# Paying Attention



## elder999 (Apr 7, 2006)

I was first exposed to the teachings of Sun Bear about 20 years ago.  He was an extraordinary person.  By the standards of this society, he didnt appear too special.  When it came to love and respect for the EarthMother, he was special, indeed.  Most of my contact with Sun Bear was through his books.   I did, however, enjoy brief contact with Sun Bear toward the end of his life.  He was humble, and always ready to share his wisdom.

Sun Bear taught me how to pay attention to what was going on around me, whether I was in downtown Santa Fe, or out in nature.  One of the most important parts of paying attention is learning how to walk properly.  That sounds awfully simplistic, doesnt it?  But, I discovered that I didnt know how to walk.  After this was brought to my attention, I was amazed to learn that I clomped.  Like almost everyone else in this culture, I clomped everywhere I went.  I started noticing that all the people around me were clomping.  Clomp, clomp, clomp.  I also learned how to speak in a proper way, that is to say things quietly.  Id never noticed before how loud most people were.  When I started paying attention, in the way Sun Bear suggested, I was astounded by how obnoxiously loud most people spoke, as they clomped along.  And this was before the invasion of the cell phones (may they be forever cursed!).   People seem so unaware of anyone around them.  For example, recently, while we were dining in a nice restaurant, five people at another table were loudly talking about everything from their therapy sessions and mental illness diagnoses, to their, often failing, bodily functions.  It was obvious from their conversation that these were professional folk.  It was also impossible to avoid their personal conversation, even on the opposite side of the restaurant.  It was shocking.  They were intelligent people, who simply had no idea of how to conduct themselves in a public place.  They werent paying attention.  Meanwhile, at another table, a small girl got up and roamed about the restaurant, asking to sample the food from strangers plates.  The mother, between mouthfuls of food, crammed in through the shovel-like use of a spoon, managed to weakly demand, Come here, Amber-Ashley-Britanny-Tiffany, come here.  So, there we see how Amber-Ashley-Britanny-Tiffany is being raised.  Her mother doesnt even know how to properly hold a fork or spoon.  How could she pass on to little Amber-Ashley-Britanny-Tiffany, any manners at all?  What is really shocking, and disheartening, is that these people are the norm, not exceptions.  They are not paying attention.  It does not bode well for the future.

Back in the early to mid 1990s, I used to take small groups of spiritual seekers on hikes to sacred places out in nature, in Northern New Mexico.  The first thing I did was show them how to walk properly, how to speak properly, and most important of all, how to pay attention.  The results were amazing, right off the bat.  They began to notice wildlife.  Why?  Because theyd ceased the incessant clomping that frightened the wildlife away.  They noticed small, delicate pin cushion cactuses by the trail.  They began to see eagles and hawks in the sky, and how the subtle currents of air affected the plants.  They learned how to determine whether they were facing east or west, and to memorize landmarks.  Now, keep in mind, I wasnt teaching some wilderness survival course._  I was simply asking people to pay attention. _

Learning to pay attention is a skill one can bring into all areas of life, especially martial arts and political philosophy.In our classes, instead of simply droning along like robots, automatons following the directions of our instructors, we can take the opportunity of routine to truly examine how we _feel_ as we are doing our techniques. Politically,  I suspect that we might see a great difference in the political and religious situations in this country, if more people paid attention to what was going on.  Instead, most people are content to be Democrat clones, or Republican robots, never thinking for themselves.  They support a position because theyre a Democrat, or they oppose a position because theyre a Republican.  Their guys are right, those other guys are wrong.  It never seems to occur to them to question whether something is just, or moral, apart from their partisan allegiances.  There is something incredibly wrong here.  We dont, however, need a savior.  We only need people to begin paying attention.

Im truly thankful that I learned how to walk properly and how to speak properly from Sun Bear.  Im  grateful that I received a traditional upbringing.  I learned social manners, how to properly use a knife and fork, and how to live as a gentleman.  In the 60s and 70s, I participated in making fun of those values.  Today, I embrace them, for much of what we imposed on society, with the best of intentions, in the 60s and 70s, has turned out to be poisonous and destructive.  Through paying attention, however, we can change things for the better.  Lets pay attention


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## Ceicei (Apr 7, 2006)

Are these of your own words?  If so, you made excellent observations.  Thank you.

- Ceicei


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## stickarts (Apr 7, 2006)

Fantastic! Great lessons to live by.


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## Xue Sheng (Apr 7, 2006)

Paying attention is a wonderful thing and you are right, many do not. 

Great post, thanks


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## bushidomartialarts (Apr 8, 2006)

right on.

i was talking with a student today about how most of the time our troubles have nothing to do with 'now'.  we're worried about the future, or annoyed/upset about the past.  'now' is usually pretty all right.


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