Concentration – That’s What is Missing Today.

Focused thinking (Concentration)  is critical to the pursuit of any goal. When the mind is focused, it can filter out distractions and selectively concentrate on the task at hand, sustaining its attention for far longer than otherwise possible. By tapping into this potential of focused thinking, one can surpass the confines of mediocrity and unlock extraordinary feats.

As the mental and physical distractions fade away,  you carve out a mental space conducive to deep concentration.

The Bird’s Eye Test

Contained within the epic Mahabharata is a captivating story that highlights the significance of concentration. During their early years of archery training, Guru Drona set a formidable test for the Kaurav and Pandav princes – shooting the eye of a wooden bird placed on the branch of a tree. However, before attempting their shot, each prince was posed with a simple question – “What do you see”? While his brothers could see almost everything – the tree branch, leaves, other birds, their nests, and even the sky, Arjun’s gaze fixated solely on the eye of the wooden bird. With astonishing precision, he released an arrow that pierced its target. It was this unwavering focus and concentration that immortalised Arjun as the greatest archer to have ever lived.

A Lost Art

We can do wonders with even half of the single-minded attention that Arjun displayed during the bird’s eye test. However, the common experience for most of us is that our mind loses focus every now and then. Imagine an earthen vessel filled to the brink with water. If it is hit with pebbles, the vessel will withstand the first few hits, but eventually, cracks will begin to form and the water will gush out. The mind can concentrate and, just like the vessel, hold a focused line of thought. But much like the vessel, distractions thrown at the mind double down, break the momentum of concentration, and thoughts of value slip away.

Finding a (Quick) Fix

A simple Google search will present you with a long list of tips that promise to make you a concentration superhero — eliminate all distractions, work in an isolated space, leave your phone in a different room, don’t multitask, create to-do lists, use the Pomodoro technique to work in intervals, and so on!

While these tips undoubtedly offer value and can aid in short-term focus, they regrettably fall under the category of quick fixes. We can’t always be away from our phones. Traffic horns, construction work, and many other beautiful human-made noises provide the soundtrack to much of our daily life, and tailoring our attention span to a timer isn’t always practical. Does that mean we are all doomed to live a distracted life? Surely, there must be a solution that works independently of any external stimuli…

Rewiring the Mind-Building Concentration With Meditation

The answer, as is usually the case, lies within. Try this — for the next 30 seconds, close your eyes and focus completely on the breath flowing in and out of you.

The simple act of focusing on one’s breath has an immediate calming effect — the clamor of buzzing thoughts drowns in the background, and the tension in the muscles of your body eases out. As the mental and physical distractions fade away,  you carve out a mental space conducive to deep concentration. It’s important to note that breathwork serves as just one facet of the broader practice of meditation, which encompasses a range of techniques that wield a profound impact on the mind…

Great, so now that you are (hopefully) convinced to meditate, you might wonder how to gauge your progress. How will you assess the prowess of your newfound concentration?

Climbing the Ladder of Concentration

Think of concentration as a ladder. You begin your journey from the ground up — ground being the state of mind which is constantly occupied with all kinds of thoughts. As you make your way upward, you begin to let go of the trivial and impure thoughts that previously weighed you down.

Stage 1: Impure thoughts drop
Negative thoughts of greed, overconsumption, excessive possession, etc. can keep us in a loop of seeking short-lived pleasures and avoiding unfavorable circumstances. On the first step of concentration, such trivial thoughts and the associated restlessness are dropped, creating room for more productive thoughts.

Stage 2: Pure thoughts increase
As your concentration deepens, a transformative shift occurs within your thinking. You begin to extend your focus beyond personal desires, developing a genuine concern for the well-being of society at large. Though still scattered, these well-intentioned thoughts fill you with joy. You feel lighter and ready to take up new initiatives!

Stage 3: Thoughts align with goals
At this stage, your attention becomes razor-sharp, honed in on what is achievable, and propels you closer to your goals. Say you have 100 ideas. Instead of dispersing your energy across all of them, you selectively concentrate on the few that hold true potential. By embracing a focused approach, you find peace and liberation from the anxieties that arise from attempting to pursue an overwhelming number of paths. Planning and executing your thoughts take center stage as you strive towards manifesting your aspirations.

Stage 4: Thoughtlessness
The culmination of your concentration journey lies in the most intense moments of meditation. Here, all thoughts— realistic or fantasy, pure or impure —recede into the background. In the depths of contemplative stillness, thoughtlessness settles in. What remains is a seamless flow of causeless joy. You transcend the limitations of individual thinking and simply merge with the universe in perfect harmony. This is the top-most ladder of concentration, the point of no-return, the goal of spirituality and that of human existence.

Within each of us lies a dormant reservoir of focus, serenity, and boundless joy. It is merely a matter of unleashing them by scaling the internal ladder of concentration through meditation and Yogic Kriyas. Harnessing the power of breath, sound, and our energy body, these techniques leave lasting imprints on the mind, opening up limitless possibilities. With practice and patience, piercing the eye of your goals will become nothing more than child’s play.

As you make your way upward, you begin to let go of the trivial and impure thoughts that previously weighed you down.

Consider practicing Sri Guru’s Prana Kriya to improve your concentration.

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