Anxiety and attentiveness

So I wanted to hear what other people thought of this idea: observing some people I know, it seems that the same 'qualities' that relate to being anxious/worrying a lot are those that relate to being observant, vigilant, attentive to detail. So this can lead to a lot of 'skills' or effects, some of which we find annoying or stressful, others of which we find beneficial, such as:

being a keen observer of other's behaviors/worrying about other's behavior --> leads to being very compassionate, helpful, working well with others, AND/OR being quite worried about what others are doing/thinking

being very aware of the state of ones own thoughts/mind --> leads to wisdom/insight AND/OR fretting
being very aware of ones own body  --> leads to good care taken of ones body AND/OR hypochondria
being a keen observer of the world around --> leads to artistic ability AND/OR fretting about potential dangers at every turn

and so on.

Has anyone else noticed this pattern?

It seems in my experience that the agitation/fear aspect can be worked on (by exercises or lifestyle choices that increase calm and overcome fear, for example), so that the beneficial qualities predominate over the less useful ones; but one cannot lose the capacity to be hyper-aware/observant/attentive. 

Thoughts?

Today I was reviewing 5 Elements practice and one of the core ideas is basically what you said...

Embracing Emotions as the Path - Aro gTér Lineage

If we have a partial/egotistical/samsaric understanding of experience, we get the first part of these rows below, if we can have the full/unified/wise experience we get the second part of these rows below:

Element	Symptom	When we try to consolidate empty form quality of these elements… we experience of aversion to passionate empty qualityExperience of aversion (passionate empty quality)	When we relax the experience into the unified experience, we experience…
Earth	Territorialism	Hollowness and Insecurity	Generosity and Elegance
Water	Aggression	Fear [avoidance]	Clarity and Directness
Fire	Obsession	Isolation and Neediness	Compassion and Discernment
Air	Suspicion and Paranoia	Groundless Anxiety	Confidence and Competence
Space	Depression	Bewilderment	Open awareness/perception

 
 
 

Nothing has shaped my overall view, practice, and life over the last 20 or so years like Ngak’chang Rinpoche’s down -to-earth instruction. Spectrum of Ecstasy was my first encounter, and it was seismic. He taught us to stop and “take in,” with all our senses, the events of our lives, nd our responses to them. Then, in that open space, to consider the underlying PRINCIPLE AND FUNCTION. Everything in the social-political sphere, and in the arena of one’s own psyche, can be clarified. The most seemingly counterproductive traits and behaviors have understandable aspects, if decoded in this way— anxiety/attentiveness; stubbornness/steadfastness; ADHD/responsiveness. Along the way, I’ve observed that some yoga techniques play the fine edge between traumatic shock and extreme exploitation of physiological potential.

Just a question? Do we control that “taking in”? And if not how does it come to be? 

Excellent question.

My answer may or may not appear cryptic or evasive…
As I experience what I guess is called “transmission,” Rinpoche gives the instruction, one hears it, and then discovers how to do it. Or, in my case, how to STOP one’s habitual NOT-DOING it. This is perhaps what is called “empowerment.” 

I discovered that I habitually tighten up against the unceasing input of the wild radiance of phenomena, as if my “life” (or precious identity) depends on cutting it down to size. And that it is entirely possible to … Just. Not.
For a moment that one can get more and more used to repeating.

By happy coincidence, I am immersed in a 4-volume audiobook series that starts with “Breakfast with the Buddha” that captures the haphazard process of sliding from intellectual questing study to obligate disciple/practitioner in very engaging anecdotal style. I chuckle again and again at the protagonist’s ever-so-familiar sense of incomprehension, unsuitability, unlikelihood, and reluctance. And of the processes proceeding, nonetheless.

Highly recommended, whether in written form for those who can still manage print, or audio for fellow fogies.

Pro tip for audiobooks fans— there’s a service called Chirp that offer bargain sales on many titles. I got the first 2 in the series— Breakfast with… and Lunch with…— as a bundle for 6 or 7 $

Kate Gowen wrote: Nothing has shaped my overall view, practice, and life over the last 20 or so years like Ngak’chang Rinpoche’s down -to-earth instruction. Spectrum of Ecstasy was my first encounter, and it was seismic. He taught us to stop and “take in,” with all our senses, the events of our lives, nd our responses to them. Then, in that open space, to consider the underlying PRINCIPLE AND FUNCTION. Everything in the social-political sphere, and in the arena of one’s own psyche, can be clarified. The most seemingly counterproductive traits and behaviors have understandable aspects, if decoded in this way— anxiety/attentiveness; stubbornness/steadfastness; ADHD/responsiveness. Along the way, I’ve observed that some yoga techniques play the fine edge between traumatic shock and extreme exploitation of physiological potential.

In a way, NR might be my original teacher. Back in the early days of this crazy thing called the internet it was Aro and (separate from Aro) a woman named Lama Yeshe Wangmo in Hawaii that I "discovered". From LYW I learned problems were "fuel" in tantra and with NR I became inspired to eat the raw energy of emotions. Good stuff for a very self-conflicted young man.

Thanks for the interesting conversation!

Glad to know you are enjoying it, Tom!

Someone asked Rinpoche once about his penchant for deplorable puns and schoolboy jokes. He replied with one of his teacher’s observations— “When people laugh, they remember the teachings.” Reflecting on that, I’d guess that that is part of the usefulness of stories. And the principle could be extended— because people remember scary stories at least as well as funny ones. Some of his stories about his teachers involve being electrified by something terrifying that they said or did. 

 Some Zen koans and teaching stories seem similar.