Proficiency comes when practicing even when distracted

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Make practice your whole life. There are just two mental states. Being present and being distracted from being present. In the beginning, practice is .01% being present, and the 99.99% distracted, and as we continue to practice, the ratio shifts. After many years of training, the ratio might become 20% present, and 80% distracted. Simply knowing this and that you don’t have to be perfect lightens the situation. It’s not that practice is directed, earnest, and serious and that distractions are something else. They both together make up your life. Use them to support your practice as reminders, signals, calls to the practice.

The original slogan is: “If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained.” The first step is noticing you are distracted. Right there, in the noticing, you are practicing. If you don’t see your distractions, you are not practicing, you are what we say “thinking without knowing you are thinking.” Welcome your distractions as they are guides to help you bring back to awareness.

What do you do with all these distractions? They are the practice. By merely noticing you’re in a distracted state, suddenly, you’re no longer distracted but practicing. It is like coming back to the breath. The simple act of noticing your distraction is the heart of the practice. Simply knowing one’s mental and physical state and focusing one’s attention on the present moment experience restart your practice. It is a tool for practice. In Zen, we have a saying: “When you fall down on the ground, you use the ground to get up.” Distraction is one of the essential flavors of life.

Don’t make a mistake most people make, not continuing practice when things get distracting, and there’s no distraction like human relationships.

Practice for death as well as for life …………………….[[201903170457]] Always train with the slogans …………………………….[[201903080539]] Meditate on your dissatisfactions …………………………[[201904170606]] Be patient either way ……………………………………[[201904100507]] Train without bias ………………………………………[[201904160516]]

Alternate Titles

• Practice when you’re distracted
• If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained
• If this can be done even when distracted, you are trained
• You are Proficient if You can Practice Even When Distracted
• One is Trained if One is Capable, Even When Distracted
• With Experience You can Practice Even When Distracted

03-21-2019 - 5:23 AM ›[[201903210523]] → #slogans