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'''Related topics{|class="wikitable" style= "background-color: #efefff; width:100%;"|Read more about ''' [[Yogic Concentration]] Compilation| [[MeditationConcentration]] ''' from the works of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. | [[Difference between }__NOTOC__== What is Concentration and Meditation]] | [[Thinking with ideas]] | [[Knowledge by idenitity]]==

[[FileConcentration means gathering of all the scattered movements of consciousness into a single point, place, object, thought, idea, condition, state or movement. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/appendix-to-questions-and-answers-1929#p9</ref> <ref>http:Concentration//incarnateword.in/cwm/04/23-december-1950#p7</ref> <ref>http://incarnateword.png|1000px]]in/cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation#p3 </ref>

=What Concentration is concentration?=Concentration means fixing the consciousness in one place or on one object and in a single conditionan active state.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref>----In concentration proper there is not a series of thoughtsOne may concentrate mentally, but the mind is silently fixed on one objectmay concentrate vitally, namepsychically, ideaphysically, place etcand one may concentrate integrally.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. (2015). The Synthetic Method of Concentration or the Integral Yoga. In Letters on yoga II. Retrieved from http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref>----It is capacity to bring back all the scattered threads of consciousness to a single gather oneself at one point, a single ideais more difficult than meditation. <ref>The Mother. (1972). Questions and answers, 1950-1951. In Collected Works One may gather together one portion of one's being or consciousness or one may gather together the Mother Volume 4 (p. 5).</ref> ----Concentration, for our Yoga, means when the whole of one's consciousness is fixed in a particular state (e.g. peace) or movement (e.g. aspirationeven fragments of it, willthat is, coming into contact with the Motherconcentration may be partial, total or integral, taking and in each case the Mother’s name); <ref>Sri Aurobindo. (2015). The Synthetic Method of the Integral Yoga. In Letters on yoga II.</ref> (See '''[[Yogic Concentration]]''')----Concentration is a state one must result will be in continually, whatever the outer activitydifferent.<ref>The Mother. (1979). Letters to a Young Sadhak VI (1933-1949). In Collected works of the Mother Volume 16. Retrieved from http://incarnateword.in/cwm/1604/letters-to25-adecember-young-sadhak-vi1950#p12</ref>----

=Why Concentration is not only an intellectual thing, it may be found in all the activities of the being, including bodily activities. The control over the nerves should be such as would allow one learn a complete concentration on what one is doing and, through the very intensity of one's concentration, one acquires an immediate response to concentrate?=external touches. To attain this concentration one needs a conscious control of the energies. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/04/23-december-1950#p1 </ref>

...whatever you may want to do in life, one thing == Why Concentration is absolutely indispensable and at the basis of everything, the capacity of concentrating the attention. If you are able to gather together the rays of attention and consciousness on one point and can maintain this concentration with a persistent will, nothing can resist it —whatever it may be, from the most material physical development to the highest spiritual one.Important?==

There is no spiritual obstacle which can resist a penetrating power of Without concentrationone cannot achieve anything. For instance, the discovery of the psychic being, union with the inner Divine, opening to the higher spheres, all can be obtained by an intense and obstinate power of concentration —but one must learn how to do it<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/study#p71</ref>

There is nothing in the human or even in the superhuman fieldfield, to which the power of concentration is not the key.One can be the best athlete, one can be the best student, one can be an artistic, literary or scientific genius, one can be the greatest saint with that faculty. And everyone has in himself a tiny little beginning of it—it is given to everybody, but people do not cultivate it.<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/09/23-july-1958#p18 </ref>

You can be The ability of concentration is one of the greatest powers of the human mentality. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/the-divine-and-the best athlete-undivine#p16</ref> Whatever one may want to do in life, you can be one thing is absolutely indispensable and at the best studentbasis of everything, you the capacity of concentrating the attention. If one is able to gather together the rays of attention and consciousness on one point and can be an artistic, literary or scientific geniusmaintain this concentration with a persistent will, you nothing can resist it—whatever it may be , from the greatest saint with that faculty. And everyone has in himself a tiny little beginning of it —it is given most material physical development to everybody, but people do not cultivate itthe highest spiritual one. <ref>The Motherhttp://incarnateword. (1998). Questions and Answers 1957in/cwm/09/23-july-1958, Vol. 9 (pp. 360-361).#p15</ref>

