From time to time, we have glimpses of an expanded, elevated awareness: a moment flooded with love, peace or joy; a flash of insight; a state of pure being beyond cares and stress, beyond our little selves, beyond even time and space. Such moments – which are rarely under our control and often appear “out of the blue” – awaken us to a sense that we are much more than we are aware of.
The conscious exploration of these deeper, hidden realms of self – is meditation.
To find what lies inside anything, we first remove the surface covering. To find what lies inside our own consciousness, we must first clear our surface awareness – our cluttered mind.
Once the mind’s thoughts, distractions and desires are brought under control, meditation is self-revealing and spontaneous.
To clear and control the mind, we need concentration. Concentration is the most essential life skill – which is never taught. Not in school (where it is desperately needed); not anywhere. Better concentration saves us time and energy, and improves everything we do.
Concentration has little appeal. Would you want to attend a class in concentration? We all want to meditate, but who’s excited about concentrating?
Yet we need to get excited – for concentration is the indispensable foundation of successful meditation. Fortunately, we can teach ourselves concentration – with commitment and practise.
Exercise:
Take a few minutes, a few times a day, to pause whatever you are doing and focus on a favourite object before your eyes. Feel that you are focussing from your heart, not your mind. Exclude all other thoughts. Immerse yourself in the object, merge with it. Project yourself into and become the object. Then from your perspective as the object, observe yourself concentrating on the object.
Don’t expect immediate success. Eager, sustained practise will yield immeasurable benefits.