Multi-Tasking The Moment

I'd like to respond to a large proportion of Pauls' comment on "Flatpack Fun", so for convenience, I'll paste it in here:

Paul said: Tsk, Simon, the essence of humour is observation. And timing. The *two* essences of humour are... Anyway, maybe a Tibetan Buddhist would sit on the floor, but I doubt you'll find many Western Buddhists who'd choose to. Not with these knees, anyway. A duff bit of stereotyping, in short.

Hmm. I did pause for thought (briefly) before using the joke about sitting on the floor but I decided to go ahead with it because a) I thought it was funny enough (yes, yes, it was only my opinion...) and b) the butt of the piece was not really Buddhists at all but me and my terrible skills at DIY. Paul is right to take me to task however, as such stereotyping is scarcely desirable in a blog whose purpose is not only to entertain but also to try to throw some light on the underlying truths of our existence. I guess in walking the tightrope between the two, I'm bound to take a tumble from time to time, so when that happens it's helpful for people to point out that it's actually me who's lying speadeagled on the floor.

Paul continued: I always find listening to music works for me as a way of tent-pegging myself into the present moment, though I tend to grow physically restless, or start dozing, if I just sit listening to music. Some mindless menial task, combined with music listening is my perfect combination. Washing-up is not bad, but doesn't tend to take very long. Painting large expanses of exterior woodwork is another good one, but can only be deployed infrequently. Ironing a basket of clothes is ideal - needs to be done every week, and takes an hour or so. Just long enough for a long symphony or twenty tracksworth of iPod shuffling. Somehow my mind can just switch back and forth between the music and the ironing, always fully intent on one or the other, and totally rooted in the present moment.

Paul's remarks about being in the moment suggest that he's much better at multi-tasking than I am. I too like listening to something while I'm doing boring jobs like ironing or washing up, but doing both is such a challenge for my brain that I don't then have any spare capacity left to appreciate what Paul has previously called "the sheer wonderment of being where and when you are". Isn't it Buddhist practice to do only one thing at a time? This makes sense in the light of my experience, for the additional capacity is then available to actually notice what's there in the moment: to be aware of that heightened sense of reality which makes the moment so special. I guess it's horses for courses though. If music along with the ironing works for you, Paul, then go with it. I'd be interested to know what happens if you cut out the music though - and still try and be in the moment.

Does anyone else out there have experiences to add?

Comments

[Paul Vincent]

It's a fair cop, Simon. I believe I've heard various Buddhists, Taoists too, saying that listening to recorded music isn't really "living in the moment", however much you lose yourself to it, because it isn't really something happening in the world outside yourself. Losing yourself in a live concert counts, because there really is this physical reality of a roomful of people, with some musicians creating sounds in the same space as you. Whereas listening to recorded music is more like programmed dreaming - a kind of aural virtual reality into which you retreat, away from your physical environment. It's not so much living in the moment as living inside your own brain. And I take this as fair comment, though it's a kind of pure-Buddhism approach that I'm not prepared to take because music is - simply put - the most important thing in my life. Always has been. Even my wife realises she only rates number two in my list of life's most important features. I did try letting myself be absorbed into doing the washing-up today, though, sans background music, and was reasonably successful in just enjoying the rhythm of the process, the sensations of the warm water, and the gentle clattering of the dishes. So thanks for the suggestion.

[Secret Simon]

Thanks for the clarification, Paul, and glad you enjoyed your new cutting edge washing up experience. Did you catch any of the 'Ricky Gervais Show' podcasts by any chance? There was one in the first season in which the intriguing Karl tries doing the washing up without using his thumbs - now there's an opportunity for spiritual advancement!