Those who can attain perfect attention succeed in everything Concentration is necessary to gather the whole will and mind from the natural distractions. Left to themselves, they undertake; they will always make a rapid progressfollow the normal dispersive movement of thoughts running after many-branching desires led away by outward sensory contacts.<ref>The Motherhttp://incarnateword. (1972). Questions in/cwsa/23/the-higher-and answers, 1950-1951. In Collected Works of the Mother Volume 4 (p. 5).-lower-knowledge#p7</ref>----It The mind is well known a thing that the value dwells in diffusion, in succession; it can only concentrate on one thing at a time and when not concentrated runs from one thing to another very much at random. Therefore it has to concentrate on a single idea, a single subject of meditation, a man is single object of contemplation, a single object of will in proportion order to his capacity of concentrated attention; the greater the concentration the more exceptional is the resultpossess or master it, and this it must do to at least the extent that a perfect and unfailing concentrated attention sets the stamp temporary exclusion of genius on what is producedall others. <ref>The Mother. (1949). Concentration and Dispersion. In On Education (Collected Works of the Mother Volume 12). Retrieved from http://incarnateword.in/cwmcwsa/1223/concentration-and-dispersion#p7</ref>

==Three powers of concentrationHow to Cultivate Concentration? ==Concentration has three powers... * By concentration on anything whatsoever we are able to know that thing, to make it deliver up its concealed secrets; we must use this power to know not things, but the one Thing-in-itself.* By concentration again the whole will can be gathered up for the acquisition of that which is still ungrasped, still beyond us; this power, if it is sufficiently trained, sufficiently single-minded, sufficiently sincere, sure of itself, faithful to itself alone, absolute in faith, we can use for the acquisition of any object whatsoever; but we ought to use it not for the acquisition of the many objects which the world offers to us, but to grasp spiritually that one object worthy of pursuit which is also the one subject worthy of knowledge.* By concentration of our whole being on one status of itself, we can become whatever we choose; we can become, for instance, even if we were before a mass of weaknesses and fear, a mass instead of strength and courage, or we can become all a great purity, holiness and peace or a single universal soul of Love; but we ought, it is said, to use this power to become not even these things, high as they may be in comparison with what we now are, but rather to become that which is above all things and free from all action and attributes, the pure and absolute Being. All else, all other concentration can only be valuable for preparation, for previous steps, for a gradual training of the dissolute and self-dissipating thought, will and being towards their grand and unique object. <ref>Sri Aurobindo. sabcl/20/concentration</ref>

=How to develop The faculty of concentrated attention can be developed scientifically by a methodical training the same way as an athlete develops methodically his muscles. The power of concentration=can be developed in such a way that concentration is obtained at will and on whatever subject or activity is chosen. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/concentration-and-dispersion#p5 </ref>

And this When one has a problem and one is looking for a solution, if it does not come, it is because of a kind of concentration haziness in the brain, something cloudy, like a fog somewhere. Concentration consists precisely in removing the cloud. One can be developed exactly like gather together all the muscles; elements of one may follow different systems's intelligence and fix them on one point, different methods of trainingand then do not even try actively to find the thing. Today we know All that one should do is to concentrate in such a way as to see only the most pitiful weaklingproblem—but seeing not only its surface, for exampleseeing it in its depth, can with discipline become as strong as anyone elsewhat it conceals. One should not have If one is able to gather together one's all mental energies, bringing them to a will point which flickers out like is fixed on the enunciation of the problem, and stay there, fixed, as though, to drill a hole in the wall, all of a candlesudden it will come. And this is the only way. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/05/24-june-1953#p51 </ref>

The willWhile engaging in work, concentration one must be cultivated; it become what one is doing and not remain a question of methodsmall person looking at himself doing it; for if one looks at oneself acting, of regular exerciseone is still in complicity with the ego. If you will, you It is through concentrated attention that one cando things quickly and one does them much better.<ref>The Motherhttp://incarnateword. (1972). Questions and answers, 1950in/cwm/04/26-april-1951. In Collected Works of the Mother Volume 4 (p. 5).#p33 </ref>

Through regularWhen one wants to realise something, perseveringone makes quite spontaneously the necessary effort; this concentrates one's energies on the thing to be realised and that gives a meaning to one's life. This compels one to a sort of organisation of oneself, obstinate, unflagging exercise —I mean exercise a sort of concentration of one's energies because it is this that one wishes to do and not fifty other things which contradict it. And it is in this concentration, this intensity of the will, that lies the origin of joy. This gives the power to receive energies in exchange for those spent.<ref>The Mother. (1972). On Education. In Collected works of the Mother Volume 12 (p. 398). Pondicherryhttp: Sri Aurobindo Ashram//incarnateword.in/cwm/04/13-january-1951#p15</ref>

==Concentration on ideain Integral Yoga ==

If one concentrates Concentration does not mean meditation; on the contrary, concentration is a thought or a wordstate one must be in continuously, one has to dwell on whatever the outer activity. It means that all the essential idea contained in energy, all the word with will, all the aspiration to feel must be turned only towards the thing which it expressesDivine and His integral realisation in our consciousness.<ref>Sri Aurobindohttp://incarnateword. cwsain/cwm/2916/concentrationletters-to-a-young-andsadhak-meditationvi#p2 </ref>

