In Buddhist practice, concentration is highly prized as a way to train our minds and hearts. It is a vehicle for presence, for remembrance. This life gives many opportunities for joy and beauty, and it also is rife with conflict and disagreement, lack, endless entertainment and thus distraction. What are we running from when we scroll through our phones, watch multiple episodes of a show, shop, eat too much and rage against those who appear different from our comfort?
Ways of concentration include being absorbed, employing awareness along with focus. Attention. Isn’t our life really determined by attention? Where we place our attention really colors and defines the quality of our life. If we wish to develop kindness or patience, we must concentrate. If we wish to free ourselves from so much distraction, opinion and noise, we must collect ourselves. We bring strength to our effort, to our spiritual orientation to life. Like juice concentrate. We extract the essence, the heart of the matter. Concentration is not some tedious exercise. It can provide a deep connection to life. We bring our attention to life, to our own good hearts, with strength and purpose.
To sit still with our experience, to be present with our prayer. To breathe. We practice placing our attention on the divine, on God, on the interrelationship of all things. To concentrate is to bring together — our attention, our intention, and our purpose. It is to take the time for reflection seriously. It is to be whole. Wholly available.
In my own meditation practice, concentration has been difficult. My mind races, my heart wants, and I am easily distracted. I know I am not alone, but it can be frustrating to give myself the gift of time and silence, and then be bombarded by all manner of desires and resistances. Even though we live in an environment full of juicy ways to ignore our hearts and be entertained, my experience is — even in beautiful silent settings, the mind pulls away from the present moment into habits of longing. Where is that intention of communion and service? I just want to watch TV.
The Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi said, True concentration does not mean to be concentrated on only one thing…Without trying to concentrate our mind on anything, we are ready to concentrate on something…
Concentration is the readiness of the heart and mind — to face what is right before me, to stay present in conflict, to help and serve.
This Dharma Thought is brought by Karen DeCotis. This excerpt was originally published on bozemandailychronicle.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
