Updated... The Power Behind a Light Bearer - Pt. 3 Concentration

Concentration is the first thing to learn in life. Everyone has some degree of concentration but it can always be stronger, the stronger it is the more power one has to accomplish in life.  Concentration is what builds Will-Power and Will-Power is the motive force of the entire universe.

“The only subject that matters is getting an understanding of Truth, developing our souls; but in order to develop our souls we must have some knowledge of the power of concentration. If you can learn and practice right concentration, there is no good thing in the universe that you cannot attain. Concentration means literally "bringing to a common center." Until you can put your attention where you want it you have not become master of yourself. You will never be happy until you can determine what you are going to think about for the next hour.”

Emmet Fox

Now I must confess that when I was first told I had to develop concentration, I really didn't want to hear it. Yuck, I thought, this is going to be hard, too much work, but when I actually started to practice concentration I enjoyed it.  The trick, I found, is not to force it, rather to relax and only practice as much or as long as is comfortable weather that be 10 seconds or 10 minutes.   So I actually found that my concentration practices were an enjoyable and effective way to progressively build mental power and the ability to focus my intention. I don’t believe I ever had enough concentration ability and as I grow older I find I really want to go back to some of my favorite concentration practices once again! 

What is concentration?

 Emmet Fox, (a spiritual teacher born in 1886,) said: ”People imagine that concentration means holding on to one thought. The human mind is so constituted that it is impossible to do that. True concentration is a movement of the mind along a predetermined path. Nineteen people out of twenty people who say they have failed in concentration have been trying to stand still mentally. All people do have good powers of concentration, but not when they want them. You always concentrate on what you are interested in.”

Hazrat Inayat Khan says that "Concentration is an exercise to train the mind to hold a certain object steadily, without wavering; and by the power of concentration there is nothing in the world that cannot be attained." 

There are three main stages to develop good concentration: (1) Observation of an object; (2) Re-creation of the object in the mind with as much detail as possible; and (3) using the power of creative imagination to improve upon the object or stay focused upon it.            

The first step to concentration is observation.  The one who lacks observation cannot concentrate well. Observation depends upon steadiness of mind, and this steadiness can be brought about by interest. As long a time a person observes an object, so long in proportion its memory lasts and comes at every time by his desire before the eye of his perception.  When we think of a certain thing and cannot recall it to our memory, at that time either our mind is unsteady or there has been a lack of observation of that object when we saw it. Inayat Khan

 Concentration: Observing a Flower or Plant

For the first stage...

An enjoyable practice is observing a beautiful flower or plant and practice becoming very interested in it.  Perhaps you buy a rose, now set some time aside to appreciate it, begin to observe it keenly, look at all its parts, look at its color, enjoy its shapes, its form, its smell - simply, become very engrossed and interested in what it is. If you wish you can go ahead and touch to see how it feels. Ask yourself about it: How does it feel, how does it perceive its surroundings, does it know you are there, can it sense things, why is it shaped as it is, why does it have thorns, etc.?  Do this until your mind wanders off then stop - you're done with that part.

 For the second stage...

Simply close your eyes and try to picture the flower or plant in as much detail as possible, in your mind’s eye recreate the rose and once the image fades stop.  It may only last 3 seconds but that is a start.

Finally for the third stage (as given by Sufi Amin)...

Use a rose or flower for the same practice. Let us use a rose as an example. First examine the rose with the five senses. Smell it, feel it, rub and hear it, look at the various shades of light. Then project your consciousness very small until you can walk on the petals, climbing in and out between the beautiful colored, sweetly scented and soft petals. Become even smaller as you enter or crawl inside the leaf of the rose. Begin to see the lower and upper epidermis of the leaf. Then concentrate on the flower, does it have an etheric aura? Look beyond it as though you were daydreaming.

Note: This third stage may be done after the first two stages but also just by itself because it incorporates in a shorter form the first two stages as well. 

Come back to this practice on a regular basis and you will find many of your mental abilities growing. You can do with this practice with many objects, sculptures, pictures, gardens, landscapes, etc. – there is only one caveat – whatever you choose to concentrate upon should be beautiful or harmonious to you.

Concentration Practices: Using Imagination to Concentrate

Sufi Amin called this practice the “Salt Shaker”, it can be done almost anywhere, enjoy it, make it fun.

THE SALT SHAKER - I use to do this often when I was in restaurants – a good use of time while waiting for your food.

      Take an ordinary salt shaker and begin to examine it. When you have used as many of your senses as possible to examine it, then imagine yourself becoming very, very small until you can jump in the salt shaker and wade through the grains of salt. Then let yourself become even smaller, until you can crawl between the molecules of the salt. What do the crystals feel like? Become even smaller, until you can stand on a molecule of salt.

TRIP IN TIME

Using your wristwatch or electric clock that has a rotating sixty-second hand, imagine yourself sitting on a hanging swing. Watch each number as you pass by it. The ride would be similar to a Ferris Wheel ride. Close your eyes and picture this.

1.       Then climb up to the center of the hand and imagine yourself walking to the back of the watch. Walk through a little tunnel in the center pivot pin. Examine the motor and gears that rotate the clock. Close your eyes and re-picture this.

2.       Now examine the numerals in the first quadrant, one through three. Once you have pictured them clearly, then close your eyes and retain that image of the numbers. Do this several times until you can clearly picture these numbers.

3.       Do this with all four quadrants: 4,5,6, and 7, 8,9, and 10, 11, 12. As stray thoughts enter your mind, try to pull your attention back to the clock by using two or more senses to concentrate with. As an example, sight and sound. Try to increase your daily practice period by ten seconds each day. Start with 20 seconds.

 There are many, many more of these types of practices in Sufi Amin’s book, Opening the Door to your Life, published by the Fraternity of Light however these few will get you started.