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'''Related pages{|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]] | [[Knowledge by idenitity]]==

=What is concentration?=Concentration means fixing gathering of all the scattered movements of consciousness in one into a single point, place , object, thought, idea, condition, state or on one object movement. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/appendix-to-questions-and -answers-1929#p9</ref> <ref>http://incarnateword.in a single condition./cwm/04/23-december-1950#p7</ref> <ref>Sri Aurobindohttp://incarnateword. in/cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation#p3 </ref>

In concentration proper there Concentration is not a series of thoughtsan active state. One may concentrate mentally, one may concentrate vitally, psychically, physically, but and one may concentrate integrally. Concentration or the mind capacity to gather oneself at one point is silently fixed on more difficult than meditation. One may gather together one portion of one's being or consciousness or one may gather together the whole of one object's consciousness or even fragments of it, that is, namethe concentration may be partial, ideatotal or integral, place etcand in each case the result will be different. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/04/25-december-1950#p12</ref>

There are other kinds Concentration is not only an intellectual thing, it may be found in all the activities of concentrationthe being, eincluding bodily activities.g. concentrating The control over the whole consciousness in nerves should be such as would allow one a complete concentration on what one placeis doing and, as between through the eyebrowsvery intensity of one's concentration, in the heart, etcone acquires an immediate response to external touches. One can also concentrate to get rid To attain this concentration one needs a conscious control of thought altogether and remain in a complete silencethe energies.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. (2015). The Synthetic Method of the Integral Yoga. In Letters on yoga II. Retrieved from http://incarnateword.in/cwsacwm/2904/concentration23-anddecember-meditation1950#p1 </ref>

It == Why Concentration is to bring back all the scattered threads of consciousness to a single point, a single idea. <ref>The Mother. (1972). Questions and answers, 1950-1951. In Collected Works of the Mother Volume 4 (p. 5).</ref> Important?==

Concentration is a state Without concentration one must be in continually, whatever the outer activitycannot achieve anything.<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/1612/letters-to-a-young-sadhak-vistudy#p71</ref>

Concentration There is a gathering together nothing in the human or even in the superhuman field, to which the power of concentration is not the key. One can be the consciousness and either centralising at best athlete, one point can be the best student, one can be an artistic, literary or turning on a single objectscientific genius, e.g. the Divine—there one can also be the greatest saint with that faculty. And everyone has in himself a gathered condition throughout the whole beingtiny little beginning of it—it is given to everybody, but people do not at a pointcultivate it.<ref>Sri Aurobindo. (2015). The Synthetic Method of the Integral Yoga. In Letters on yoga II. Retrieved from http://incarnateword.in/cwsacwm/2909/concentration23-andjuly-meditation1958#p18 </ref>

=Why should The ability of concentration is one learn of the greatest powers of the human mentality. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/the-divine-and-the-undivine#p16</ref> Whatever one may want to do in life, one thing is absolutely indispensable and at the basis of everything, the capacity of concentrating the attention. If one is able to concentrate?=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. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/09/23-july-1958#p15</ref>

Concentration is necessary to gather the whole will and mind from the natural distractions.Left to themselves, they follow the normal dispersive movement of thoughts running after many-branching desires led away by outward sensory contacts.<ref>http://incarnateword.whatever you may want to do in life/cwsa/23/the-higher-and-the-lower-knowledge#p7</ref>The mind is a thing that dwells in diffusion, in succession; it can only concentrate on one thing is absolutely indispensable at a time and when not concentrated runs from one thing to another very much at the basis random. Therefore it has to concentrate on a single idea, a single subject of meditation, a single object of everythingcontemplation, the capacity a single object of concentrating the attention. If you are able will in order to gather together the rays of attention possess or master it, 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 must do to at least the highest spiritual onetemporary exclusion of all others. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/23/concentration#p7</ref>

There is no spiritual obstacle which can resist a penetrating power of concentration. For instance, the discovery of the psychic being, union with the inner Divine, opening == How to the higher spheres, all can be obtained by an intense and obstinate power of concentration —but one must learn how to do it.Cultivate Concentration? ==

There is nothing in the human or even in the superhuman field, to which 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 not the keychosen. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/concentration-and-dispersion#p5 </ref>

