Hi, I'm trying to develop one-pointedness of mind (single-pointed concentration), I practice mostly mindfulness of breathing.
I'll be very grateful for any tip, advice, recommendation, teaching, etc. I'll be glad for anything that might help me to develop deeper states of single-pointed concentration.
PS Please don't question my motivation. I don't want this topic to be about whether one-pointedness is good or not. Thank you
How to cultivate one-pointedness?
How to cultivate one-pointedness?
All suffering without exception comes from wishing for one’s own happiness.
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: How to cultivate one-pointedness?
Alternate between focusing on the inhale, then focusing on the exhale, separately, not just on the action of “breath”. Each only lasts for a moment, so there isn’t much time for distraction focusing on the one before you are busy focusing on the other.
That short moment will gradually get longer, so your attention span (without distraction) will gradually increase .
That short moment will gradually get longer, so your attention span (without distraction) will gradually increase .
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook develops outward insight.
An inward outlook develops outward insight.
Re: How to cultivate one-pointedness?
Train Vitarka and train Vikara.
There're no great shotcuts apart from training both aspects.
But some:
- Forget mentally "checking" how the session goes, sustained attention needs to be highly sustained. No checking. You should be so focus that you must feel you're blind to any other thing (not looking).
- Dont stress yourself, it generates mind movement, so it's worse. Be calm and soft.
- Try to find "pleasure" or "well-being" in what you're doing, Forced will be a lot less effective. Metta meditations are easier because of that.
Enjoy
There're no great shotcuts apart from training both aspects.
But some:
- Forget mentally "checking" how the session goes, sustained attention needs to be highly sustained. No checking. You should be so focus that you must feel you're blind to any other thing (not looking).
- Dont stress yourself, it generates mind movement, so it's worse. Be calm and soft.
- Try to find "pleasure" or "well-being" in what you're doing, Forced will be a lot less effective. Metta meditations are easier because of that.
Enjoy
Re: How to cultivate one-pointedness?
PadmaVonSamba wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 4:42 am Alternate between focusing on the inhale, then focusing on the exhale, separately, not just on the action of “breath”. Each only lasts for a moment, so there isn’t much time for distraction focusing on the one before you are busy focusing on the other.
That short moment will gradually get longer, so your attention span (without distraction) will gradually increase .
Thank you for your advice.
All suffering without exception comes from wishing for one’s own happiness.
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Johnny Dangerous
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Re: How to cultivate one-pointedness?
Try a visual object.Mirror wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 3:35 am Hi, I'm trying to develop one-pointedness of mind (single-pointed concentration), I practice mostly mindfulness of breathing.
I'll be very grateful for any tip, advice, recommendation, teaching, etc. I'll be glad for anything that might help me to develop deeper states of single-pointed concentration.
PS Please don't question my motivation. I don't want this topic to be about whether one-pointedness is good or not. Thank you
Nothing wrong with focus in breath but for some people it’s more abstract, using the gaze to coordinate concentration got results way quicker in my case, ymmv.
Don’t you see what’s wrong with the world today? Oh Everybody wants somebody to be their own piece of clay.
-Marvin Gaye
-Marvin Gaye
Re: How to cultivate one-pointedness?
It can be very helpful to have some activity that one engages in that allows one to experience one-pointed concentration more "easily".
For example, musicians and athletes naturally develop one-pointed concentration in the course of their training and practice. That doesn't mean that you have to become of musician or an athlete. I am neither, but at one point in my life I made my living as a welder, and that requires great concentration. So any sort of craft or manual work that requires focus will help. Knitting, juggling, gardening, or, more famously, motorcycle maintenance, etc, can all be used in this way.
I put "easily" in quotes because it actually is easier to have one-pointed concentration while you are playing music, or in the midst of an athletic competition, or welding an oil cooler for an Abrams Battle Tank, etc. It's easier because you have something very tangible and meaningful to focus all your heart, soul, and body on. But it still takes great effort.
For example, musicians and athletes naturally develop one-pointed concentration in the course of their training and practice. That doesn't mean that you have to become of musician or an athlete. I am neither, but at one point in my life I made my living as a welder, and that requires great concentration. So any sort of craft or manual work that requires focus will help. Knitting, juggling, gardening, or, more famously, motorcycle maintenance, etc, can all be used in this way.
