WHAT IS THE THEORY OF CONCENTRATION ?HOW CAN WE IMPROVE IT?--06

21 FACTS;--

1-According to Kurma Purana;--If you concentrate your mind on a point for 12 seconds, it is Dharana (concentration). 1-2-Twelve such Dharanas will be a Dhyana (meditation) 12x12=144 seconds. 1-3-Twelve such Dhyanas will be Samadhi— 25 minutes and 28 seconds.

2-Concentration may also be directed on the mental image of God. The practice of concentration and the practice of Pranayama are interdependent. If you practise Pra­nayama you will get concentration. Naturally Prana­ yama follows the practice of concentration.

3-There are different practices according to different tempe­raments. For some the practice of Pranayama will be easy to start with; for others the practice of con­centration will be easy to begin with. When there is deep concentration you will ex­perience great joy and spiritual intoxication. You will forget the body and the surroundings. All the Prana will be taken up to your head.

4- Pranayama or control of breath removes the veil of Rajas and Tamas that envelop Sattva. It purifies the nerves (Nadis). It makes the mind firm and steady and thereby renders it fit for concentra­tion.

5-The dross (rubbish) of the mind is cleansed by Prana­yama just as the dross of gold is got rid of by melting. When you study a book with profound interest, you do not hear if a man shouts and calls you by your name. You do not see a person when he stands in front of you. You do not smell the sweet fragrance of flowers that are placed on the table by your side. This is concentration or one-pointedness of mind. The mind is fixed firmly on one thing. You must have such a deep concentration when you think of God or the Atman.

6-It is easy to concentrate the mind on a worldly object, because the, mind takes interest in it naturally through force of habit. The grooves are already cut in the brain. You will have to train the mind gradually by daily practice of meditation on God, or cm the Self within. The mind will not move now to external objects as it experiences immense joy from the practice of concentration.

7-A goldsmith converts 10 carat gold into pure gold by adding acids and burning it several times in the crucible. Even so, you will have to purify your sensuous mind through concentration, reflection on the word of your spiritual preceptor and Upanishadic sentences or meditation, Japa or silent repetition of the name of the Lord.

8- Beginners will get jerks in meditation. Jerks of head, feet, hands, arms, forearms and trunk may take place. Timid persons are unnecessarily alarmed on this score. It is nothing. Meditation brings on changes in the cells of brain, nerves, etc. Old cells are replaced by new Vigorous cells. They are filled with Sattva. New grooves, new channels for Sattvic thought-currfents, new avenues are formed in the brain and mind.

9-The muscles are therefore agi­tated a bit. Be courageous and bold. Courage is an important virtue and qualification for aspirants. Cultivate this positive quality. Sit in a proper posture. Shut your eyes. Ima­gine that there is nothing but God everywhere. Algebra, the science of abstract numbers cannot be understood without a preliminary practice .

10-Be slow and steady in concentration. By practice of concentration you Will become superhuman. You will have to coax the mind in the begin­ning just as you coax (persuade) the children. Mind is also like an ignorant child.

11-Speak to the mind. “O Mind, why do you run after false, worthless, perishable objects? You will undergo countless sufferings. Look at Lord Krishna, the Beauty of beauties. You will get ever­ lasting happiness. Why do you run to hear worldly love-songs? Hear the. Bhajana of the Lord. Hear the soul-stirring Sankirtan. You will be elevated.” The mind will gradually leave its old vicious habits and get itself fixed on the Lotus-Feet of the Lord.

12-When it is freed from Rajas and Tamas, it will guide you. It will be your Guru. A& soon as you sit for meditation chant OM 3 to 6 times. This will drive away all worldly thoughts from the mind and remove Vikshepa (tossing of mind). Then take to mental repetition of Om. Avoid all other sense-impressions and ideas. Prevent the complications that arise out of correlated actions in the substratum of the mind. Abstract the mind on one idea alone.

13-Shut out all other processes of mentation. Now the whole mind will be filled with the one idea only. Just as the recurrence or repeti­tion of a thought or action leads to perfection of that thought or. action, so also does recurrence of the same process or the same idea lead to the perfection of abstraction, concentration and meditation. It will be very difficult to fix the mind on one thought in the beginning. Diminish the number of thoughts. Try to have the thought fixed on one subject. 14-If you think of rose, you can have all sorts of thoughts connected with rose only. You can .think of different kinds of roses that are grown in different parts of the world. You can think of the various preparations made out of roses and their uses. Check the aimless wandering state Of the mind. Do not have thoughts at random when you think of a rose. Gradually you can fix the mind on one thought only. You will have to discipline the mind daily.

15-Eternal vigilance is needed in thought-control. Concentration increases by curtailing wants and desires, by observing Mauna (silence) for one or two hours, by remaining in seclusion in a room for one or two hours daily, by practising Pranayama, by prayer, by increasing the number of sittings in meditation daily, by Vichara, etc.

16-You must try to be always cheerful and peaceful. Then only you will have concentration of mind. The practice of Maitri (friendship) with equals, Karuna (compassion) towards inferiors or distressed persons, Mudita (complacency /self-admiration) towards superiors or virtuous persons and Upeksha (indifference) towards sinners or wicked persons will produce Chitta-Prasada (cheerfulness or serenity) and destroy hatred, jealousy and dislike (Ghrina).

17-Concentration will increase by lessening the number of thoughts. Certainly it is an uphill work to reduce the number of thoughts. In the beginning, it will tax you much. The task will be very unplea­sant. But later on you will rejoice as you will get im­mense strength of mind and internal peace by reduc­tion of thoughts. Armed with patience& perseverance.\

18-Pain at night when you are asleep... Only when the mind is connected with the diseased part through nerves and thinking, you begin to experience pain. If you can consciously withdraw the mind from the diseased part by concentrating it on God or any other attractive object, you will not experience any pain even when you are wide awake.

19-If you have a powerful will and strong Titiksha (power of endu­rance), then also you will not experience any pain. By constant thinking of any trouble or disease you only augment your pain and suffering. Armed with patience, perseverance, vigilance, fiery determination and iron-will, you can crush the thoughts easily just as you crush a lemon or orange with ease. After crushing them, it will be easy for you to root them out.

20-Mere crushing or sup­pression will not suffice. There may be again resur­rection of thoughts. They should be totally eradi­cated just as loose tooth is rooted out. Concentration can be developed by observing Mauna, by the practice of Pranayama, Self-restraint, vigorous Sadhana and cultivating more mental non­ attachment.

21-The practice to concentrate on the Sandhi (junc­tion) between the Jagrat and Svapna and to pro­long that Sandhi is a difficult one. At night, sit in a quiet room and watch carefully the mind. You will be able to get at the state of junction. Practise regu­larly for three months. You will have success. Reduce your activities. You will have more concentration and inner life.

NOTE;-If you find it difficult to concentrate your mind within a room, come outside and sit in an open place or terrace, or by the side of a river, or in a quiet comer of a garden. You will have good concentration. You press the button and light flashes out from the torch in twinkling of an eye. Even so, the Yogi concentrates and presses the button at the Ajna Chakra, the centre between the two eyebrows, and the divine light flashes out immediately..THE NEXT IS --THE DESCRIPTION OF ''OM''......SHIVOHAM...