CHAPTER II.

THE IMPORTANCE OF AT- TENTION
Perhaps it would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of the thing we call "attention." It should be assiduously cultivated in every possible way. Whatever is being done should be done with an undivided mind, whether it is important or trivial. At- tention to the work in hand is not only the first step toward success with that particular bit of work but is also a step in actual occult development. To study a subject for a half hour with un- wavering attention accomplishes more than to follow it a half day with a wandering mind; and while we are thus gaining knowledge rapidly by de-
16 Hints to Students of Occultism
terminedly sustained attention we are doing something more. We are bring- ing the mind into the particular condi- tion it must reach before any marked progress in occultism is possible.
The mental habit of most people re- minds one of a kitten at play. It strikes at a swinging string, catches up a bit of paper, leaps into the air after a fly, then darts into another room to dash from object to object in a new field, all for no other purpose than because it has nothing more serious in life to attend to. So it is with the wandering mind. It fills up the time with a multitude of trifling thoughts that, all summed up in the end, amount to simply nothing. It occupies itself with dreamy speculations about noth- ing in particular, darts backward to uselessly run over a recent conversa- tion, leaps off to review a journey made a week ago, dallies over a re- membered remark by a friend, sud-
Importance of Attention 17
denly recalls a duty not discharged, forgets it the next instant because a carriage passes the window, and then dashes off on some entirely new round of equally frivolous mental activities that are as devoid of connection with the first set as they are of method or purpose.
Such a state of mind belongs to that period of our existence when we had no knowledge of the purpose of life. It is not becoming to the student of Theosophy and he should, without any loss of time, begin an earnest effort to free himself from so pernicious a men- tal habit. A good way to accomplish this is to endeavor to keep the mind steadily upon the work in hand, whether it is reading, writing, talking, listening, or discharging some simple duty. When it is some pastime or recreation, to which attention is turned for rest, the mind should be fully given up to it and kept entirely away from
18 Hints to Students of Occultism
the work that has been temporarily dropped.
Attention is the very gist of occult progress. It is impossible to imagine anybody getting on without acquiring it; and the way to acquire it to the degree that makes it effective is to keep constantly at it in all the little things we do until it becomes an ingrained and deep-seated habit. Is not atten- tion the very basis upon which occult development rests ? Take as an exam- ple telepathy, with which most people have had more or less experience. You are about to say something when your friend says it for you. You have decided to move a chair or open a win- dow, but before you can rise your com- panion requests you to do that particu- lar thing. You have not thought for a week about purchasing a certain needed article when it comes into your mind suddenly, but before your thought can frame itself into words
Importance of Attention 19
your companion brings up the subject. Very often you both speak the same words at the same instant about the same thing. Very often, too, you know precisely what another is going to say just before he utters it. Now, this occurs when the mind is not dis- turbed by other thoughts and things. We cannot imagine a person getting the thought of another when his own mind is galloping about among other subjects. How can he get what an- other is thinking when he does not even get what he is saying? But we can imagine telepathy being cultivated by close and sympathetic attention. We can imagine a person listening so intently to another's conversation and getting so completely into his line of thought that he gets his ideas before they are expressed in words. Such centered and sustained attention neces- sarily cultivates sensitiveness.
A very good time for cultivating the
20 Hints to Students of Occultism
attention is while listening to a dis- course. An especial effort can be made to get every idea expressed by the speaker; and if, as sometimes hap- pens, the ideas are not numerous, to give the closest attention to all that is said, keeping mental account of the points as they are developed without losing anything that is being stated. Whether one agrees with the speaker or not should not be permitted to im- pair the attention. In either case the mind should be held unwaveringly upon the discourse, so firmly and per- sistently that there is no opportunity for other things to intrude. If the ideas come from the speaker too slowly to occupy the mind it can be kept busy reviewing the points thus far made, or even in speculating upon what are likely to come, but in any case it should be kept to the speaker and his subject with the greatest care. The attention should not be permitted to
Importance of Attention 21
fail from the moment he rises until he has finished. This attention should be absolute. If somebody enters or leaves the room disregard it. Try to see noth- ing but the speaker and hear nothing but his discourse, until it is finished. If this practice should, at first, prove trying it need not be continued throughout an entire sermon or lec- ture. But for such length of time as may be decided upon the attention should be rigorously sustained. If the discourse is a good one much more will thus be learned from it. If it is of the order that bores one it will be robbed of much, if not all, of its oppressive- ness; for when the mind is concen- trated upon it, and busy speculating about it, time does not hang heavily, but passes without notice. An unfail- ing method of shortening the apparent time of any discourse is to concentrate the attention upon it.
22 Hints to Students of Occultism ORIGINAL THINKING.
Another thing which the young stu- dent should take up is the matter of original thinking. Naturally he will read much of occultism in the books written by occultists, and he will have a tendency to fall into their style of expression. When he prepares a paper on a theosophical subject he will usu- ally find, upon critically examining his work, that he has set forth much the same points, in much the same way, with the same degree of emphasis and with the same kind of illustrations that his authors have used. Often he un- consciously falls into almost precisely the same expressions. All this is work in an imitative rut, from which he should make a determined effort to ex- tricate himself. No matter how ad- mirable the work of the teacher is the student does not desire to become either a copyist or a parrot. He does
Importance of Attention 23
not want his mind to get the habit of running only along the grooves fash- ioned by others and then not running at all when it reaches the end of the groove. To avoid this misfortune he should read only for a short time and then stop and ponder well the ideas presented. Let him try to find various points of view and see if he cannot think of something more to be said on the matter. He can call up in his mind some of his experiences that are in line with the statement of principles given and ponder over the corroboration thus furnished.. When he discusses with others what he has read let him try to avoid the exact language used by the author and put the thought into orig- inal expressions of his own. He should endeavor to think out original illustrations to illuminate the subject, and new sets of circumstances to which the principles stated will apply; and the way to do it is to think, and think,
24 Hints to Students of Occultism
and think, about it. Original thinking is an invaluable accomplishment and the only reason why there is not more of it is because there are so few who are willing to give it the necessary time and effort.