“To be able to Concentrate for a considerable time is essential to difficult achievement.” — Bertrand Russell
The power of Concentration is to stay highly focused on one single object.
High concentration makes the journey of attaining the goal easy and even monumental efforts and great accomplishments seem effortless. This is because except for the one single thought of the object being concentrated upon there are no other thoughts. Hence the thought of arduous journey or strenuous effort do not occur or cross the mind.
For example, the great players of a ball game such as Sachin Tendulkar in Cricket, Roger Federer in Tennis watch the ball like a hawk and are always concentrating on the current ball. They do no think about the previous ball no matter how well or poorly they might have played. They always concentrate on the current ball. Such is the focus and power of their concentration and we all are aware of the great feats they have accomplished in their careers.
One should love the goal and desperately want to achieve the goal. Otherwise concentration is not possible if one wants something halfheartedly or not serious enough to pursue the goal.
High concentration is possible only if one loves concentrating on that particular object and thoroughly enjoys doing so. Otherwise, highly focused concentration is just not possible. For example, it could be watching a movie or sports. If they are not interesting, boring and not exciting or enjoyable then concentration is not at all possible.
The power of concentration helps one attain the goal and the goal could be different for different people.
- For a seeker of the Truth, the goal is Self-Realisation.
- For a business person, the goal is to succeed and grow the business.
- For a professional, the goal is to successfully complete the tasks on hand and succeed in the profession.
- For a sports person, the goal is to become more and more skilful so that every game could be won.
Is there any method to develop the power of concentration?
Advaita Vedanta indeed provides a carefully crafted method to succeed and it is called Sadhana Chatushtaya (fourfold qualifications) which are Viveka (reasoning deliberation and discrimination), Vairagya (dispassion), Mumukshutva (burning desire) and Shad Sampat (six treasures). The last of the Shad Sampat (six treasures) is Samadhana which the Advaita book “Tattvabodha” defines as Chitta Ekagratha meaning highly focused Single Pointed Concentration. If all other things mentioned in Sadhana Chatushtaya are practiced and perfected then one becomes proficient in practicing Samadhana which means Focused Concentration.
A Sadhaka (an aspirant who is willing to put the effort) has to do intense Sadhana (effort) and acquire the qualifications specified by Sadhana Chatushtaya. Then ones intellect gets sharpened and becomes qualified and deserving to pursue the goal, always contemplates and concentrates on the goal and finally succeeds in attaining the goal.
What happens during highly focused Concentration?
We are coming to an important point and the main purpose of this post which is to analyse what happens during highly focused Concentration.
When one is in intense concentration the individuality is lost. One is not aware of the surroundings, one is not aware of their own body, name or gender. Only Triputi is present which means Triad or set of three. They are Concentrating Entity-Act of Concentration-Concentrated Object, Seer-Seeing-Seen (Drig Drishya Viveka), Cognizer-Cognizing-Cognized, Thinker-Thinking-Thought, Knower-Knowing-Known, etc. Thus we exist as a nameless, formless, Concentrating Entity and the individuality is lost.
Advaita Vedanta uses a Sanskrit term “Jagat” which includes this world, the body, the mind, ego-self and the thoughts. All the observable, knowable things are Jagat. Advaita calls this Jagat as Anatman (Not-Self). The observer or the knower is Atman (Self), Consciousness.
We are normally associated and mixed up with this Jagat (Not-Self) and hence are called Jiva which is existing as limited individual ego-self. With a concentrated effort if we let go of our attachment to Jagat then we lose our individuality and we could start identifying ourselves with the infinite, eternal, Atman (Self) and permanently be in the bliss of liberation from individuality.
When we are in deep sleep we lose our individuality. When we wake up we always feel good after a good undisturbed, dreamless sleep and we never say it was miserable. That's because we lose our individuality in deep sleep. Now this should give us a clue which is losing of individuality is inherently associated with joy.
Whenever we are fully immersed in deep concentration we exist as a Pure Concentrating Entity such as while watching a movie, watching sports, playing sports, tasting delectable food, reading something interesting, listening ardently to a music we like, etc. We might call it as entertainment, excitement, relaxation, etc. but the common thread in all these so called pleasurable activities is losing of individuality. It always happens during those moments when we are in a single pointed concentration, the Jagat vanishes, we lose our individuality thereby experience the inherent joy as we exist as Pure Consciousness or Pure Concentrating Entity.
Sometimes a person forces oneself into high risk situations such as rock climbing, para diving, racing, surfing, etc. One might call it as Thrill and excitement. But during such activities because of the high chance of getting injured one is forced to fully concentrate which results in losing of individuality and hence it results in immense joy.
So the real joy is not coming from engaging in pleasurable activities, it is actually during those moments we exist as 100% Concentrating Entity thereby losing our individuality which automatically results in happiness.
According to Advaita, whenever we exist as pure Concentrating Entity we exist as Sacchidhananda Swarupa (Sat-Chit-Ananda, Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) which means during 100% concentration, We Exist, We exist as Concentrating Consciousness, We are in Bliss.
Thus during focused concentration one loses the individuality which always results in great joy and it would be really interesting to get views on this from intellectuals such as eminent scientists, rational philosophers, social psychologists, expert psychiatrists, etc.
The joy due to so called pleasurable activities is only temporary and lasts only during the duration of that particular activity. Also during such activities even if the Jagat, the individuality is lost still Vedana Anubhava is present. Though “Vedana Anubhava” literally means "Experience of Pain", in this particular context it means all kinds of emotional feelings such as pain, happiness, sorrow, anger, thrill, excitement, etc.
What Advaita Vedanta is advocating is one can be in the permanent state of joy by losing the individuality for good, existing as pure Sacchidhananda Swarupa all the time and use one’s concentrating ability to successfully attain Self-Realisation.
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