Attention to Attention (Part 1)

Attention is our most precious resource. Where our attention goes, our life goes. The cultivation of attention is at the center of Zen practice. This talk points out that this cultivation is extra challenging under the conditions of what social scientists and critics have come to call the ‘attention economy’ and ‘surveillance capitalism.’ We’re not just dealing with the typical entanglement of attention with discursive thinking, we are now also facing algorithms that lead to ‘attention fragmentation’ because they have been carefully designed to maximize our screen time by getting us hooked to keep clicking. While one dimension of practice is to be able to sustain focus (a skill that's relevant for our everyday life and work), in Zen it is essential to discover and stabilize a nonfocused awareness. It is through this 'field of mind' that we can notice and appreciate the 'rich webs of connectedness' (Bernard Stiegler's term) from which both we and the objects of our attention arise.

Bernard Stiegler, Taking Care of Youth and the Generations

https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=17590

Welcome to Zen Mind!

Zenki Roshi's upcoming course, "Transforming Habits" will explore how we can discontinue dysfunctional habits, and instead, form habits that create a wholesome, nourishing life. The course will be live October 4-November 9, 2024. Learn more here: https://www.boulderzen.org/transforminghabits

Become a Boulder Zen Center Member and gain access to sliding scale pricing to get up to 60% off on all our courses and events, PLUS you'll support the continuation of the Boulder Zen Center and Zenki Roshi’s teachings! Learn more about membership here: https://www.boulderzen.org/becomeamember

Love the dharma talks and want to hear more? Become a Premium Podcast subscriber. Dive deeper into the topics through Q&A sessions related to each of the talks and gain access to previously unpublished talks from intensives. Learn more here: https://zenmind.supercast.com/

Zenki Roshi's book, THE PATH OF ALIVENESS is now available in both hardcopy and audiobook formats! We appreciate you leaving a rating on Amazon, and if you have time, a review is even better!

Join us live for our Saturday Dharma talks, in person or online.

See all events and join our mailing list at www.boulderzen.org. Email us at [email protected] or give us a call: (303) 442–3007.

If you're enjoying these talks, please subscribe and leave us a rating or review!

Zenki Christian Dillo Roshi is the the guiding teacher at the Boulder Zen Center in Colorado, USA. This podcast shares the regular dharma talks given at the center. Zenki Roshi approaches Zen practice as a craft of transformation, liberation, wisdom and compassionate action. His interest is to bring Buddhism alive within the Western cultural context, while staying committed to the traditional emphasis on embodiment.