Loss of interest in reading

[yugenphoenix]

The more I cultivate the more I lose interest in reading. The first to go was fiction, which I had been a voracious consumer of since a child. However, now its also non fiction and writings on religion, philosophy, and meditation. Now I have firmly found a path and am no longer searching for a “way” any longer, but wondering if anyone else experienced this phenomenon as well. Being a life long reader it disturbs me a bit, but what can u do? 

[dawei]

11 minutes ago, yugenphoenix said:

The more I cultivate the more I lose interest in reading. The first to go was fiction, which I had been a voracious consumer of since a child. However, now its also non fiction and writings on religion, philosophy, and meditation. Now I have firmly found a path and am no longer searching for a “way” any longer, but wondering if anyone else experienced this phenomenon as well. Being a life long reader it disturbs me a bit, but what can u do? 

 

Yes

 

Join the #stopreadingbooksduetocultivationclub   

 

But after a time... you come back to seeing it differently, the Zen story of three stages of Mountains... 

 

[yugenphoenix]

4 minutes ago, dawei said:

 

Yes

 

Join the #stopreadingbooksduetocultivationclub   

 

But after a time... you come back to seeing it differently, the Zen story of three stages of Mountains... 

 

Perfect thanks bro. Ill let it come back when its time then. 😀

[Zen Pig]

this seems to be common with folks who meditate for a long time.  I no longer read "spiritual" books, but that is mostly because 99 percent are crap.  the 1 percent that are not, can help, but I have read as much as I need right now.  Of course that might change.  when I had my first Kensho or "seeing into the suchness of life", I lost interest in most things people are really interested in, but after a few years came full circle, back to living life.  I just no longer take life, or our ideas as serious as i use to.  small steps. meditation grows in inches.  

[yugenphoenix]

Same. Lost  interest in more than reading also news, politics, socia media, etc. Like u said most things seem so vacuous to me right now. I prefer the quiet, drive to work with no radio on, only time I listen to music is lifting weights and running. 

[Miroku]

Dunno really. Sometimes people change and lose interest in things. It is good if your practice is fullfilling. However, remember you are part of the world. It is important to stay informed. Find a good source of information and go through it everyday for few minutes to know what is going on.

My experience is that I am becoming more picky when it comes to reading, but at the same time I watch all kind of s**t on youtube. So, my advice would be do not renounce just find some quality. Some books, or movies are worth being seen/read repeatedly.

[Toni]

It has happenned exactly the same to me! After being a voracious reader for years now I don't have the wish to read anymore. I guess it is because we have learnt a very better way to achieve knowledge and wisdom! I have also lost interest in other things as politics, whichi now seem so dirty to me

Edited October 8, 2018 by Toni

[doc benway]

I’ve had a similar experience. I used to read voraciously, now very selectively. I follow no news and rarely read fiction. I have maintained an interest in poetry and periodically refer to the core texts of my spiritual tradition as well as books and transcripts from my teacher, all of which are very supportive of my practice. It seems to be a natural transition as being distracted and entertained loses it’s primacy in our lives as a consequence of spiritual growth.

[silent thunder]

I used to consume books nonstop, there was always one in my possession.  I was insatiable for more, I'd burn through 2-3 a week.  It started in college and continued on to my early 40's.  It was often synchronistic, how books would fall toward me six and seven at a time, all with interlocking and interrelated topic ideas, even across genres. 

 

Then a full stop and no book on any topic could draw my interest for several years.  At first it was fiction that dropped off, and then shortly after, all books lost any sense of pull, or purpose.   This went on for six or seven years it seems.   I'd try on occasion to during that time, but usually to no avail.  Nothing cut through the fog of lack of interest and I'd soon just stop in mid sentence and put a book down for good, something that would have been nigh on impossible in the past.

 

Very recently, in the last year, several titles mentioned here have peaked interest and so there has been a mild return.  Nothing of the manic, constant chewing of words and ideas as before, but there does seem to be a steady flow of interest in certain titles and topics.

