{"id":112,"date":"2020-09-27T06:53:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-27T06:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qsconsultants.in\/blog\/?p=112"},"modified":"2022-10-03T06:09:38","modified_gmt":"2022-10-03T06:09:38","slug":"frozen-attention-the-commanding-self-idries-shah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qsconsultants.in\/blog\/frozen-attention-the-commanding-self-idries-shah\/","title":{"rendered":"FROZEN ATTENTION \u2013 THE COMMANDING SELF: IDRIES SHAH"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Namaste, Welcome to SAM-VAD (Together In Conversation), in continuation to our focus on the \u201cThe Commanding Self\u201d; <\/strong>which here points to the “mixture of primitive and conditioned responses, common to everyone, which inhibits and distorts human progress and understanding”. We look at another Q & A, concerning our \u201cAttention.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also as we begin today \u2018let us remember this about \u2018Attention\u2019.<\/strong> <\/em>Our life experience would ultimately amount to whatever we had paid attention to. Attention: is important and most of the times we are so indifferent to it. It is as fundamental as food; and we go blundering about, seeking ways to assuage the craving, instead of learning how to provide ourselves with what we need, sensibly and calmly. We feed the hunger blindly. Once the mechanism is brought to our attention and we begin to study it, it is as if a veil has been stripped off ordinary life, and we become freer in our action and choices.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

But before that let me just add this; \u201cThe Commanding Self\u201d, was <\/strong>written in response to requests for “clarification, interviews, question-and-answer sessions, lectures”, the book presents study themes intended to enable the student to observe the functioning of their own emotional and conditioned responses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FROZEN ATTENTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What is the greatest barrier to learning?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A: Preconceptions and concentration upon things which one thinks one wants to learn, but which may not be one\u2019s real needs. This causes part of the attention capacity to become locked onto the preconceptions, assumptions or query.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now this is a very long-standing and characteristic problem in teaching, and there is a famous Indian story which illustrates it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A certain teacher was explaining something to a disciple, who at the same time was watching a mouse wriggling into a hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately the teacher said, \u201cNow, is it all in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes\u201d, said the student, \u201call except the tail.\u201d This may seem a small matter. In fact it is one of the biggest, because failure to obtain the flexibility of mind to switch attention off one\u2019s preoccupation onto what else there is to study makes that study impossible. And surely, this is a very big matter indeed.<\/p>\n