Re: [BardonPraxis] Mindfulness and concentration - article

[Newbieonekenhobby <newbieonekenhobby@...>]

Hi

*Mindfulness in Plain English*

I made the research through Google. Found the pdf,
added its URL to Praxis' links.
Cheers
NB

--- Allen Kray <sourceport@...> wrote:
> 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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