From comprehending the esoteric meaning of body position as a symbol of being in the Law, we now move on to mastering the first of seven practical exercises. For convenience, we will call this first exercise concentration.

Concentration - and it is very important for us to understand the meaning of this word in its true mystical sense - is the gathering together of all the faculties of the mind, the direction of attention towards achieving a single goal. We use the word concentration in the sense expressed by Eastern adepts as follows: Sitting alone, wrapped in a robe, the master entered samadhi.

The expression sitting alone refers to the position of the body and means being in the present. The words wrapped in a robe indicate that he has brought together or integrated all manifestations of his mind. This is the meaning of the doctrine of the mean.

Think about the mystery that shines through in the words of wrapping yourself in the mantle of wisdom. The insignia of Buddhist patriarchs was the robe. Each arhat, or master of the school, wore a cape of a certain color. The robes of the Zen sect were green, and Daruma, the Zen arhat, is depicted wearing a robe with one end draped over his head in the form of a hood. The disciple was not allowed to wear such attire, since this was the prerogative of the high priests.

Apollonius of Tyana, an initiate of the Pythagorean school, also wore a special robe made of wool. When starting esoteric practice, he sat on his robe and wrapped himself in it, even covering his face. It was believed that, sitting in this way, he traveled to the most remote corners of the world. During one of these out-of-body visits, he is said to have witnessed the assassination of Emperor Domitian.

We are so accustomed to taking symbols for real entities that few students wonder what the magical meaning of the mantle is. The mantle, like the magic Baghdad carpet, the magic ring of Solomon and the ring of the Nibelungs are symbols of concentration - gathering together and directing all the abilities of the soul to achieve one goal.

How then can we define concentration? The essence of concentration, like any other genuine exercise, is inexpressible. It must be comprehended from within. It can be realized because the exercise itself develops in the student the ability to practice it. It is clear that to practice concentration one does not need to put on a physical robe; the adept wears a robe that is not of this world. The features of his traditional clothing (by which the adept is distinguished from ordinary followers in the physical world) are only reflections or allegories of his true appearance.

Concentration is a soft and unobtrusive concentration of attention without volitional efforts. It is based on comprehension of the Law. Concentration can be called steadfastness of intention. Like a candle that burns steadily on a windless night, realization shines unwaveringly in the womb of concentration.

Concentration is the constancy of spiritual movement in the direction of the One. This is how the commentary to the Zohar describes him: The follower of the spiritual Mysteries looks with perfect attention into the face of Reality.

If there are no false interpretations, the simple practice of concentration is completely harmless. However, there is a big difference between the true understanding of concentration exercises and popular interpretations of this exercise.

Preparing to Concentrate

No occult exercise should be attempted without proper preparation. In practice, this preparation is expressed in two ways. First, it presupposes a general ordering of individual existence. It is futile to attempt to practice occult exercises in a contradictory and chaotic environment. One should not cherish the desire to escape from the world into spiritual states. Concentration is not an oasis of spirituality in the desert of chaotic everyday life.

You can often hear people say: My meditation practice gives me the strength to continue in a life that would otherwise be unbearable! If a person is guided by such considerations, he is doomed to failure. Concentration cannot be one of the independent aspects of life. It must penetrate to the very foundation of everyday existence, because otherwise it will not be successful, and a person will simply waste time.

The ability to concentrate in the mystical sense of the word manifests itself in a person’s life in the form of the ability to maintain self-control and achieve success in everyday affairs. Therefore, concentration must first of all become an integral part of a person’s worldview.

The second part of the preparation for concentration is the actions performed immediately before starting the practice. For some time before performing the exercise, the mind should be at rest and the body should be completely relaxed - during this time one should not indulge in idleness, one should only avoid stress. Sitting among the general bustle and trying to isolate yourself from its influence by showing some special attitude towards it is illogical and not worthy of a philosopher. That's why the master sits alone. These unassuming words reveal a great secret to those who can understand it.

Symbols of Focus

The clergy of ancient times and modern mystical traditions widespread in the East are unanimous in that concentration exercises should be carried out using sacred objects. Pythagoras taught his followers to meditate on tetractys - a triangular arrangement of ten points. He also advised all genuine Pythagoreans to spend time contemplating the sacred figure of the dodecahedron, or regular dodecahedron.

