Right Concentration

With further practice the factors of concentration gain in strength and bring the mind to absorption. Like access concentration, absorption takes the counterpart sign as object. Concentration in the stage of absorption is divided into eight levels, each marked by greater depth, purity, and subtlety than its predecessor. The first four levels form a set called the four jhana. The second four are immaterial states. The eight levels have to be attained in progressive order, the achievement of any later level being dependent on the mastery of the immediately preceding level ... read more of Stages of Concentration 2 ...

A meditation session begins with focusing the mind on a chosen object and keep it there. If the mind strays, the meditator notices this quickly, catches it, and brings it gently back to the object. Doing this over and over as often as is necessary, the mind eventually begins to settle. At this point the five hindrances are likely to arise in one shape or other. They may appear as thoughts, as images, as surges of desire, anger and resentment, as heaviness of mind, agitation, doubts, etc. At times, when a particular hindrance becomes strong, the meditator may have to leave his primary meditation subject and take up a meditation that directly counteracts the hindrance ... read more of Stages of Concentration 1 ...

The wholesome states of mind to be developed can be grouped in various ways. One popular way of grouping is into the set called The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, which includes Mindfulness, Investigation, Energy, Rapture, Tranquility, Concentration, and Equanimity.

The first enlightenment factor – Mindfulness - clears the ground for insight by revealing the phenomena as they are here and now, stripped of all subjectivity: commentaries, interpretations, projections, etc. Mindfulness is basically receptive.

When the bare phenomena are seen as they are, the second enlightenment factor - Investigation - steps in to ponder their characteristics, conditions, and consequences ... read more of What are The Seven Factors of ...

Once started on the path - and concentration not yet quite learned - the meditator will meet the five hindrances in one shape or the other. It is part of anyones progress to overcome these hindrances, which are: sensual desire, ill will, dullness-drowsiness, restlessness-worry, and doubt. Sensual desire and ill will are the unwholesome roots of greed and aversion while dullness-drowsiness, restlessness-worry, and doubt are caused by delusion.

Sensual desire is lust for pleasing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. The term is sometimes interpreted in a broader sense encompassing craving, whether for sense pleasures, wealth, power, position, fame, or anything else desire can settle upon ... read more of The Five Hindrances ...

Concentration ultimately means one-pointedness of mind - the centering of the mind and mental factors rightly and evenly on an object. Right concentration collects together the dispersed stream of mental states to induce an inner unification. Unbroken attentiveness to an object brings along tranquility of the mental functions. The unconcentrated mind moves in a scattered manner and rushes from idea to idea, from thought to thought, without inner control. Such a distracted mind often gets overwhelmed by worries and concerns, it sees things only in fragments, distorted by the ripples of random thoughts ... read more of What is Right Concentration? ...