On Concentration - One Method (Part 2)

 

 

"Sometimes if you find that the mind is unreasonably trying to side-track you, you should force it to carry on the concentration, and when you think that it has reached its full capacity and that you will not be able to force it further, then you will have to use other devices. It is a sort of daily study."
(Swami Sri Chidananda)

     

 

We know that the mind wanders and that it takes effort to stop it from wandering. We know it wanders towards that which we think will provide us happiness, and that this comes to us in the form of our desires.  We know we are locked into our mental prisons and kept chained there by these desires that make it impossible for us to concentrate, then meditate, and thereby gain Self-Knowledge. We have heard that Yoga may have some suggestions on how to escape our bondage and that all this centers around us needing to let go of our desires. But we don’t have any idea how. So let’s look closer at the guidance yoga can give us.

 

We already know a few things.

 

We know that our desires and their supporting thoughts and feelings are all constructs of the mind. We know this because that which we desire is outside of us – in the world out there as a thing or an idea (which is always connected to a thing), and we also know that the mind operates only towards the outside of us. Furthermore, we know the mind to be scattered, constantly moving, and vacillating (go to and fro) between things endlessly. It only lets go of one thought at the time that it grabs onto another. Such is the nature of the mind, and that is the way it wants to be.

 

Once you try to make the mind focus on one thing it feels attacked and confined because its natural state is scattered and loose and your focusing attempt is interfering with its ways and it does not like that. So it rebels. And the most successful rebellion it can stage is fought with the soldiers created from the essence of your strongest desires who are therefore almost invincible warriors.

 

But these seemingly formidable warriors can be beaten, and here are the means:

 

Always know why you are engaged in this battle. Never forget it. Be persistent. And lest you’ve already forgotten; concentration leads to meditation which leads to Self-Knowledge, and knowing your real Self is your goal. Recognize that the very moment you start to focus (outwardly, but specially inwardly) the mind is already gearing up to engage you in battle. Remember though, it is your mind. It belongs to you. You are its master, not a slave to it. You own it and you can tell it exactly what to do and when. Don’t forget that even for a second. But don’t underestimate the power of your mind either. It knows your weaknesses because it is not other than you. Remember that just as it finds its fuel in the essence of your desires, your fuel is in your will and your recognition of your ownership of and supremacy over your mind.

 

And with the battleground now level, let the struggle for Self-Knowledge begin.

 

You know, we could really do with some additional weaponry! What do we have? Well, we have mantra. Ah, yes, that is cool, monotony and repetitiveness, exactly what the mind hates! Then, wise technique; think of reeling in a huge fish. When its resistance is low you reel in. When it resists you simply hold on. Don’t try and reel it in when it is fighting you (at least not for now). Don’t try to practice concentration when the mind is too strong for you. If, when you sit down to try, and within some time (but still after trying a little) you find it just totally impossible then, just forget it and try the next time. Know when the mind is tired because then concentration is almost impossible. With a fresh mind it is much easier. One has to prepare for meditation and go through the motions just like you prepare for anything else.

 

So, we have knowledge of the mind and its workings, we have monotony of mantra, we have a cunning reeling-in technique, so let’s now also add routine as another nail in the coffin.

 

Every morning and every night, for 20 minutes, practice concentration at exactly the same time - every day. The body is amazing in the sense that it quickly learns where it is at and what is then appropriate for it to do at that specific time. It adapts, and fairly quickly at that. For example, when in the bedroom at the usual time of night, the body assumes the “getting ready for sleep” mode. Early morning near breakfast time it assumes the “getting ready for breakfast” mode. In the same way, if you introduce a set routine to the body of two 20-minute concentration practice times, you will train it within a couple of weeks to adopt a “prepare for concentration” time. And that helps a great deal. The mind, in its battle against you, uses your body quite effectively against your mind’s efforts to focus if the body is not geared (attuned, or trained) to do certain things at certain times. Remember that it is said that the body is the lowest item. Higher than the body is the mind, and higher than the mind is the intellect. One final but crucial point for now; the mind is not your enemy and nor should it ever be made into that. It can be your best friend if you teach it how to be that, but engaging the mind in "battle" per se is exactly the wrong thing to do, and I will say more about this in the next writing.

 

For now, this learning you have undergone should be more than sufficient to begin your practice and your training of the body. It is not the end to all this my Friends, it is merely the beginning. We have not even touched upon the influence of desires in the process, but we will in the next writing. Most of you have enough for now for a great beginning.

 

So now you should go, try, and see how you do. Give yourself two weeks or so. Never skip a day. Don’t lose faith in your own power or in your will. You know as I do that if you can accomplish this there is a whole new world of wonder waiting for you. The magnificent world of meditation, then later on, contemplation and finally, true Self-Knowledge, which is why we are all here in the first place.

 

Namaste.

 

 

 

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