In the Mysteries of Isis and Osiris, Plutarch argued that the ancient Egyptians kept in the holy of holies of their temples geometric designs and figures, the sight of which likened them to gods. The mathematician Theon of Smyrna argued that God as a state can be achieved through the contemplation of special number series. A significant part of the works of religious art and architecture was created under the influence of the old cults of the sacraments and was intended primarily for contemplation. If you look at ancient symbols from this point of view, they take on new meaning and grandeur.

One modern lama also uses several symbolic objects in the performance of his ritual actions. These include a dorye or double thunderbolt, a ceremonial dagger, a bowl, a small double drum, a mandala, a prayer wheel and a thangka. To these images should also be added a whole pantheon of Tibetan deities. Each of them is depicted in a special position and performs certain actions. For the initiate, all these seemingly insignificant details have a special esoteric importance.

Among the objects of concentration among Chinese Taoists, the word Tao occupies the main place. Next in importance is the image of yin and yang, signifying the balance of negative and positive poles. Next comes the structure of trigrams drawn with continuous and broken lines. There are eight primary trigrams and sixty-four secondary combinations. Confucius's comments on the hidden meaning of trigram combinations are considered important esoteric writings.

Calligraphy patterns also serve as symbols used for concentration by both Chinese and Japanese contemplatives. Calligraphically written hieroglyphs are considered especially effective, embodying basic shapes, lines and rhythms. Religious paintings, sculptures and frescoes decorate most eastern temples. They are also used by initiates in religious activities. The greatest respect is given to the works of priests who created symbolic images while in a state of meditation. In the East, it is believed that all beautiful and worthy works of outstanding artists and sculptors have the ability to assist in inner comprehension.

This is the esoteric teaching about symbols for concentration. The sanctity of these objects is also recognized by some mystical sects in the full sense of the word. However, for our purpose we must delve into the real meaning of the word

Tao, that is, try to trace the correct Path of understanding sacred symbols.

Each of them depicts and represents a function of the mind, a state of the soul, or an action of the will. Thus, they represent physical similarities of invisible states, virtues and manifestations of Truth accessible to ordinary perception. State refers to the degree or level of approximation to reality; under virtue - correspondence to reality; and under truth is reality itself. Here, as before, only comprehension can distinguish between terms which in ordinary use are considered synonymous. In mysticism, all concepts have a very refined meaning, and the closer to reality a certain idea is, the more difficult it is to express its meaning.

When it is said that the master takes dorye, the meaning of these words is that he gains access in his consciousness to the sources of cosmic omnipotence, balancing the universal energies in the course of contemplation. When the master lifts the dagger, he releases the burden of the senses. Holding the cup, he opens himself to the flow of spiritual entities. By rotating the prayer wheel, he activates the mechanism of cause and effect, which rotates on the axis of the Self.

Current occurs in every instrument. Not a single real, that is, physical, symbol in itself means anything. The tangible remains, as always, just a symbol or key to the secrets of the intangible. For the uninitiated, many such truths seem vague, if not completely meaningless. Thus, secrets by their very nature protect themselves from profanation by the unworthy. Anyone who does not see them does not have access to them and, therefore, cannot misuse them.

The magic of mandalas

A mandala is a secret design or diagram that is usually quite symmetrical and resembles a geometric drawing rather than a work of art. Its size and palette, although subject to traditional requirements, can vary significantly. In general, the mandala resembles a lotus flower, individual parts or symbolic petals of which can be decorated with Chinese, Tibetan or Sanskrit signs and numbers. In exoteric language, a mandala is a kind of universal map, symbolically depicting the world, heaven, heavenly abodes and various parts of the human body.

Although mandalas of the traditional type are common throughout Asia, various sects have created mandalas that differ in some ways from the generally accepted version. Only an advanced student, deeply familiar with all the subtleties of metaphysical teachings, can confidently identify all types of mandalas. In addition, only he can distinguish genuine religious works from commercial copies that narrow-minded souvenir dealers successfully sell to visiting tourists.

The famous Abbot Hook was defrocked when he published his books in which he described the practice of some secret magical rituals in the countries of Central Asia. Among Huk's interesting observations was a report about a mandala that the researcher discovered in one of the temples. The painting depicted several figures and among them was the moon. According to Hook's testimony, in the drawing the phases of the moon changed in accordance with the phases of the luminary in the sky.

