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# Re: Mindfulness and concentration - article

#### Message 01785 of 3835

- To: BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com
- Subject: Re: [BardonPraxis] Mindfulness and concentration - article
- From: Allen Kray <sourceport@...>
- Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 10:40:07 -0800 (PST)
- In-reply-to: <bpasdq+3vu9@eGroups.com>

    Hello,

    This book has quite a few applicable techniques. I
    used some of the techniques for distractions to deepen
    my meditation exercises. The entire book is actually
    legally available in .PDF format. If you can't find
    it, I will post a link.

    Another useful and free book on the Internet is called
    "The Power of Concentration". Many of the exercises in
    this book are extremely similar to exercises in IIH.

    I'm not on my usual laptop and therefore I will need
    to wait until tomorrow to post the links. A search on
    Google should find them though.

    Sincerely,
    Allen Kray

    --- David Yeh <ldreamr@...> wrote:
    > I found an interesting article on a Vipassana
    > website contrasting
    > mindfulness and concentration. Seems to be quite
    > relevant, so I
    > thought I'd share. The full article, actually part
    > of the book
    > Mindfulness in Plain English, is at
    >
    http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english_16.ph
    > p
    >
    >
    > David
    >
    > <<<
    > Concentration and mindfulness go hand-in-hand in the
    > job of
    > meditation. Mindfulness directs the power of
    > concentration.
    > Mindfulness is the manager of the operation.
    > Concentration furnishes
    > the power by which mindfulness can penetrate into
    > the deepest level
    > of the mind. Their cooperation results in insight
    > and understanding.
    > These must be cultivated together in a balanced
    > ratio. Just a bit
    > more emphasis is given to mindfulness because
    > mindfulness is the
    > center of meditation. The deepest levels of
    > concentration are not
    > really needed to do the job of liberation. Still, a
    > balance is
    > essential. Too much awareness without calm to
    > balance it will result
    > in a wildly over sensitized state similar to abusing
    > LSD. Too much
    > concentration without a balancing ratio of awareness
    > will result in
    > the 'Stone Buddha' syndrome. The meditator gets so
    > tranquilized that
    > he sits there like a rock. Both of these are to be
    > avoided.
    >
    > The initial stages of mental cultivation are
    > especially delicate. Too
    > much emphasis on mindfulness at this point will
    > actually retard the
    > development of concentration. When getting started
    > in meditation, one
    > of the first things you will notice is how
    > incredibly active the mind
    > really is. The Theravada tradition calls this
    > phenomenon 'monkey
    > mind'. The Tibetan tradition likens it to a
    > waterfall of thought. If
    > you emphasize the awareness function at this point,
    > there will be so
    > much to be aware of that concentration will be
    > impossible. Don't get
    > discouraged. This happens to everybody. And there is
    > a simple
    > solution. Put most of your effort into
    > one-pointedness at the
    > beginning. Just keep calling the attention from
    > wandering over and
    > over again. Tough it out. Full instructions on how
    > to do this are in
    > Chapters 7 and 8. A couple of months down the track
    > and you will have
    > developed concentration power. Then you can start
    > pumping you energy
    > into mindfulness. Do not, however, go so far with
    > concentration that
    > you find yourself going into a stupor.
    >
    > Mindfulness still is the more important of the two
    > components. It
    > should be built as soon as you comfortably can do
    > so. Mindfulness
    > provides the needed foundation for the subsequent
    > development of
    > deeper concentration. Most blunders in this area of
    > balance will
    > correct themselves in time. Right concentration
    > develops naturally in
    > the wake of strong mindfulness. The more you develop
    > the noticing
    > factor, the quicker you will notice the distraction
    > and the quicker
    > you will pull out of it and return to the formal
    > object of attention.
    > The natural result is increased concentration. And
    > as concentration
    > develops, it assists the development of mindfulness.
    > The more
    > concentration power you have, the less chance there
    > is of launching
    > off on a long chain of analysis about the
    > distraction. You simply
    > note the distraction and return your attention to
    > where it is
    > supposed to be.
    >
    > Thus the two factors tend to balance and support
    > each other's growth
    > quite naturally. Just about the only rule you need
    > to follow at this
    > point is to put your effort on concentration at the
    > beginning, until
    > the monkey mind phenomenon has cooled down a bit.
    > After that,
    > emphasize mindfulness. If you find yourself getting
    > frantic,
    > emphasize concentration. If you find yourself going
    > into a stupor,
    > emphasize mindfulness. Overall, mindfulness is the
    > on to emphasize.
    >
    > Mindfulness guides your development in meditation
    > because mindfulness
    > has the ability to be aware of itself. it is
    > mindfulness which will
    > give you a perspective on your practice. Mindfulness
    > will let you
    > know how you are doing. But don't worry too much
    > about that. This is
    > not a race. You are not in competition with anybody,
    > and there is no
    > schedule.
    > >>>
    >
    >

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    - From: "David Yeh" <ldreamr@...>

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