Page 158 - The Buddha‘s Noble Eightfold Path

level of awareness in everyday life, and a certain type of spiritual

culture, i.e. that of Far Eastern Buddhism, especially Zen, what
analogous ceremony or institution is there which represents the

attitude of the West today? What do we have that breathes the
whole spirit of our commercial culture? After turning this
question over in my mind, I decided that what was characteristic

of our culture was the business lunch. In the business lunch you
are trying to do two things at the same time: trying to have a

good meal, and trying to pull off a good deal. This sort of
behaviour, where one is trying to do two contradictory things at
once, is quite incompatible with any true, real, or deep

awareness. It is also very bad for the digestion.

Awareness of the body and its movements will, if practised
continually, have the effect of slowing these movements down.
The pace of life will become more even and more rhythmical.

Everything will be done more slowly and deliberately. But that
does not mean that we will do less work. That is a fallacy. The

person who does everything slowly because he does it with
awareness and deliberation may well accomplish more than the
person who looks very busy because he is always dashing around

and has lots of papers and files on his desk, and who is in fact not
busy but just confused. A really busy person goes about things

quietly and methodically, and because he doesn't waste time in
trivialities and fuss, and because he is aware, in the long run
actually gets more done.

(b) Awareness of Feelings

This means being aware, in the first place, of whether we are
happy, whether we are sad, or whether we are in a dull, grey,
neutral state somewhere in between.

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