 

It's a welcome return, but the interaction with words and ideas has shifted and now it's a light dance, not a distilled pursuit.

[Gerard]

On 08/10/2018 at 7:50 AM, yugenphoenix said:

The more I cultivate the more I lose interest in reading. 

 

 

Its quite obvious, it's the real thing and nothing will replace that and take the gains away from you!

 

In addition to that, I love this Zen quote:

 

"A donkey carrying a pile of holy books is still a donkey."

 

[Fa Xin]

Things come and things go. I'm sure you'll be back to reading at some point. 

[dosa]

Philosophy book should be read with one's heart

[thelerner]

I wonder if reading is like happiness.  We think if we just read this or get that we'll be better.  But our happiness tend to be at a set point.  We may get a 'bump' in happiness from stuff, but its not long lasting.  Same with reading about an interesting technique or philosophy, we oo and ah, but it rarely changes our practice or life. 

 

I don't want to diss reading (or happiness) but at a certain point, the benefits of practice outweighs filling the head. 

[kyoji]

On 10/7/2018 at 3:50 PM, yugenphoenix said:

Same. Lost  interest in more than reading also news, politics, socia media, etc. Like u said most things seem so vacuous to me right now. I prefer the quiet, drive to work with no radio on, only time I listen to music is lifting weights and running. 

I think this is a very common phenomenon amongst meditators/cultivators. It isn't that you suddenly pulled a 180 and started disliking all the things you once loved,  it's just that your hobbies/interests start to lose the hold they once had on you, because you have moved away from identifying with them.  Sure you will still listen to music and read from time to time, but it all loses a certain potency.... which is a bit disorienting at first , but it's something you get used to just like everything else. 

 

[Stosh]

Same , dropped most fiction first. But One day , I picked up an anthology of Melville , whos stuff I boiled through, many years ago , and this time I found I was pausing on every sentence or paragraph to consider and enjoy it. I didn't get through it this time, but it became clear , that some works , really have more content than a cursory glance supplies, and books still provide a convenient and rich pastime. 

[wandelaar]

Quite a surprise to see this happening to so many Bums. Same with me: I have become very selective in what I read!

 

But actually - apart from spiritual development - I think there are some very good reasons why this is so:

 

- When you get older you realize that your life is finite and you haven't got all the time of the world.

- You develop a sense of quality, and books of real quality are rare.

- After some time you will have read enough about the things you find most interesting.

- When your view of life settles your former youthful expectations of the effect of reading books disappear.

 

 

Edited October 10, 2018 by wandelaar

[yugenphoenix]

Thank you all for your time and valuable input and comments! 

 

Much appreciated. 

[Everything]

On 10/7/2018 at 11:50 PM, yugenphoenix said:

The more I cultivate the more I lose interest in reading. The first to go was fiction, which I had been a voracious consumer of since a child. However, now its also non fiction and writings on religion, philosophy, and meditation. Now I have firmly found a path and am no longer searching for a “way” any longer, but wondering if anyone else experienced this phenomenon as well. Being a life long reader it disturbs me a bit, but what can u do? 

Try to read with your heart and feel your way to the best of each and all books.

Edited October 16, 2018 by Everything

[silent thunder]

books are returning.  Churned through a couple on my Sami heritage, which set in motion a few others.  Secret and Sublime was a real stunner as was Saltzman's The 10,000 Things and a couple books on Toltec wisdom tradition.

 

Now I'm back into reading plays.  I'll be through with the complete works of Conor McPherson.

I also realized, I've been reading to my son nightly all through my personal drought.  We just finished The Alchemist, which he was unsure of at first, but came to love by the end.

 

He's reading one of my first favorites.  The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.  I'll be having a go at it when he's done.  That one grabbed me by the collar as a kid and never let go.

 

It's a pleasant surprise and a simple joy to have some gravity in books and stories again.