen teaches you to be aware for both paying clients regardless of compensation.  Zen teaches you to be aware to both cars regardless of its monetary value.

Zen teaches you to be aware of both ladies regardless of their physical attractiveness or age. 

A master of Zen can bring awareness into any situation without discrimination.  Imagine a baby or an animal and how they are naturally very aware.  The baby knows nothing of money.  Give him $1 or $100 and it makes no difference.  Let the baby sit inside a $10,000 car or a $100,000 car and it will make no difference.  Have an old lady hug the baby or a young lady and it will make no difference.  The baby is naturally in the moment, naturally in Zen. 

The baby naturally holds no judgment of better or worse, of good or bad.  Even put a dead body in front of a baby and it will make no difference.  The baby has no fear of death; he naturally knows that death does not exist.  Not too long ago he was still connected to his mother in the womb, not too long ago he was connected to the source.  Not too long ago he didn’t have to worry about going to the washroom, he didn’t have to worry about eating or drinking, he didn’t have to worry about clothing or shelter.  He was just at one with the source, there were no worries, everything was being taken care of without effort on his part.  The baby is naturally like a Master of Zen. 

Can we be in Zen in nearly every situation, not just situations of which we are commonly expected to be attentive to?  The more we learn to bring awareness into every situation, the more beautiful life will be, the whole world we will see from a different perspective, we will be more filled with joy and ecstasy everywhere we go.  Every experience will be fulfilling and a joy unto itself.  The ordinary experiences will suddenly become extraordinary.  This is the power of Zen.