Contemplative traditions and practices are a useful antidote to fragmented attention. Some Buddhist traditions, owing to South Asia origins, even have a name for ADHD as the “monkey brain.” The analogy is thinking of the mind as a monkey swinging from tree to tree.
What I learned to look for in contemplative practices are several aspects.
• Is there a connection to and appreciation of nature?
• Is there a supportive human relational structure that is caring and not manipulative?
• Is there an underlying care based ethos such as the South Asian idea of “Ahimsa”?
• Does the tradition avoid claiming what it cannot deliver, such as being all knowing about the universe?
For those interested I highly recommend Deepak Chopra’s book or audio book “The Future of God. A Practical Approach to Spirituality for Our Times.” In this book Chopra’s thesis is that spirituality should be about reliable knowledge about high reality. The book has some very helpful perspectives.
Contemplative traditions and practices are a useful antidote to fragmented attention. Some Buddhist traditions, owing to South Asia origins, even have a name for ADHD as the “monkey brain.” The analogy is thinking of the mind as a monkey swinging from tree to tree.
What I learned to look for in contemplative practices are several aspects.
• Is there a connection to and appreciation of nature?
• Is there a supportive human relational structure that is caring and not manipulative?
• Is there an underlying care based ethos such as the South Asian idea of “Ahimsa”?
• Does the tradition avoid claiming what it cannot deliver, such as being all knowing about the universe?
For those interested I highly recommend Deepak Chopra’s book or audio book “The Future of God. A Practical Approach to Spirituality for Our Times.” In this book Chopra’s thesis is that spirituality should be about reliable knowledge about high reality. The book has some very helpful perspectives.