Right concentration in Buddhism

In modern terms, the Eightfold Buddha Path is an eight part program for realizing enlightenment and freeing us from dukkha (suffering). The right concentration is the eighth part of the path. It requires practitioners to focus all their mental faculties on a physical or mental object and to practice the Four Absorptions, also called the Four Dhyana (Sanskrit) or the Four Jhanas (Pali).

Definition of the right concentration in Buddhism
The word pali translated into English as "concentration" is samadhi. The root words of samadhi, sam-a-dha, mean "to gather".

The late John Daido Loori Roshi, a Soto Zen teacher, said: “Samadhi is a state of consciousness that goes beyond awakening, dreaming or deep sleep. It is a slowdown of our mental activity through one-point concentration. " Samadhi is a particular type of single-pointed concentration; focusing, for example, on the desire for revenge, or even on a delicious meal, is not samadhi. Rather, according to The Noble Eightfold Path of Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Samadhi is exclusively healthy concentration, concentration in a healthy state of mind. Even then its range is even narrower: it does not mean any form of healthy concentration, but only the intensified concentration that derives from a deliberate attempt to raise the mind to a higher and more purified level of awareness. "

Two other parts of the path - Right Effort and Right Mindfulness - are also associated with mental discipline. They look similar to Right Concentration, but their goals are different. The Right Effort refers to the cultivation of what is healthy and purifying from what is not healthy, while Right Mindfulness refers to being fully present and aware of one's body, senses, thoughts and the surrounding environment.

Mental concentration levels are called dhyanas (Sanskrit) or jhanas (Pali). At the beginning of Buddhism, there were four dhyanas, although later the schools expanded to nine and sometimes several others. The four basic Dhyana are listed below.

The Four Dhyanas (or Jhanas)
The four dhyanas, janas or absorptions are the means of directly experiencing the wisdom of the Buddha's teachings. In particular, through the right concentration, we can be freed from the illusion of a separate self.

To experience dhyanas, you have to overcome the five obstacles: sensual desire, bad will, sloth and numbness, restlessness and worry and doubt. According to the Buddhist monk Henepola Gunaratana, each of these obstacles is addressed in a specific way: “a wise consideration of the repulsive characteristic of things is the antidote to sensual desire; the wise consideration of loving kindness counteracts bad will; a wise consideration of the elements of effort, effort and commitment is opposed to laziness and numbness; wise consideration of tranquility of mind removes restlessness and worry; and wise consideration of the real qualities of things eliminates doubts. "

Unhealthy passions, desires and thoughts are released in the first dhyana. A person who lives in the first dhyana experiences ecstasy and a deep sense of well-being.

In the second dhyana, intellectual activity vanishes and is replaced by the tranquility and concentration of the mind. The rapture and sense of well-being of the first dhyana are still present.

In the third dhyana, the rapture vanishes and is replaced by equanimity (upekkha) and great clarity.

In the fourth dhyana, all sensations cease and only conscious equanimity remains.

In some schools of Buddhism, the fourth dhyana is described as pure experience without "experimenter". Through this direct experience, the individual and separate self is perceived as an illusion.

The four immaterial states
In Theravada and some other schools of Buddhism, the four immaterial states arrive after the Four Dhyana. This practice is intended as going beyond mental discipline and perfecting the same objects of concentration themselves. The purpose of this practice is to eliminate all visualizations and other sensations that may remain after dhyana.

In the four immaterial states, one first refines infinite space, then infinite consciousness, then non-materiality, therefore neither perception nor non-perception. The work at this level is enormously subtle and only possible for a very advanced professional.

Develop and practice the right concentration
The various schools of Buddhism have developed a number of different ways to develop concentration. The right concentration is often associated with meditation. In Sanskrit and pali, the word for meditation is bhavana, which means "mental culture". Buddhist bhavana is not a relaxation practice, nor is it about having visions or experiences outside the body. Basically, bhavana is a means of preparing the mind for enlightenment.

To achieve the right concentration, most professionals will start by creating an appropriate setting. In an ideal world, the practice will take place in a monastery; otherwise, it is important to select a quiet location free of interruptions. There, the practitioner assumes a relaxed but upright posture (often in the lotus position with crossed legs) and focuses his attention on a word (a mantra) that can be repeated several times, or on an object such as a Buddha statue.

Meditation simply involves breathing naturally and focusing the mind on the selected object or sound. As the mind wanders, the practitioner "notices it quickly, captures it and gently but firmly brings it back to the object, repeating it whenever necessary."

While this practice may seem simple (and it is), it is very difficult for most people because thoughts and images always arise. In the process of achieving the right concentration, professionals may need to work for years with the help of a qualified teacher to overcome desire, anger, agitation or doubts.