See alsoYogic concentration is an extension and intensification of the normal power of concentration to realise the object of yoga which is the integral union with the Divine. <ref>http: '''[[Thinking with ideas]]'''//incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation#p45</ref> Concentration is indeed the first condition of any Yoga, but it is an all-receiving concentration that is the very nature of the integral Yoga. A wide massive opening, a harmonised concentration of the whole being in all its parts and through all its powers upon the Divine is the larger action of this Yoga without which it cannot achieve its purpose. This wide and concentrated totality is the essential character of the Sadhana. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/23/self-consecration#p15</ref>

The first step Concentration in the heart is one method, concentration must be always to accustom in the discursive mind head (or above) is another; both are included in this Yoga and one has to a settled unwavering pursuit of a single course of connected thought on a single subject and this it must do undistracted by all lures whichever one finds easiest and alien calls on its attentionmost natural. Such The object of the concentration in the heart is common enough to open the centre there (heart-lotus), to feel the presence of the Divine Mother in our ordinary life, but it becomes more difficult when we have the heart and to do it inwardly without any outward object become aware of one's soul or action on psychic being which to keep is a portion of the Divine. The object of the mind; yet this inward concentration in the head is what to rise to the Divine Consciousness and bring down the seeker Light of knowledge must effectthe Mother or her Force or Ananda into all the centres. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/mantra-and-japa#p17 </ref>

Nor There must it be merely a large, many-sided yet single concentration of the consecutive thought of on the idea, the intellectual thinkerperception, whose only object is to conceive and intellectually link together his conceptions. It is notthe vision, except perhaps at firstthe awakening touch, the soul's realisation of the one Divine. There must be a process flaming concentration of reasoning that is wanted so much as a dwelling so far as possible the heart on the fruitful essence seeking of the idea which by All and Eternal and, when once we have found him, a deep plunging and immersion in the insistence possession and ecstasy of the All-Beautiful. There must be a strong and immovable concentration of the soul’s will upon on the attainment and fulfillment of all that the Divine is and a free and plastic opening of it must yield up to all that he intends to manifest in us. This is the facets triple way of its truththe Yoga. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/23/self-consecration#p18</ref>

Thus if it be the divine Love that is the subject of concentration, it is on the essence of the idea of God as Love that the mind should concentrate in such a way that the various manifestation of the divine Love should arise luminously, not only to the thought, but in the heart '''Content curated by Manoj Pavitran and being and vision of the Sadhaka. Divyanshi Chugh'''

The thought may come first and {|class="wikitable" style= "background-color: #efefff; width: 100%;"|Read more about '''[[Concentration Compilation|Concentration]]''' from the experience afterwards, but equally works of the experience may come first Mother and the knowledge arise out of the experienceSri Aurobindo. |}

