May 29:

“I am content with doing the task in front of me.”

–Gandhi (Harijan, September 7, 1935, p. 234)

We’ve all seen it: families and friends filling a room, and everyone is looking down at their devices. What would happen if we gave our attention instead to what–or who–is really in front of us? One very straightforward way to strengthen our awareness of the unity of life, and hence of nonviolence, is to practice one-pointed attention. This means giving our concentration to one task at a time, one person at a time to the greatest extent that we can. It’s like this: when you are doing something, give it your full attention. Easy, right? Not for most of us!

If, for example, you are reading this Daily Metta with the TV on the in background, even if you think you have “tuned it out,” the reality is that only part of your attention can be brought to focus on the words in front of you. In a world where multitasking is seen as a core competitive “skill” of which many boast on resumes, we degrade our minds–and the results of our actions– in the process. What would the world be like if instead of multitasking, we were to show that we can begin a project, give it our full attention and complete it well? It’s a challenge at first, and some may think it is impossible, but if we gave it a try, we would find that it is a very satisfying experiment in conscious awareness. Wow, that guy I work with is not as annoying as I thought when I really see him for who he is…

There is a story about Gandhi’s life that illustrates this point (surprise!). He visited a well-known ashram with some of his friends.  When he left, the swami told his students, “Today we have been visited by a real yogi.” His students asked him how he could tell. He pointed out that when Gandhi picked up a pencil, you could see him give even that simple, rote task his entire attention.  “The rest of us look like we have four pairs of eyes, darting everywhere.”  Gandhi lived an extremely full, extremely busy life according to modern standards. Yet, from picking up a pencil to building a nonviolent revolution, he managed to concentrate on the task before him. It has to be within us to try, too!

Experiment in Nonviolence:
Notice the next time you have a conversation with someone: does your mind wander away? Can you bring it back and offer them your full attention?

Daily Metta 2015, a service of the Metta Center for Nonviolence, is a daily reflection on the strategic and spiritual insights of Mahatma Gandhi in thought, word and deed. As Gandhi called his life an “experiment in truth,” we have included an experiment in nonviolence to accompany each Daily Metta. Check in every day for new inspiration. Each year will be dedicated to another wisdom teacher.