In the East there is numerous literature that explains to those who are able to understand how such magical images are created. For example, there is a legend about a Buddhist monk who (while in a state of deep meditation) drew the Sukhavati Gate, the door to Amitabha's eastern paradise. When the masterpiece was created, he hung this silk painting on the wall of his cell. Subsequently, again immersed in meditation, he rose to his feet, walked up to the picture, passed the gate that he himself had painted, and disappeared forever. This is how he achieved nirvana.

How can we interpret this story? If we do not go beyond the abilities of the mind alone, this story will seem strange and meaningless. If we still have the gift of seeing the true secret of the legend, it will appear before us as an exquisite allegory. The meditating monk is the Self contained in the human form, which is the limitation of the imperfect mind. The painting represents the embodiment of the middle path, or Tao. The painting shows a gate or door, because it truly is the Way. Having visualized the secret of the true Path during contemplation and joined it, the student is able to achieve perfection, which, like the Path, is Tao. The truth is revealed to him in the course of comprehension, and he himself becomes what he has comprehended. Comprehension is the gateway to the Real, a bridge built from the subtle substance that is realized within. Whoever builds this bridge can walk across it and become identified with what he has built.

Young students in some Eastern schools practice concentrating on mandalas every day. They are then asked what results they achieved. Usually, first comes the experience that the structure is moving. If the mandala has the shape of a wheel, it seems to the student that it is spinning - slowly at first, and then faster and faster until all the colors merge and the wheel becomes one spinning light disk. To achieve this result, you need to concentrate on the mandala for many months, or even years.

In the next stage, the background of the painting, the wall on which it hangs, and the entire surroundings slowly dissolve, and the beholder has the impression that a rotating disk is hanging in space, supported only by the force of his concentration.

At the third stage of concentration, the student sees how the disk of the mandala is gradually approaching him, and he himself feels that he is pouring into the center of luminous energy. When this stage has been reached, the student must turn to the mentor for further instructions. He finds himself at a crossroads. One mistake in this place can ruin all his studies within a few recent years.

The mentor asks what the student noticed about the spinning disk. The point of this question is to ascertain whether the disciple's concentration is essentially mystical or visual. If it is only visual, the practice stops, because otherwise he will quickly slide into idolatry. From a metaphysical point of view, idolatry means accepting symbols as Reality and worshiping those symbols. If the student's experience is quite ordinary, and he saw the rotating disk as a person can see an external object, he has failed.

The point is that concentration should have led him to the experience of the spinning wheel. He had to gain his significance, not his appearance. It was supposed to be a living wheel, the rotation of the Law itself. The teacher asks the student to explain the real meaning of the spinning wheel. If the student answers that he knows, but cannot explain, and if the mentor sees in the student’s eyes the light of spiritual forces and sees in his every gesture the awakened power of comprehension, he remains satisfied. By means of certain occult means, the master can accurately assess how deep the student's comprehension is. If it turns out to be fundamental enough, the student receives special instructions and continues his studies. He is given lightning and told to break the wheel. He must destroy the structure of his own concentration, and this should be done without leaving it. It is impossible to explain more in words.

Thus, the student has the key: concentration is the visualization of the Law in transcendental and magical forms. The law is found in forms. However, these forms must be destroyed, for the Law itself has no form. It can be found through form, but not in the form itself. All forms, tangible and intangible, reflect the Law. Woe to the one who seeks to catch the Law in the net of the mind!.. This is the introduction to the magic of mandalas.

Alms bowl

The main symbol of discipleship is the alms bowl.

This cylindrical vessel made of bronze or clay is a symbol of begging, an emblem of detachment. However, the cup has nothing to do with moral inferiority. Like the sacred objects of the arhats, the state of consciousness should be seen in the alms bowl. One of the main architectural motifs of the Shwe Dragon Pagoda, perhaps the most impressive of Buddhist temples, is an inverted alms bowl. Inverted bowl in in this case is not just the tomb of a liberated adept, but also a reminder of one of the greatest secrets.

The search for Truth is a process of searching for the whole in part. This process involves an attitude of acceptance. Although the concept of seeking is the best we know, we are not actually seeking the Truth. We do not find, but accept, receive. Everything that exists and lives gives us something. Reality flows all the time in everything that is. The cup represents the universal symbol of the ability to receive. Therefore, a true Buddhist can receive into it only what he needs for one day - and nothing but food. For Asians, rice replaces bread. The Christian prayer says: Give us this day our daily bread. The Buddhist mystic doesn't even ask. He simply carries a bowl with him, and everyone who feels the urge of the good Law within them will share the rice with him.

