Is the devil in the details?
This is part of my reply to The Book Foole's post today, regarding Buddhist "mindfulness" and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
I think it's no coincidence that I chose Zen Buddhism as the ostensible subject of my journal. Buddhist ideals are in many ways an antidote to excessively detail-oriented behavior. This is only one of many reasons that Buddhism appeals to me, and it isn't one I was consciously aware of before I started my journal, but its importance (to me) has become obvious through discussions I've had with people on this site. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in appreciating Buddhism for this reason.
Buddhism does emphasize mindfulness (a term given much weight in our time by Thich Nhat Hanh). It's an integral part of all the Buddhist teaching I've encountered so far. In spite of that, a person accomplished in Zen practice usually performs acts with what many consider an "unconscious" ease, and the Zen doctrine of "no-mind" is well known. There may well be a paradox in all this; learning from paradox is an important part of Zen training.
Someone more knowledgeable might correct me, but I think the goal of Buddhist practice is always a greater, expanded awareness (mindfulness). Paying attention to "the big picture" ensures attention where it's needed, but also frees one from fussing too much over an isolated problem. I imagine that clearer thinking along these lines would resolve any paradoxes that might appear troublesome at the outset. I wouldn't expect to conclude that attention to detail is bad, only that it gets carried too far when one becomes inattentive to context.
I think it's no coincidence that I chose Zen Buddhism as the ostensible subject of my journal. Buddhist ideals are in many ways an antidote to excessively detail-oriented behavior. This is only one of many reasons that Buddhism appeals to me, and it isn't one I was consciously aware of before I started my journal, but its importance (to me) has become obvious through discussions I've had with people on this site. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in appreciating Buddhism for this reason.
Buddhism does emphasize mindfulness (a term given much weight in our time by Thich Nhat Hanh). It's an integral part of all the Buddhist teaching I've encountered so far. In spite of that, a person accomplished in Zen practice usually performs acts with what many consider an "unconscious" ease, and the Zen doctrine of "no-mind" is well known. There may well be a paradox in all this; learning from paradox is an important part of Zen training.
Someone more knowledgeable might correct me, but I think the goal of Buddhist practice is always a greater, expanded awareness (mindfulness). Paying attention to "the big picture" ensures attention where it's needed, but also frees one from fussing too much over an isolated problem. I imagine that clearer thinking along these lines would resolve any paradoxes that might appear troublesome at the outset. I wouldn't expect to conclude that attention to detail is bad, only that it gets carried too far when one becomes inattentive to context.