Concentration is the theme for this week, and I want to share what I’ve learned about concentration (after I realized my last post didn’t focus explicitly on the topic). I have been practicing concentration formally during my morning sitting periods for some time now, and have had the chance to pick up a few general lessons.
The main lesson I’ve learned about concentration is that it requires A LOT of patience and letting go. My concentration practice is more successful when I let go of ideas about how I am doing, and when I let go of judging whether I am succeeding at my goal of getting concentrated or not. It is better to just begin again, start fresh in each moment, without the storyline about how I will ‘never’ succeed or make progress.
I’ve learned that I can’t take it personally if I don’t think I experienced much concentration during a sitting period. Instead, I know that much of the qualities for concentration to appear are beyond my control. I heard that the Buddha taught that there are over 30 different mental factors or qualities that all have to be present simultaneously in order for concentration to appear!
I’ve learned that successful concentration practice is a delicate balancing act. I have to balance between letting go of distracting thoughts with keeping my attention on my breath. I have to balance resting the mind and being relaxed and at ease, with diligent effort and actively engaging in the object of concentration. I have to balance a sense of lightheartedness and amusement, with a sense of the importance of this practice and a wise intention and desire to get concentrated.
I continue to practice because I’ve seen that concentration is a source of important feelings of happiness and well-being that don’t depend on any external conditions, but rather arise from inside my own being. And experiencing this happiness can allow us to let go of clinging to external attachments that cause suffering.
I also believe that no moment of intentionally practicing concentration is wasted, because of what the practice reveals about my mind and where the mind wants to go. When I see what gets in the way of concentration, I see where my mind is attached and what it resists.
So when I sit down to practice tomorrow, I put my trust in the process that it is beneficial and worthwhile, and I trust that something is happening, even if this something happens below the surface and is hidden for the time being.
Andrea D