You can be When one has a problem and one is looking for a solution, if it does not come, it is because of a kind of haziness in the best athletebrain, you something cloudy, like a fog somewhere. Concentration consists precisely in removing the cloud. One can be gather together all the best studentelements of one's intelligence and fix them on one point, you can be an artistic, literary or scientific genius, you can be and then do not even try actively to find the greatest saint with thing. All that faculty. And everyone has one should do is to concentrate in himself such a tiny little beginning of way as to see only the problem—but seeing not only its surface, seeing it in its depth, what it —it conceals. If one is given able to gather together one's all mental energies, bringing them to everybodya point which is fixed on the enunciation of the problem, and stay there, but people do not cultivate fixed, as though, to drill a hole in the wall, all of a sudden itwill come. And this is the only way.<ref>The Motherhttp://incarnateword. (1998). Questions and Answers 1957in/cwm/05/24-1958, Vol. 9 (pp. 360june-361).1953#p51 </ref>

Those who can attain perfect attention succeed While engaging in everything they undertakework, one must become what one is doing and not remain a small person looking at himself doing it; they will always make a rapid progressfor if one looks at oneself acting, one is still in complicity with the ego. It is through concentrated attention that one can do 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>

It is well known When one wants to realise something, one makes quite spontaneously the necessary effort; this concentrates one's energies on the thing to be realised and that the value gives a meaning to one's life. This compels one to a sort of organisation of oneself, a man 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 proportion to his capacity this concentration, this intensity of concentrated attention; the greater the concentration the more exceptional is the resultwill, to the extent that a perfect and unfailing concentrated attention sets lies the stamp origin of genius on what is producedjoy. This gives the power to receive energies in exchange for those spent. <ref>The Mother. (1949). Concentration and Dispersion. In On Education (Collected Works of the Mother Volume 12). Retrieved from http://incarnateword.in/cwm/1204/concentration13-andjanuary-dispersion1951#p15</ref>

=How to develop concentration= Concentration in Integral Yoga ==

And this kind of Concentration does not mean meditation; on the contrary, concentration can is a state one must be developed exactly like in continuously, whatever the muscles; one may follow different systems, different methods of trainingouter activity. Today we know It means that all the most pitiful weaklingenergy, for exampleall the will, can with discipline become as strong as anyone elseall the aspiration must be turned only towards the Divine and His integral realisation in our consciousness. <ref>http://incarnateword. One should not have in/cwm/16/letters-to-a will which flickers out like a candle.-young-sadhak-vi#p2 </ref>

The will, Yogic concentration must be cultivated; it is a question an extension and intensification of the normal power of method, concentration to realise the object of regular exerciseyoga which is the integral union with the Divine. If you will, you can.<ref>The Motherhttp://incarnateword. (1972). Questions in/cwsa/29/concentration-and answers-meditation#p45</ref> Concentration is indeed the first condition of any Yoga, 1950but it is an all-1951receiving concentration that is the very nature of the integral Yoga. In Collected Works A wide massive opening, a harmonised concentration of the Mother Volume 4 (pwhole 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. 5)<ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/23/self-consecration#p15</ref>

Through regular, persevering, obstinate, unflagging exercise —I mean exercise of An all-receiving concentration which is open to all that exists; it is a concentration which does not oppose anything. It is a concentration which is open. It means that one must not reject certain things from himself and willpractise an exclusive concentration on a particular point while neglecting all the others. All the possibilities should be admitted and pursued.<ref>The Mother. (1972). On Education. In Collected works of the Mother Volume 12 (p. 398). Pondicherryhttp: Sri Aurobindo Ashram//incarnateword.in/cwm/07/28-december-1955#p1 </ref>

==Practicing mediation Concentration in the heart is one method, concentration in the head (or above) is another; both are included in this Yoga and one has to do whichever one finds easiest and most natural. The object of the concentration using in the heart is to open the centre there (heart-lotus), to feel the presence of the Divine Mother in the heart and to become aware of one's soul or psychic being which is a sentence==portion of the Divine. The object of the concentration in the head is to rise to the Divine Consciousness and bring down the Light of the Mother or her Force or Ananda into all the centres. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/mantra-and-japa#p17 </ref>

