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Concentration Vs Meditation

Ordinary Concentration vs Concentration Meditation

Unlike the unconscious, automatic process of ordinary concentration that leads to self-forgetfulness, meditation is a conscious, self-directed process that works against mental automatisms.

Ordinary concentration arises from reflexive, largely autonomous and automatic attachment to external objects, whereas meditation is born out of naturally ripened detachment. While ordinary concentration is a movement anchored in time, meditation is to remain in timelessness, unaffected by its ebbs and flows.

Meditation starts as a deliberate, wilful inward turning of the mind and the focusing of consciousness on its source. It represents an intentional effort to connect with the inner self, distinct from ordinary concentration. It is not merely about looking at an object; rather, it is an effort to establish a living relationship with it.

In concentration meditation, the mind is fixed on a single point, creating a state of ekagrata or one-pointedness. There is a particular state known as ekendriya, in which only one sense organ—the manas, considered by yogis as the sixth sense organ—is active. Meditation, therefore, ignores the mind’s constant chatter and creation, and directly seeks the source of all creation and experiences—the Uncreated or Absolute.

Process of Concentration Meditation

The process of concentration in meditation begins with the will, which must first be detached from desires and then fixed at a particular centre of consciousness within—a process known as dhāraṇā. When one follows a specific technique of dharana and maintains a single stream of thought, the practice transforms into dhyāna. In this state, the mind is analogous to a wire in a one-stringed musical instrument, stretched taut between the subject and the object. The mental process that produces a meaningful thought is called pratyaya, much like words form a sentence. This single pratyaya, or meaningful thought maintained during meditation, can be divided into three parts:

    1. artha, which represents the object or external form;

    2. śabda, the sound symbol or the mental utterance of the word (nāma) associated with that form (rūpa); and

    3. jñāna, the resulting cognition derived from the perception of the name-form.

The connection of “I”–consciousness with the object produces what is called its meaning. In normal thinking, these distinct elements—the object, the word, and the knowledge—are produced by different causes yet become united to form one pratyaya. To maintain this same pratyaya in the mind, it may be necessary to continuously repeat the corresponding word. Ultimately, meditation can be practiced successfully only when it is supported by the will.

Psychological Basis of Meditation

The psychological basis of meditation rests on the understanding that all individual minds are simply different parts of one universal mind. True consciousness belongs to the self by its very nature, while everything else in the universe—the entire material universe and all individual minds—belongs to prakṛti, which is unconscious or Jaḍa.

When the light of the Atman falls upon a thought-wave (vṛtti), knowledge is revealed. In states such as deep sleep, the mind, overwhelmed by tamas, does not produce any thought-wave, which is why we know nothing during that time. In contrast, in the highest superconscious state known as nirvikalpa samadhi, the mind becomes absorbed in the Self so completely that only the Atman exists. This state is not characterized by “knowledge” but by pure existence.

The concept of sākṣātkāra refers to the true knowledge of supersensuous reality. As soon as one succeeds in generating the right vṛtti, thought-wave, formal meditation gives way to direct experience. If the mantra is repeated with faith and purity, it gradually awakens a subtle, pure vṛtti, vibration, that directly reveals the reality it symbolizes. In this process, the devas—gods whose subtle bodies are so pure and transparent—reflect the dazzling brilliance of the Atman.

True Meditation

True meditation is defined as the conscious maintenance of a steady stream of the same thought about an object at a higher centre of consciousness. It involves a deliberate movement of consciousness from the “I” (the subject) to a mental image (the object). True meditation arises naturally from the inward pull of the mind, known as pratyak pravaṇatā, and is not about recalling the past but about sustaining the consciousness in the present, in self-awareness.

Meditation always involves focusing on an object, and when the mental waves are stilled, the light of the self is revealed. This process gives a higher direction to concentrated energies and embodies the transition from mental activity to direct, inner experience.

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