Concentration
If you focus the rays of the
sun through a lens, they can burn cotton or a piece of paper; but, the
scattered rays cannot do this act. If you want to talk to a man at a distance,
you make a funnel of your hand and speak. The sound-waves are collected at one
point and then directed towards the man. He can hear your speech very clearly.
The water is converted into steam and the steam is concentrated at a point. The
railway engine moves. All these are instances of concentrated waves. Even so,
if you collect the dissipated rays of the mind and focus them at a point, you
will have wonderful concentration. The concentrated mind will serve as a potent
searchlight to find out the treasures of the soul and attain the supreme wealth
of Atman (the Self), eternal bliss, immortality and perennial joy.
Real Raja Yoga starts from
concentration. Concentration merges in meditation. Concentration is a portion
of meditation.
Meditation follows
concentration. Samadhi (superconscious state) follows mediation. The Jivanmukti
(liberated being) state follows the attainment of Nirvikalpa Samadhi which is
free from all thoughts of duality. Jivanmukti leads to emancipation from the
wheel of birth and death. Therefore, concentration is the first and foremost
thing a Sadhaka or aspirant should acquire in the spiritual path.
You are born to concentrate
the mind on God after collecting the mental rays that are dissipated on various
objects. That is your important duty. You forget the duty on account of Moha
(infatuation) for family, children, money, power, position, respect, name and
fame.
Concentration of the mind on
God after purification can give you real happiness and knowledge. You are born
for this purpose only. You are carried away to external objects through
attachment and infatuated love.
Once a Sanskrit scholar
approached Kabir and asked him, “O Kabir, what are you doing now?". Kabir
replied, "O Pundit, I am detaching the mind from worldly objects and
attaching it to the lotus-feet of the Lord". This is concentration.
Concentration or Dharana is
centering the mind on one single thought. Vedantins try to fix the mind on the
Atman. This is their Dharana. Hatha Yogins and Raja Yogins concentrate their
mind on the six Chakras (energy centres). Bhaktas concentrate on their Ishta
Devata (tutelary diety). Concentration is a great necessity for all aspirants.
During concentration, the
various rays of the mind are collected and focussed on the object of concentration.
There will be no tossing of the mind. One idea occupies the mind. The whole
energy of the mind is concentrated on that one idea. The senses become still.
They do not function. When there is deep concentration, there is no
consciousness of the body and surroundings.
When you study a book with
profound interest, you do not hear if a man shouts and calls you by your name.
You do not see a person when he stands in front of you. You do not smell the
sweet fragrance of flowers that are placed on the table by your side. This is
concentration or one-pointedness of mind. The mind is fixed firmly on one
thing. You must have such a deep concentration when you think of God or the
Atman.
Everybody possesses some
ability to concentrate. Everybody does concentrate to a certain extent when he
reads a book, when he writes a letter, when he plays tennis, and in fact, when
he does any kind of work. But, for spiritual purposes, concentration should be
developed to an infinite degree.
There is great concentration when
you play cards or chess, but the mind is not filled with pure and divine
thoughts. The mental contents are of an undesirable nature. You can hardly
experience the divine thrill, ecstasy, and elevation when the mind is filled
with impure thoughts. Every object has its own mental associations. You will
have to fill up the mind with sublime, spiritual thoughts. Then only the mind
will be expurgated of all worldly thoughts. The picture of Lord Jesus or Buddha or Lord Krishna is
associated with sublime, soul-stirring ideas; chess and cards are associated
with ideas of gambling, cheating and so forth.
Sit on any comfortable pose.
Place a picture of your Ishta Devata in front of you. Look at the picture with
a steady gaze. Then close your eyes and visualise the picture in the centre of
your heart or in the space between the eyebrows.
When the picture fades out in
your mental vision, open the eyes and gaze at the picture again. Close your
eyes after a few seconds and repeat the process.
It is easy to concentrate the
mind on external objects. The mind has a natural tendency to go outwards. In
the beginning stage of practice, you can concentrate on a black dot. on the
wall, a candle flame, a bright star, the moon, or any other object that is
pleasing to the mind.
The mind should be trained to
concentrate on gross objects in the beginning; and later on, you can
successfully concentrate on subtle objects and abstract ideas.
There is no concentration
without something to rest the mind upon. Concentrate on anything that appeals
to you as good or anything which the mind likes best. It is very difficult to
fix the mind, in the beginning, on any object which the mind dislikes.
Practise various sorts of
concentration. This will train or discipline your mind wonderfully. Now
concentrate on the Himalayas, a very great object. Then concentrate on a
mustard or a pin-point. Now concentrate on a distant object. Then concentrate
on a near object. Now concentrate on a colour, sound, touch, smell, or taste.
Now concentrate on the virtue ‘mercy’. Then concentrate on the virtue
'patience'. Now concentrate on the Sloka, "Jyotishamai Tat Jyotih”.
Then concentrate on "Satyam Jnanam Anantam". Now concentrate
on the image of Lord Siva. Then concentrate on the “Aham Brahmasmi"
Mahavakya.
Excerpts from:
Concentration by Sri Swami
Sivananda
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