When other food is offered, the beggar may also accept it. They say about Buddha Gautama that on the last day of his life on earth, a poor peasant brought and, out of the kindness of his heart, put part of his food into the Buddha’s bowl. The peasant was so poor that his food was unfit to eat. However, the Enlightened One accepted it and, turning to the disciples, informed them that the hour of his departure was approaching. Then, knowing that the food was stale, but the best the peasant had, he humbly ate it and soon died.

The story is obviously allegorical, and its meaning is extremely simple. To receive the Fa means to be full. The Law is given to us through everything that surrounds us, and whenever and under any circumstances we can comprehend the Law and achieve liberation. Everyday experiences, problems of life, karma and dharma - everything must be unconditionally accepted into the open cup of consciousness. Nothing but food can be taken into the cup, but who decides whether what is received is food or not? Eventually experiences reach perfection in the Fa. The one who has achieved liberation turns over the cup. When the Fa is realized, the time to receive comes to an end. But before that, a monk in a yellow robe walked under the roads of the world, carrying with him a bowl for alms.

Concentration practice

Read this section several times, delving deeply into its content and trying to avoid possible ambiguity. The point is that the author cannot know in advance the passages that will be misunderstood, although any misunderstanding calls into question the success of the entire practice.

Concentration should be practiced at certain times of the day, paying special attention to regularity and duration. Comprehension cannot be achieved by any tricks, and therefore the duration of the lessons does not matter. The student should concentrate once a day for no more than five or ten minutes. Truth is timeless. It is therefore advisable to practice concentration for five minutes a day, especially since the number five has mystical associations with the control of the five senses. You can choose to perform the exercise either in the morning or in the evening. The middle of the day or night is less preferable, especially for beginners. Day and night are the embodiments of yang and yin respectively; the transition time between them turns out to be most suitable.

Once the time and place have been chosen, it is important to achieve the appropriate state. The ability to concentrate should be developed through simple, direct and non-violent methods. Under no circumstances should the mind plunge into emptiness. The student should also not wait in the hope that thoughts will flow in the right direction. The law does not immediately fill out forms. First, the artist must draw a picture depicting the Law.

Choose the appropriate symbol. This symbol will become your mandala, and working with it will take a long time. Don't be discouraged if it takes you many months to figure out its meaning. Do not change symbols too often and never change from one to another until the Law is revealed in it.

(((Picture, page 93. Below it is written:)))

[Chinese engraving of Buddha preaching the doctrine of enlightenment. ]

The object of concentration, ideal or structure can be any symbol, as long as it can be defined. In other words, this symbol must be accessible, if not to the senses, then at least to the mind. Abstract virtues such as kindness, compassion and altruism are not good symbols to focus on. That is why in Eastern schools all virtues are depicted in pictures. The embodiment of Buddhism is the Buddha, who personifies all the abstract virtues of this teaching. In Christianity, the perfection of virtues is depicted in the form of the life, self-sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ.

The Teacher is not the Law, but he testifies to the Law. In concentration, the student cannot direct his attention to the Law; he concentrates it on some structure or image that embodies the Law. However, you should never mistake an image for what it represents!

Often one should give preference to images that symbolically depict one of the areas of life. It is known that a person often finds the Truth in what he is most predisposed to. For a scientist, his books are sacred. A mathematician by vocation finds God in numbers, while an astronomer sees Truth in the stars.

Therefore, as the first structure for concentration, choose some form or object that you know that it inspires you and in some way brings you closer to comprehension. Thus, through the gate of the known, you naturally and directly enter into the presence of the Knower.

There are no restrictions on the choice of subject. If you find him worthy, he is the embodiment of dignity for you, you can consider him suitable.

As an example, let's assume that we are nature lovers. We draw inspiration and strength from the presence of living plants. In growth we find the Law. Therefore, let's consider one plant as a symbol of growth, remembering that in this case we are not limiting growth, but only concretizing it in order to make it tangible for human perception. In this way we will avoid uncertainty, quirks of the imagination and abstract constructions that lead only to fruitless reflections and short-term conclusions.

