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Concentration=limitation?

musicmusic
in Buddhism Basics
When I focus on an object to the exclusion of all other objects, my concentration is restricted to one tiny space. If I don't concentrate, my consciousness expands since it isn't restricted to one object. So it seems that concentration limits consciousness, whereas the opposite expands it.

Why then do meditators encourage concentration (and the ensuing limitation) rather than expansion?

Comments

  • RebeccaSRebeccaS Veteran
    There's another meditation, the peripheral meditation, where you keep your eyes open and you kind of use your peripheral vision so that you're taking in everything rather than just focusing on one thing. If focusing on one thing isn't for you then you might like it.
  • poptartpoptart Veteran
    I was taught formless meditation which avoids focussing on anything. Here is a description.
  • SonghillSonghill Veteran
    Music:
    When I focus on an object to the exclusion of all other objects, my concentration is restricted to one tiny space. If I don't concentrate, my consciousness expands since it isn't restricted to one object. So it seems that concentration limits consciousness, whereas the opposite expands it.
    As simply as I can put it, the idea behind true Buddhist meditation is achieving one-pointed concentration of mind (cittasya ekâgratâ) which results in samâdhi in which the adept beholds unconditioned reality. This also means that the adept realizes Buddha Mind which is unconditioned which is the clear light Mind. True samâdhi is when mind awakens to itself so that it sees that the subjective world and the external, object-world are Mind-only. This is true non-duality.

    Always keep in mind that Buddhism is a first-person introspective science. The Buddha is trying to get us to see what he saw whereby he became awakened. To get there one has to pass through a lot of subtle territory. It is always possible to deceive oneself by mistaking a nimitta (sign) for annimmita (signlessness).
    PrairieGhostOneLifeForm
  • tmottestmottes Veteran
    music said:

    When I focus on an object to the exclusion of all other objects, my concentration is restricted to one tiny space. If I don't concentrate, my consciousness expands since it isn't restricted to one object. So it seems that concentration limits consciousness, whereas the opposite expands it.

    Why then do meditators encourage concentration (and the ensuing limitation) rather than expansion?

    There are many reasons people meditate and different techniques will have different results. In Buddhism, concentration needs to be developed before we are able to effectively analyze various aspect of our experience. This analysis of experience is used to learn where a truly lasting peace and happiness (the end of suffering) can be found.
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    music said:

    Why then do meditators encourage concentration (and the ensuing limitation) rather than expansion?

    When one is very concentrated, consciousness becomes very expansive.
    seeker242
  • SabreSabre Veteran
    You want to focus on a tinier aspect of existence to see what's there. When being very concentrated, you'll see there is only emptiness. So the more you loose, the more you can understand. The less consciousness is aimed at, the less consciousness there is. If there is nothing left to focus on, consciousness also disappears. This is what the Buddha meant with non-self.
  • PrairieGhostPrairieGhost Veteran
    Who is focussing?
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