While scientists have tried to understand the mind by means of objective,
\nthird-person inquiry, contemplatives for millennia have explored the mind
\nby means of subjective, first-person inquiry. Such investigation into the
\nnature of the mind is meditation, and truly effective meditation is impossible without focused attention. The untrained mind oscillates between agitation and dullness, between restlessness and boredom. Thus the cultivation
\nof attentional stability has been a core element of the meditative traditions
\nthroughout the centuries, producing a rich collection of techniques and
\npractices. This rich trove of traditional methods is an excellent place to
\nbegin looking for ways to enhance attention.
\nIn the Buddhist tradition, this discipline is known as shamatha (pronounced \u201csha-ma-ta\u201d). Shamatha is a path of attentional development that
\nculminates in an attention that can be sustained effortlessly for hours on
\nend. The explosion of Buddhist teachings and teachers in the West has
\nbrought with it myriad benefits to people suffering the ill effects of modern life\u2014anxiety, consumerism, and a break-neck pace\u2014along with the
\nage-old human problems of aging, illness, and death. Whether mindfulness
\nor zen sitting, cognitive approaches like mind training and koan study, or
\nchanting and devotional practices, a spectrum of Buddhist and Buddhist influenced techniques have been adopted widely in cultures that are not historically Buddhist. Remarkably, however, many contemplative traditions
\ntoday put very little emphasis on developing sustained attention. Some
\nmodern teachers of Theravada Buddhism claim that only \u201cmomentary
\nshamatha\u201d is needed for insight meditation, implying that sustained, focused
\nattention is unnecessary. The value of shamatha was recognized in early
\nChinese Buddhism, but modern Zen does not teach methods specifically
\ndesigned to develop attentional balance in a sustained, rigorous way, distinct from its other practices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"