Our Problem Is Fascination
Fascination creates the noise of our delusion
Fascination: interest, preoccupation, passion, obsession, compulsion, captivation, enchantment; allurement; charm, attraction, intrigue, attractiveness, appeal, magnetism, pull, draw.
We have to balance our understanding of spiritual essence, and our functioning in a physical form: “not too tight and not too loose.”
We are spiritual beings embodied in a human form (there are other forms), and trapped by our own fascination with our world, our bodies, our senses and our minds. Spiritually speaking, this fascination is laziness that dulls our realisation of reality. In reality, there is no noise.
Fascination is the distraction. We can even be fascinated by that which repulses us. Pure awareness forgot its spontaneous wakefulness, and became so fascinated with the whole of phenomena as its own experience that an imaginary ‘I’ was created: phenomena became my mind, my senses, my body, my world, my self: ‘my’ implies a holding on to something. We are easily excited because we are, in truth, fully aware – but not aware of this fact.
The opposite of fascination is boredom. Boredom?
Boredom: a feeling of being uninterested, unoccupied.
Now isn’t that interesting?! 😀
The key to ending entrapment is boredom, being uninterested, unoccupied. We are so used to our programming of ‘doing something’ which we think is reality, that we fear ‘doing nothing’. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy of a never-ending chaotic story in a dream state. This state is so familiar that we fill up space every chance we get, becoming fascinated and obsessed with family, work, leisure … there is noise everywhere … that programmed, insidious muzak is everywhere!
Muzak: Elevator music, any generic. commercially produced music for public establishments such as dentist offices, grocery stores, restaurants etc:“Dude, this muzak is giving me a friggin’ headache, I’ve gotta get me a smart phone.”
And we think that will solve our problems? 😀
We keep filling space. Outer space and inner space. In pure meditation, there is no interest, no occupying, no occupier, but just the cool boredom of reality. Give yourself a break. When we come back from our meditation holy-day, awareness itself will bring our attitude back to balance, and we can enjoy without clinging – without being too fascinated.
Fascination really is the problem.
BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog - a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. In this way, Dzogchen is practical - no bells and whistles required. 
Something from my notes written yesterday seems to fit in here.
If all our senses of our identity are artificial…then who and what exactly are we ? Most all people spend their lifetime avoiding this question ! “Fear” must be replaced by some form of “faith”, and “faith is a state of openness to that which is beyond us all”. Faith is believing in order to understand, and faith puts us in that current moment , into a state of being open and available to receive .
Hello Rob,
You make an interesting point.
Actually, you open up two interesting points.
Faith opening us up to receive, and faith
being used as a replacement for fear.
One being fearless confidence, and the other seeking protection.
Both being a valid inspiration of trust.
They are forms of devotion.
Unfortunately, if people avoid the question of what exactly we are, then their trust may be in something that will deceive them.
Still, everything is a phase we go through.
Everyone (even the really bad guys) have the potential to realise their true nature.
It’s just a matter of time when they realise how much suffering they have created for themselves and others.
That will be hell.
Tony
Hello Tony – another fascinating article 😉 ! I know you enjoy the etymology of words – are you aware of the origin of the word “fascinate”?
“late 16th century (in the sense ‘bewitch’): from Latin fascinat- ‘bewitched’, from the verb fascinare, from fascinum ‘spell, witchcraft’.”
It describes exactly what you are talking about.
Thanks as ever
Daisy
Truly fascinating.
Mass hypnosis comes to mind.
Tony
So true!!
Thank you so much 😊
Hello Samrat,
It’s nice to meet you.
Traditionally Buddhism says, we are fixated which implies a deliberate act, but fascination is more like being seduced. It’s more subtle, as we unconsciously slide into attachments.
And, the corporates world knows how to seduce us!
Tony