Among plants, the tree is one of the noblest and at the same time perfect forms of the plant kingdom. Moreover, the tree is an eloquent symbol as it has been used since time immemorial to depict various forms of human knowledge. In ancient engravings and manuscripts we find trees of law, healing trees, and trees as religious symbols. Entire nations are often depicted as trees and their branches. Several ancient philosophies use the tree as a symbol of the entire universe. Reflections on such a topic can serve as a good prologue to concentration. They make it possible to realize the greatness of the symbol and its universality.

Before proceeding to the next chapter, which continues the study of concentration, we should dwell on one symbolic object.

Fifth Realization

The main subject of this chapter is insight, which can be briefly expressed as: pass through the form. Learn to see ideas as essentially formless, but perceived internally as manifestations of the Law.

When you read books, listen to sermons and contemplate creations ancient wisdom, go through their form. Consider the words of Maimonides: In the body of the Law is the soul of the Law, in the soul of the Law is the spirit of the Law. Seek the spirit of learning. Don't settle for less.

In everything that happens to you as an incident or circumstance, recognize the symbols of the formless. Realize that all visible and tangible physical objects, all possible forms of knowledge, are in reality a multi-colored fringe on the mantle of Infinity.

Remember the words written in Sayan??? temple in Egypt: I, Isis, am everything that was, is and will be; no mortal exposed me. Realize that the whole world is one appearance, and realize that everyone who enters the holy of holies of the temple must overcome appearance in all its manifestations. With the sword of illumination, cut through appearances and find the Law.

We all know very well that the better prepared the activity, the more effective it is.

This is so banal that there seems to be nothing to discuss here.

Of course, everyone knows that preparation is the basis of success.

However, it’s amazing that for some reason we don’t apply this rule in life. Most often, we underestimate preparation, neglect it out of laziness or ignorance. And so our activities become NOT SUCCESSFUL.

However, this wouldn’t be scary if we drew a conclusion from the failures and tried to fix everything next time. However, this, as a rule, does not happen, so each new attempt starts again WITHOUT preparation, and ends again FAILURE.

Therefore, an overweight person can try to lose weight 5-10-50 times, but still not lose weight.

Therefore, a smoker can try to quit smoking 5-10-50 times, but never quit.

Therefore, an athlete can try to improve his result 5-10-50 times, but still not achieve the desired result.

The basis of these chronic failures is the same - the lack NEEDED preparation.

Many of those involved in physical education have WRONG idea of ​​preparation for the exercise. And it’s not their fault - this is how they were taught to prepare for the start of exercises back in physical education lessons at school.

What do you usually do to prepare your body for exercise?

Sometimes they don’t do anything at all, but immediately climb on an exercise bike and start pedaling.

At best, they do a general warm-up - wave your arms and legs, twist your head and pelvis, etc...

This is a wrong approach, because... MAIN the condition for starting any activity is CONCENTRATION on her.

Without concentration, any attempt to do something will obviously be ineffective.

Concentration before the start is key.

I use the word " KEY", because it's really KEY to achieve results. Those who do not use this key try to break into a closed door, wasting a gigantic amount of energy and emotions on fruitless attempts, while earning neuroses and lack of faith in their own strength.

Those who use this key calmly achieve results without unnecessary fuss and hassle.

Concentration consists of TWO phases:

- mental representation of a future action;

— determination of the moment of readiness to begin action.

Sports psychologists have shown that each of these phases corresponds to its own special bio-electrical activity of the cerebral cortex, which affects the entire body.

The first phase of concentration is the mental reproduction of the exercise.

When a future exercise is played out in the mind, the nerve centers and muscles are excited in strict accordance with the program of the future action.

A person seems to remain motionless outwardly, but the tone of his muscles increases exactly where it is needed, which will even more effectively prepare him for activity than a regular general physical training warm-up (which, of course, should also not be neglected).

Psychologists have proven a direct relationship between the clarity of ideas and sports results.

Here’s how Olympic swimming champion G. Stepanova talks about it: “Just before the start, I concentrate, distract myself from everything and mentally swim; and how vividly I manage to imagine every turn, every technical detail, the result is so good.”

Other top-class athletes say the same thing - champions in shooting, weightlifting, high jumping, diving, wrestling, basketball, etc.

Athletes who have mastered this method well often use it even INSTEAD OF regular warm-up - it turned out that the method of mentally working out the movement warms up and prepares the muscles of the body no worse than a regular warm-up.

This warm-up even got its own special name - ideomotor preparation.

