Meditation is not concentration
Meditation is not concentration
but still meditation is often confused with concentration. This
misunderstanding about the meditation and concentration exist because
many
people comes into spirituality to fulfill their own hidden desires and
motives.
Concentration is all about making the mind one pointed and focus. People
often make use of some mantras, image of deity or any other object to
focus their mind so that it
becomes strong and one pointed. A concentrated mind is useful in studies
for cramming things or it is very useful in the work of scientific
research or mathematical abilities.
Concentration makes the mind very strong but it creates a lot of
tension. because a concentrated mind is not relax and is made to be
focus on a single point by deliberate
use of effort. Constantly we have to be on guard to keep the mind
concentrate because the natural tendency of the mind is to wander and
think freely.
Whereas Meditation is all about going beyond the mind. Unlike
concentration, meditation does not try to control or reform the mind. In
meditation we try to dis-identify with
the mind by becoming a passive watcher of its activities. We don't
interfere or indulge in any of the thoughts or desires but we witness
it.
With constant meditation over a
period of time mind loses its grip on us. Meditation makes us the master
of mind. Normally mind is working all the time. We are always thinking
something. A average
person does not have means to stop the thinking. But in meditation we
can dis-identify with the mind. Thus an advanced meditator can make use
of the mind when it is
needed and when the mind is not required then he can sit silently and
enjoy the existence by going beyond the mind.
Concentration is a way of controlling the mind and its makes it
stronger. Whereas in meditation we allow the mind to have its way but we
become a witness to mind
activities (thoughts and desires).
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