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Single-pointed concentration question
NewBuddhist forum,
This is my first post, and probably one of the first times I've tried to express what's going on while meditating, which is leaving me with a more direct understanding of the philosophy behind Zen. Anyways, I've recently redoubled my efforts on developing single-pointed concentration via concentrating single-pointedly on the object of breath. There are times while trying to single-pointedly meditate on breathing where my mind will wander. Now I've learned how to directly elevate my mood from practicing loving-kindness, which I find enhances my concentration. Recently I've tried directly elevating my mood while focusing on breath which I've found minimizes interruption and enhances the "depth" of my concentration. One thing I'd like to emphasize is that it doesn't feel like I'm focusing on two things, mood elevation and breath, but more that they're one. It's somewhat that I'm choosing the relate to the experience positively. "Intuition" is saying both that elevating mood is fine as long as you follow the rule of detachment, but also that single-pointed concentration should transcend emotion and be completely about the object of meditation. I feel I'm not completely expressing the subtleties of it and I'll try and elaborate if necessary. Thank you
This is my first post, and probably one of the first times I've tried to express what's going on while meditating, which is leaving me with a more direct understanding of the philosophy behind Zen. Anyways, I've recently redoubled my efforts on developing single-pointed concentration via concentrating single-pointedly on the object of breath. There are times while trying to single-pointedly meditate on breathing where my mind will wander. Now I've learned how to directly elevate my mood from practicing loving-kindness, which I find enhances my concentration. Recently I've tried directly elevating my mood while focusing on breath which I've found minimizes interruption and enhances the "depth" of my concentration. One thing I'd like to emphasize is that it doesn't feel like I'm focusing on two things, mood elevation and breath, but more that they're one. It's somewhat that I'm choosing the relate to the experience positively. "Intuition" is saying both that elevating mood is fine as long as you follow the rule of detachment, but also that single-pointed concentration should transcend emotion and be completely about the object of meditation. I feel I'm not completely expressing the subtleties of it and I'll try and elaborate if necessary. Thank you
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The Buddha taught meditation called Anapanasati. Usually this is translated as mindfulness of breathing but in reality & practise, it is called mindfulness with breathing. There are many practises that can be done in association with awareness of breathing.
Step # 10 of mindfulness with breathing is 'delighting the mind or exalting the mind whilst breathing in & out'.
Step # 11 is called 'concentrating the mind whilst breathing in & out'.
So the practice you shared is similar to this. Two (subtle) practices can certainly be done together.
Kind regards
I'm finding that conveying what I'm experiencing to be a self-conscious process. I've probably spent over an hour trying to figure out not only what to express but how I'm trying to further my knowledge. Maybe my communication skills have atrophied, but have you ever been in an academic environment where you try to get a deeper understanding of a subject from a professor, but don't have an exact question, so you get a remedial answer that you already understand and doesn't yield any deeper insight? That is what I'm trying to avoid. I think what I'm experiencing is best related to the jhānas, to which I need to further my understanding. From what I've read I think I'm experiencing the first state, sometimes slipping into the second state accidentally (which is where the object of focus is "dropped"?). I've had a nagging thought also regarding the level of positivity, which I believe is dealt with in the third stage? Where can I further my understanding relating to the jhanas?
Thank you.
My opinion is it is open mindfulness watching the mind & senses, which later naturally converges to a single pointed focus.
Why? Because mindfulness means 'recollection' or 'remembering' rather than awareness. One remembers to apply the Dhamma, namely, keeping the mind free from craving, judging and attachment.
Thus, when we start like this, the mind will naturally be open and vigilant of itself.
Kind regards
DD
Literature on jhanas is in many places. Such as scriptures.
The are many writers on the subject of jhana but for me, Ajahn Brahmavamso is the best I have read. His explanations are very clear, in plain english and about the real thing.
Possibly you can do some research or someone can post some links. For me, my lunch break is ending.
You can try this link for searching: http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/
Kind regards
DD
In training single-pointed concentration, in general, the need to 'elevate the mood' is a common process that needs doing. Gross dullness and excitement make you leave your object entirely, and when these are overcome the meditation object is no longer entirely lost.
At this point, even though the object is not technically lost, the object can and will fade into the background. The object isn't dropped from attention, but it no longer has your full attention. This is due to subtle dullness and subtle excitement. This is the level of meditation that many meditators are cultivating when they think they're reaching concentration.
In proper single-pointed meditation the meditation object is blazing with clarity, freshness, alertness. There is no trace of spacing out, inactivity, lethargy, indecisiveness, hesitance etc. So, keep resetting the mood and re-energizing your meditation object whenever it loses its freshness. Gradually, subtle dullness will be overcome you will no longer need to re-energize. That is the natural progression and the is natural cause for the fruit of deeper concentration. A mind that no longer is prone to having to re-energize its object of focus is no longer a weak mind.
Clear? More about the subtle versions of dullness and excitement here:
Nine Stages of Training the Mind
Thank you.
Calling it like a wave is an astute way of putting it. The concentration is stable enough to be a noticeably substantial thing in your observation, and yet this slight disturbance which is much smaller than the substantial thing still intrudes.
With continuing practice and effort, mindfulness, which really means watchfulness, the ability to detect when the mind is moving off the object, will become constant. At that point, there will be continuous unbroken observation and no more wave. This is an amazing thing to observe. Most people never thought such a thing could be possible. But it's also where the real fight begins, keeping the meditation object fresh, alert, vibrant. If the object is not kept CONTINUOUSLY vibrant, which is a little hard to do, then the continuously held meditation object is impaired by subtle dullness and this will function to make your mind stupid and spaced out over time.
My advice is to do 2 meditation sessions per day if you are only doing 1, with a significant interval of time between them. This is to improve your activities when you are off the cushion, by always keeping the impact of your efforts in meditation in mind. It also helps the meditation sessions themselves.
Also once you overcome the wave, reading about the fruits of perfect concentration (ie. what all the various mental factors are doing, which will come, etc) will be particularly meaningful because there is an automatic sense of them in unbroken concentration.