There must be a large, many-sided yet single concentration of the thought on the idea, the perception, the vision, the awakening touch, the soul''Q: Mothers realisation of the one Divine. There must be a flaming concentration of the heart on the seeking of the All and Eternal and, when once we have found him, a deep plunging and immersion in the Friday Classes, you often read possession and ecstasy of the All-Beautiful. There must be a sentence to us strong and ask us to meditate immovable concentration of the will on the attainment and fulfillment of all that the Divine is and a free and plastic opening of itto all that he intends to manifest in us. But how should we meditate on a sentence? That This is, should we think, meditate on the idea ortriple way of the Yoga.<ref>http://incarnateword.. what should we do?''in/cwsa/23/self-consecration#p18</ref>

The sentence is already a mental formation; the mental formation is made. The sentence is the expression of the mental formation. So when you meditate on a sentence, there are two methods. There is an active, ordinary external method of reflecting '''Content curated by Manoj Pavitran and trying to understand what these words mean, understand intellectually what the sentence means exactly —that is active meditation. You concentrate on these few words and take the thought they express and try, through reasoning, deduction, analysis, to understand what it means.Divyanshi Chugh'''

There is another method, {|class="wikitable" style= "background-color: #efefff; width: 100%;"|Read more direct and deep; it is to take this mental formation, this combination about '''[[Concentration Compilation|Concentration]]''' from the works of words with the thought they represent, Mother and to gather all your energy of attention on it, compelling yourself to concentrate all your strength on that formation. For instance, instead of concentrating all your energies on something you see physically, you take that thought and concentrate all your energies on that thought —in the mind, of courseSri Aurobindo.|}

And then, if you are able to concentrate the thought sufficiently and stop it from vacillating, you pass quite naturally from the thought expressed by the words to the idea which is behind and which could be expressed in other words, other forms. The characteristic of the idea is the power to clothe itself in many different thoughts. And when you have achieved this, you have already gone much deeper than by merely understanding the words. Naturally, if you continue to concentrate and know how to do it, you can pass from the idea to the luminous force that is behind. Then you enter a much vaster and deeper domain. But that asks for some training. But still, that is the very principle of meditation. If you are able to go deep enough, you find the Principle and the Force behind the idea, and that gives you the power of realisation. This is how those who take meditation as a means of spiritual development are able to unite with the Principle which is behind things and obtain the power to act on these things from above. But even without going so far —that implies a rather hard discipline, doesn’t it, a long-standing habit —you can pass quite easily from the thought to the idea, and that gives you a light and an understanding in the mind which enables you, in your turn, to express the idea in any form. An idea can be expressed in many different forms, in many different thoughts, just as when you come down to a more material level, a thought can be expressed through many different words. Going downwards, towards expression, that is, spoken or written expression, there are many different words and different formulas which may serve to express a thought, but this thought is only one of the forms of thought which can express the idea, the idea behind, and this idea itself, if it is followed deeply, has behind it a principle of spiritual knowledge and power which can then spread and act on the manifestation. When you have a thought you look for words, don’t you, and then you try to arrange these words to express your thought; you can use many words to express a thought, you tell yourself, “No, look, if I put this word instead of that, it would express what I am thinking much better.” That is what you learn when you are taught style, how to write. But when I give you a written sentence which has the power to express a thought and tell you to concentrate on it, then, through this thought-form you can go back to the idea behind, which can be expressed in many different thoughts. It is like a great hierarchy: there is a Principle right at the top, which itself is not the only one, for you can go still higher up; but this Principle can be expressed in ideas, and these ideas can be expressed in a great number of thoughts and this great number of thoughts can make use of many languages and an even greater number ofwords. When I give you a thought it is simply to help you to concentrate....  All this is to learn concentration, that’s all. Sometimes one of these sentences expresses a very deep truth. It is one of those happy sentences which are very expressive. So that helps you to find the truth that is behind.<Ref>The Mother. (1972). Questions and Answers 1957-1958. In Collected works of the Mother(pp. 381-383). Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram.</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>    =Obstacles to develop concentrationReferences= 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>  =References=