Don't be frivolous.

Killdeer feigning broken wing - Photo by Earl McGehee

          Scientists have identified two ways the brain processes external information it receives: willful focus (like watching a traffic light) and automatic focus (such as seeing something unusual or hearing a loud noise). Several types of birds have become adept at using a predator's automatic focus as a distraction method. Birds that nest on the ground will walk away from their eggs while pretending to have a broken wing. Other birds will fly off from their nest and act as if their flight is impeded by injury. These displays are intended to divert the predator's focus away from the original target. The fifty-eighth slogan cautions us not to be frivolous (having no purpose or value) with our attention or energy. This instruction is not meant to keep us from having fun (which is worthwhile) but to be aware of how we try to distract ourselves from reality. We may enjoy our comfort so much, that we'll try hard not to attend to any insights that might unravel it. Yet when we work to push away clarity, we waste energy and compound our pain. To be awake requires that we embrace the truth with gentleness, rather than distract ourselves from it.

Do a little census of what you think about and how you spend your time. How do you distinguish between what is frivolous and what is worthwhile? ~ Judy Lief

For more information on the fifty-eighth slogan, go here. 

Slogan Fifty-eight

Don’t be frivolous.

From the Lojong for the Layperson booklet:

            This slogan cautions us to be aware of how we spend our time and energy. We don’t have an endless supply of either, so we should make sure what we do with these resources is worthwhile. Our contemporary society has created a multitude of methods with which to distract ourselves. As an example, we may mindlessly surf the internet or flip channels on the television.  We don’t have to give up our lighthearted fun, but we do need to be paying attention. The difference between frivolity and play is how we feel afterward. Frivolity leaves us feeling restless and unsatisfied, while the result of play is a feeling of contentment.

Photo: A double-bloom daylily whose flowers only last for one day.

            I love the red clay of Georgia’s soil, except on laundry day or after a hard rain. On dirt roads and in fields, it’s easy for a vehicle to get bogged down when the ground is waterlogged. Tires will spin and spin but won’t go anywhere, and acceleration just makes it worse. The problem is traction; without friction, the tire can’t adhere to the ground and move the vehicle forward. Whether at work or play, I can spin my tires to avoid attending to what’s truly important. I might fill my day with doing good deeds, laboring to achieve a task or chasing the next pleasure. However, if the purpose underlying my busyness is distraction, then I’m doing myself a disservice. I need to wedge something beneath me for traction – hopefully a meditation cushion.