1996-07_05 Vipassana Retreat, Part 5 of 8 - Q&A 9

Talk: 19960705-Larry_Rosenberg-UNK-vipassana_retreat_part_5_of_8-43309 Start_time: 01:16:40 Display_question: Should I focus on the breath when my mind is distracted during an activity – like watching a concert? Keyword_search: concert, listen, breath, music, hug, child, anchor, mindfulness, hot cold, healthy, sick, mindful, mindfulness, life, inward, outward, reaction, attach Question_content: Questioner: I went to hear a concert last night, and I became aware of how half the time when I'm listening, I'm thinking about something else. And I'm sure I must do that all the time. And, being aware that that was true, so I just started watching my breath and having the music be the sounds in the background. And I was suddenly so much more focused on the concert. Larry: Yeah, that's it. I just would like to make a very slight suggestion. That is, if you're at a concert, the main thing is not the breath, but the music. If you're washing the dishes, the main thing is the dishes, not the breath. If your child wants a hug, the main thing is the hug, not the breath. So in that case, the breath is kind of auxiliary. It helps you to do the listening, the hugging, and so forth. But not everyone. The breath is very useful for many, many people. And some people find it gets in the way. The main thing is the mindfulness. But yes, that's it. And so now it's just a matter, so you can practice wherever you are. Yeah. Questioner: Yeah, it’s like an anchor. I think… <inaudible> Larry: Yeah. Questioner: But I think some of that sort of helped transition. Larry: See, here's a difficult thing to learn. I know I've said this many times. I'm saying in a slightly different way. Your life, just as it is, provides you with the perfect materials to practice with—wherever you are, whatever place, whatever time; hot, cold, you're healthy, you're sick; it's on and on. Because you always have the possibility of being mindful. Something's always happening, inwardly and outwardly. We have reactions. So all the material you could possibly, it's all there. It's very rich. You don't need anything else. This is, in a sense, a kind of laboratory or a protected area where we can simplify our life dramatically, so we can learn how to do that. But then often what happens is people get attached to this form and create a split between this and that. There's no this or that, really. Yeah. End_time: 01:18:42