I put "easily" in quotes because it actually is easier to have one-pointed concentration while you are playing music, or in the midst of an athletic competition, or welding an oil cooler for an Abrams Battle Tank, etc. It's easier because you have something very tangible and meaningful to focus all your heart, soul, and body on. But it still takes great effort.
"there's no one here. there's only you and me." leonard cohen
https://www.mindisbuddha.org/
https://www.mindisbuddha.org/
Re: How to cultivate one-pointedness?
Great advice. Thank you.curtstein wrote: ↑Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:54 pm For example, musicians and athletes naturally develop one-pointed concentration in the course of their training and practice. That doesn't mean that you have to become of musician or an athlete. I am neither, but at one point in my life I made my living as a welder, and that requires great concentration. So any sort of craft or manual work that requires focus will help. Knitting, juggling, gardening, or, more famously, motorcycle maintenance, etc, can all be used in this way.
All suffering without exception comes from wishing for one’s own happiness.
Re: How to cultivate one-pointedness?
"One-pointedness" might not be the optimal translation of ekagatta. I mean, it can be, but it calls for some additional explanation.
Ajahn Sona, a very expert meditator specialising on dhyana, proposes the term "whole-hearted attention". In a way this conveys the meaning of the concept even better. One-pointedness, if understood wrongly, can lead to narrowing of attention to a single point, which is not really what you´re after in samatha meditation. You want a huge mind, not a small one. You want it to stay on certain object/topic, but you don´t want it to shrink down to one point.
Here´s another approach to developing ekagatta - similar to Johnny, I also sometimes tend to tense up a little bit when watching the breath (not always, it depends). Visual object such as kasina can be great if you´re a visual person, but there is also the possibility of a more "cognitive" approach. Since I am a very cerebral type, I do quite well with meditations involving more active vitakka/vicara. Ekagatta for me does not mean shrinking the mind down to a point, but rather unifying it and channeling the mental stream to one place/topic. The Buddha recommends meditations called "recollections", in which you skilfully engage conceptual thought / contemplation to induce the sense of whole-hearted attention / absorption. It´s not really active discurssive thinking - it´s more like dropping a theme (such as contemplation of Dhamma, devas, Buddha, Sangha, or even recollection of death or unattractiveness of the body) into the mind and letting it sink in. The requirement is that you have a strong interest in the topic. What you´re trying to achieve on a microscopic level is that every mind-moment is focused on the chosen topic. It´s a more dynamic meditation than, let´s say, kasinas where you want the mind to be absolutely still and immovable. This is more like "kneading" the topic, actively fabricating piti and sukha associated with concentration. If you generate a strong enough interest and emotional response, the mind will hold to the object and will fondle it further, creating a positive feedback loop.
Ajahn Sona, a very expert meditator specialising on dhyana, proposes the term "whole-hearted attention". In a way this conveys the meaning of the concept even better. One-pointedness, if understood wrongly, can lead to narrowing of attention to a single point, which is not really what you´re after in samatha meditation. You want a huge mind, not a small one. You want it to stay on certain object/topic, but you don´t want it to shrink down to one point.
Here´s another approach to developing ekagatta - similar to Johnny, I also sometimes tend to tense up a little bit when watching the breath (not always, it depends). Visual object such as kasina can be great if you´re a visual person, but there is also the possibility of a more "cognitive" approach. Since I am a very cerebral type, I do quite well with meditations involving more active vitakka/vicara. Ekagatta for me does not mean shrinking the mind down to a point, but rather unifying it and channeling the mental stream to one place/topic. The Buddha recommends meditations called "recollections", in which you skilfully engage conceptual thought / contemplation to induce the sense of whole-hearted attention / absorption. It´s not really active discurssive thinking - it´s more like dropping a theme (such as contemplation of Dhamma, devas, Buddha, Sangha, or even recollection of death or unattractiveness of the body) into the mind and letting it sink in. The requirement is that you have a strong interest in the topic. What you´re trying to achieve on a microscopic level is that every mind-moment is focused on the chosen topic. It´s a more dynamic meditation than, let´s say, kasinas where you want the mind to be absolutely still and immovable. This is more like "kneading" the topic, actively fabricating piti and sukha associated with concentration. If you generate a strong enough interest and emotional response, the mind will hold to the object and will fondle it further, creating a positive feedback loop.