We say we “pay” attention - and there is wisdom in the common expression.
Today’s world, oversaturated with marketing competing for our attention shows us corporations better recognize the value of our attention than we do ourselves.
In an ancient story (Āhāra Sutta; SN 46:51) the Buddha explains the existential consequences of where we choose to place our attention. He lists 5 hindrances to awakening (sensual desire, ill will, sloth & drowsiness, restlessness & anxiety, and uncertainty) and 5 factors that lead to awakening (mindfulness, analysis, persistence, rapture, calm, concentration, and equanimity). He then explains that a person either feeds or starves each of these wholesome and unwholesome qualities.
The profound insight - for me - comes when the Buddha explains how we feed and starve these qualities: by choosing where we place our attention.
Millenia before the internet, social media, and TV, the Buddha taught the importance of deliberately choosing what content we consume. We cannot foster calm, he tells us, if our thoughts are infatuated with conflict; we cannot cultivate dispassion if we are constantly seeking pleasure; we cannot develop concentration if we are always on the lookout for diversion.
Attention may feel like an immaterial, almost abstract notion. But what we pay attention to defines our thoughts and feelings - our thoughts and feelings define our actions - and our actions define our lives.
Whatever qualities of your mind you wish to heal, you already have the tool for the job. You don’t need spiritual masters, self-help books, exotic practices, or theories. You only need to pay attention - to what you are paying attention to.
May we invest wisely the treasure of awareness,
Simeon
Quote of the Week
“Your attention is the most precious currency you will ever have. Be intentional with how you spend it.”
— Naval Ravikant
The Trap of Desire
The Buddha taught that desire isn’t something to be battled, but something to be understood. In this video, we explore how attention is the key to transforming cravings into clarity.
Suggested Reading
"Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life" by Nir Eyal
What if distractions weren’t the problem—but how we relate to them? In Indistractable, Nir Eyal reveals the hidden forces that steal our attention and shows how we can reclaim it. This book is a roadmap to living intentionally in a world designed for distraction.