Afterwards the thing attained has to be dwelt on and more and more held till it becomes a constant experience and finally the Dharma or law of the being. This is the process of concentrated [[meditation]];<ref>Sri Aurobindo. sabcl/20/concentration</ref> ==Practicing concentration using objects==There are schools which put an object in front of you, a flower or a stone, or any object, and then you sit around it and concentrate on it and your eyes go like this (Mother squints) until you become the object. That too is a method of concentration. By gazing steadily like that, without moving, you finally pass into the thing you are gazing at. But you must not begin to gaze at all kinds of things: only gaze steadily at that. That gives you a look... it makes you squint.<Ref>The Mother. (1972). Questions and Answers 1957-1958. In Collected works of the Mother(pp. 381-383). Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram.</ref> ==Concentration & Physical Education== Bulletin of April 1949 written by The Mother for Sri Aurobindo Ashram Department of Physical Education In sporting activities those who want to be successful choose a certain line or subject which appeals more to the and suits their nature; they concentrate on their choice and take great care not to disperse their energies in different directions. As in life a man chooses his career and concentrates all his attention upon it, so the sportsman chooses a special activity and concentrates all his efforts to achieve as much perfection as he can in this line. This perfection comes usually by a building up of spontaneous reflex which is the result of constant repetition of the same movements. But this spontaneous reflex can be, with advantage, replaced by the faculty of concentrated attention. This faculty of concentration belongs not only to the intellectual but to all activities and is obtained by the conscious control of the energies.It is well known that the value of a man is in proportion to his capacity of concentrated attention, the greater the concentration the more exceptional is the result, to the extent that a perfect and unfailing concentrated attention sets the stamp of genius on what is produced. There can be genius in sports as in any other human activity. Shall we then advise a limit to one action in order to achieve perfection in concentration? The advantages of limitation are well known, but it has also its inconvenience, bringing narrowness and incapacity for any other line than the one chosen. This is contrary to the ideal of a perfectly developed and harmonised human being. How to conciliate these two contrary tendencies? There seems to be only one solution to the problem. In the same way as an athlete develops methodically his muscles by a scientific and gradual training, the faculty of concentrated attention can be developed scientifically by a methodical training—developed in such a way that concentration is obtained at will and on whatever subject or activity is chosen. Thus the work of preparation instead of being done in the subconscient by a slow and steady repetition of the same movements, is done consciously by a concentration of will and a gathered attention centred on one point or another according to plan and decision. The chief difficulty seems to be to obtain this power of concentration independent from all inner and outer circumstances—difficult perhaps but not impossible for him who is determined and persevering. Moreover, whatever method of development is chosen, determination and perseverance are indispensable to obtain success. The aim in the training is to develop this power of concentrating the attention at will on whatever subject or activity one chooses from the most spiritual to the most material, without losing anything of the fullness of the power,—for instance, in the physical field, transferring the use of the power from one game to another or one activity to another so as to succeed equally in all. This extreme attention concentrated on a game or a physical activity like lifting, vaulting, punching, running, etc., focusing all energies on any of these movements which bring about in the body the thrill of an exhilarating joy is the thing which carries with it perfection in execution and success. Generally this happens when the sportsman is especially interested in a game or an activity and its happening escapes all control, decision or will.Yet by a proper training of concentrated attention one can obtain the phenomenon at will, on command, so to say, and the resulting perfection in the execution of any activity follows inevitably. This is exactly what we want to try in our Department of Physical Education. By this process the result may come more slowly than by the usual method, but the lack of rapidity will surely be compensated by a fullness and richness in the expression.<ref>The Mother. (1949). Concentration and Dispersion. In On Education (Collected Works of the Mother Volume 12). Retrieved from http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/concentration-and-dispersion</ref> =Straining and Concentration= Straining and concentration are not the same thing. Straining implies an over-eagerness and violence of effort, while concentration is in its nature quiet and steady. If there is restlessness or over-eagerness, then that is not concentration.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref>----Effort means straining endeavour. There can be an action with a will in it in which there is no strain of effort.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref> =Inertia & Tiredness in ConcentrationReferences= It is not a fact that when there is obscurity or inertia, one cannot concentrate or meditate. If one has in the inner being the steady will to do it, it can be done.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref>----If the mind gets tired, naturally it is difficult to concentrate—unless you have become separated from the mind.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref>----Concentration is very helpful and necessary—the more one concentrates (of course in the limits of the body’s capacity without straining it), the more the force of the Yoga grows. But you must be prepared for the meditation being sometimes not successful and not get upset by it—for that variability of the meditations happens to everybody. There are different causes for it. But it is mostly something physical that interferes, either the need of the body to take time to assimilate what has come or been done or sometimes inertia or dullness due to causes such as those you mention or others. The best thing is to remain quiet and not get nervous or dejected—till the force acts again.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref> =Obstacles to develop concentration= But the thought “What’s the use?” must not come in to weaken the will. The idea that one is born with a certain character and can do nothing about it is a stupidity.<ref>The Mother. (1972). Questions and answers, 1950-1951. In Collected Works of the Mother Volume 4 (p. 5).</ref> The mind is always in activity, but we do not observe fully what it is doing, but allow ourselves to be carried away in the stream of continual thinking. When we try to concentrate, this stream of self-moved mechanical thinking becomes prominent to our observation. It is the first normal obstacle (the other is sleep during meditation) to the effort towards Yoga.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation</ref> ==Purity and concentration== Along with purity and as a help to bring it about, concentration. Purity and concentration are indeed two aspects, feminine and masculine, passive and active, of the same status of being; purity is the condition in which concentration becomes entire, rightly effective, omnipotent; by concentration purity does its works and without it would only lead to a state of peaceful quiescence and eternal repose. Their opposites are also closely connected; for we have seen that impurity is a confusion of Dharmas, a lax, mixed and mutually entangled action of the different parts of the being; and this confusion proceeds from an absence of right concentration of its knowledge on its energies in the embodied Soul. The fault of our nature is first an inert subjection to the impacts of things1 as they come in upon the mind pell-mell without order or control and then a haphazard imperfect concentration managed fitfully, irregularly with a more or less chance emphasis on this or on that object according as they happen to interest, not the higher soul or the judging and discerning intellect, but the restless, leaping, fickle, easily tired, easily distracted lower mind which is the chief enemy of our progress. In such a condition purity, the right working of the functions, the clear, unstained and luminous order of the being is an impossibility; the various workings, given over to the chances of the environment and external influences, must necessarily run into each other and clog, divert, distract, pervert. Equally, without purity the complete, equal, flexible concentration of the being in right thought, right will, right feeling or secure status of spiritual experience is not possible. Therefore the two must proceed together, each helping the victory of the other, until we arrive at that eternal calm from which may proceed some partial image in the human being of the eternal, omnipotent and omniscient activity.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. sabcl/20/concentration</ref> =References=