Learning to concentrate
In Sri Chinmoy’s philosophy, concentration is an important prerequisite to meditation:
Concentration is the Arrow.
Meditation is the Bow.
When you concentrate, you focus all your energies upon the chosen phenomenon in order to unveil its mysteries. When you meditate, you rise into a higher consciousness.
Concentration wants to penetrate into the object it strives for. Meditation wants to live in the vastness of Silence.
In concentration, you endeavour to bring the consciousness of your object right into your own awareness. In meditation, you rise from your limited consciousness into a higher and wider domain.
If you want to sharpen your faculties, concentrate. If you want to lose yourself, meditate.
It is the work of concentration to clear the roads when meditation wants to go either deep within or high above.
Concentration wants to seize the knowledge it aims at. Meditation wants to identify itself with the knowledge it seeks for.
An aspirant has two genuine teachers: Concentration and Meditation. Concentration is always strict with the student; Meditation is strict at times. But both of them are solemnly interested in their students’ progress.
From Eternity’s Breath, by Sri Chinmoy
However, it is always very tempting to make the jump straight to meditation. When I began meditating, I would preface my meditations with some concentration exercises but this didn’t last for long.
Ever since I was a kid, keeping myself focused on something and seeing it through to the bitter end was never one of my strong points, especially if it wasn’t one of my passions. So I have decided to spend a little amount of time honing my concentration skills, so that I can meditate longer and deeper. I wrote an article on one concentration exercise I am using:
http://www.srichinmoybio.co.uk/blog/productivity/an-easy-to-learn-concentration-exercise/
I am also hoping that my improved concentration skills will have knock-on effects in my daily life, especially in getting the will power necessary to make sure every choice I make during the day is one that helps me towards my ultimate goal of enlightenment (hey, why settle for less?)
