What is concentration?

Talisman

"Now what is concentration, lady, what qualities are its themes, what qualities are its requisites, and what is its development?"

"Singleness of mind is concentration, friend Visakha; the four frames of reference are its themes; the four right exertions are its requisites; and any cultivation, development, & pursuit of these qualities is its development."

-MN 22

I love the simplicity and eloquence of this answer.

First of all, concentration is simply "singleness of mind." The mind made one. In what way is mind not one? When it seeks pleasure here and there, in this form and in that form, in this feeling and in that feeling, in this perception and in that perception, in this formation and in that formation, in this consciousness and in that consciousness.

Secondly, she states that the themes of concentration are the 4 frames of reference. The 4 frames of reference are detailed in the Anapanasati sutra. Specifically mindfulness of breath in reference to the Body, Feelings, Mind, and Mental Qualities.

Furthermore, the 4 right exertions are its requisites. What are the 4 right exertions (or efforts)?

And what, monks, is right effort? (i) There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen. (ii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen. (iii) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen. (iv) He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right effort.

SN 45.8
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn45/sn45.008.than.html

So before concentration can arise there must have arisen the 4 right exertions. Concentration is dependent upon the 4 right exertions.

Finally, she states that "any cultivation, development, & pursuit of these qualities is its development." So to cultivate, develop, or pursue singleness of mind, the 4 frames of reference, and the 4 right exertions is to cultivate, develop, and pursue Right Concentration.

Beautiful

Jeffrey

How are feelings, mind, and mental qualities described in this context? What do you think or have read?

Talisman

@Jeffrey

For information regarding the 4 frames of refence, please read:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html

and

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.22.0.than.html

These are very important suttas. You should read them both and study their contents.

Jeffrey

Well I would really rather have a discussion, but I will take a look at them.

Talisman

I didn't mean to prevent conversation, I'm at work and my answers have to be short. It took me 3 hours to write this post.

Jeffrey

lol fair enough

Talisman

The Four Frames of Reference
"And how is mindfulness of in-&-out breathing developed & pursued so as to bring the four frames of reference to their culmination?

"[1] On whatever occasion a monk breathing in long discerns, 'I am breathing in long'; or breathing out long, discerns, 'I am breathing out long'; or breathing in short, discerns, 'I am breathing in short'; or breathing out short, discerns, 'I am breathing out short'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&... out sensitive to the entire body'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out calming bodily fabrication': On that occasion the monk remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. I tell you, monks, that this — the in-&-out breath — is classed as a body among bodies, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.

"[2] On whatever occasion a monk trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out sensitive to rapture'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out sensitive to pleasure'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out sensitive to mental fabrication'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out calming mental fabrication': On that occasion the monk remains focused on feelings in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. I tell you, monks, that this — careful attention to in-&-out breaths — is classed as a feeling among feelings,[6] which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on feelings in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.

"[3] On whatever occasion a monk trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out sensitive to the mind'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out satisfying the mind'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out steadying the mind'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out releasing the mind': On that occasion the monk remains focused on the mind in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. I don't say that there is mindfulness of in-&-out breathing in one of lapsed mindfulness and no alertness, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on the mind in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.

"[4] On whatever occasion a monk trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out focusing on inconstancy'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out focusing on dispassion'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out focusing on cessation'; trains himself, 'I will breathe in...&...out focusing on relinquishment': On that occasion the monk remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He who sees with discernment the abandoning of greed & distress is one who watches carefully with equanimity, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world.

"This is how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is developed & pursued so as to bring the four frames of reference to their culmination.

MN 118

newtech

Hello:

Still that singleness of mind can be interpreted in many ways.

KarmaDondrupTashi

Concentration is a fabrication - eventually we don't need it.

rick2000sept

Could you elaborate Karma?

Talisman

Concentration is a fabrication - eventually we don't need it.

Concentration is not a fabrication. Technically, it falls under the nama of namarupa. Nama is Feeling, Perception, Intention, Contact, and Attention. So the process that needs to be strenghtened in order to achieve concentration, Attention, is conditioned by formations. Keep in mind, although "eventually we don't need it," concentration is both a part of the 8-fold path and one of the perfections. Concentration should be cultivated to its fullest. The buddha meditated constantly even after attaining nirvana. That should tell you something about its necessity to the path.

KarmaDondrupTashi

Since I don't want to disagree with Talisman I will defer to his/her view here.

_/\_

kaci

i think you are both correct - developing concentration (samadhi) is necessary to reach the level of skill where it becomes a natural ability at which point one transcends the necessity of development and simply applies it to the task of discernment (panna,aka wisdom). but most will need to cultivate and refine this ability, without which the ultimate goal cannot effectively be attained. the refined skill of awareness referred to is an uncluttered, concentrated, steady and calm state of attentiveness that supports the ability to make fine distinctions in very subtle mental activities - necessary in order to be able to fine tune those activities such that friction with and/or attachment to physical and mental experience can reach zero -> release. at which point, there is no need for _anything_ .. but, don't kick the ladder out from under you until you get to the roof, eh?