Talks August 22, 2003 | 36 min.

Distraction and the Nature of Mind

Shaila Catherine

Distraction and concentration are two expressions of how our attention is aimed, and it is our attitude to what’s happening that determines our distractibility. Anything can catch our attention and be the place of fixation. With mindfulness we return to present awareness, releasing any judgment or urge to control the moment, to fix or change what’s happening. We simply rest in the experience with clear awareness, with a heart that’s spacious, cultivating a nonjudgmental attitude to all that arises, experiencing the present moment with clarity and wisdom.


Shaila Catherine

Shaila Catherine

Guest Teacher

SHAILA CATHERINE taught retreats worldwide since 1996. She founded Bodhi Courses, an online Dhamma classroom, and Insight Meditation South Bay in Silicon Valley. She authored three books on jhāna and vipassanā—Focused and Fearless, Wisdom Wide and Deep and Beyond Distraction. Shaila teaches practical skills for deep concentration and awakening.


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