It certainly looks impressive. For example, a weightlifter imagining performing a heavy exercise may sweat profusely, so much so that his T-shirt can be wrung out. At the same time, outwardly he will remain completely motionless.

It has been experimentally established that to obtain optimal results, short exercises should be mentally imagined 3-4 times, and long exercises should be imagined once.

What is very important is that concentration focuses the athlete’s attention; unnecessary signals and distracting information stop entering the consciousness. The desired dominant is excited, which leads to selective sensitivity - now the subconscious itself automatically selects only the necessary information, aimed at achieving the goal, from the entire array of incoming information.

Everything that is not relevant to the goal will be eliminated. Everything related to achieving the goal will be strengthened.

This condition is known to many and is usually described with the words “ as if God is helping“When it seems that everything you need suddenly comes your way; in some chance meeting, you suddenly learn exactly the information that is extremely necessary at that particular moment; all the necessary events happen so timely that it seems as if someone is pushing us towards success.

This state is a property focused attention, which automatically filters out the unnecessary and highlights what is needed.

Being able distracted attention we would not have noticed the success that suddenly came our way; in a chance meeting they would have missed the necessary information; would not want to bother themselves with using the events happening around them.

It should be very CAREFULLY refer to the moment of concentration. (By the way, often some not very competent coaches, with their “pumping” before the start, prevent the athlete from concentrating, and therefore sharply worsen the athlete’s performance.)

However, it should be noted that concentration does not have to be long. It must be optimal. It has been observed that concentration time decreases as athletic skill increases.

In addition, as shown in a study of shooting athletes, concentrating too long can negatively affect the result.

The second phase of concentration is choosing the moment to begin the activity.

A figurative representation of an activity, playing it out in the mind, ends with a special feeling - “ feeling of READY«.

Sports psychologists conducted a study, the results of which are very revealing. In this study, athletes performed the same exercises in two conditions - having previously achieved a “feeling of readiness” and not having previously achieved a “feeling of readiness”.

In the first case (i.e., having achieved a “feeling of readiness”), they successfully completed the action in 95.5%

In the second case - only 13.3%.

As you can see, the preliminary achievement " feelings of readiness» makes achieving success virtually guaranteed. However, how often do we begin our activities in a “state of readiness” in our lives?

Let's be honest - VERY RARELY. Some of us at all NEVER IN YOUR LIFE did not bother to bring their psyche into “ state of readiness". After this, is it any wonder that the results of such activities are not impressive?

What is “feeling ready”? This feeling UNITY, cheerful composure, joyful concentration of both body and psyche.

Each athlete describes this feeling differently.

Someone will say that they “got the courage”, someone will say that there is “lightness and ringing in the muscles”, someone will call it “delight” or “inspiration”, a swimmer will say that the body “has become streamlined and gliding”, the shooter will say that “the barrel itself follows the target.”

There are many names, but one common thing is the indivisibility of this feeling. It is impossible to say that something is more ready and something is less ready.

A state of readiness is when everything in a person is ready - body, attention, emotions. And such a state needs to be purposefully trained every day.

It is important to note one feature - even what is the connection between the “feeling of readiness” and positive emotions, with joy.

I would like to give one impressive example that explains this connection.

English football club Sunderland lost 10 matches in a row when he took over Bob Stock. After his arrival, the club won 10 matches in a row and sensationally won the FA Cup.

Answering numerous questions regarding the “recipe for success” Bob Stock said the following: “It's all so simple. The secret of high achievements, in my opinion, lies in good mood. So I try to make it my pets have always been on the level. If I fail to do this, I I resort to the help of people for whom this is a profession. A team that is in a good mood is almost impossible to beat.”

So, imaginative ideas and a good mood lead to a special “feeling of readiness”, which leads to victory.

I would like to quote a statement from our famous hockey coach A.V. Tarasova, who saw the reason for the amazing psychological stability of the players of the Soviet national team in the fact that our hockey players “know how to train a lot and funny. Luck comes to the strong. And to people who smile. The only way!".

It may seem that at the moment I am talking about sports.

But that's not true.

Sports is just a good explanatory example, but what I'm really talking about is ANY activity, about achieving any result, for example, about losing weight, in particular about completing my “Weight Loss” course.

What should you do to complete this course most effectively?

Needed daily GET READY to complete the tasks set out in the course.

No need to strive to complete it in a day ALL tasks of the week or month.

First try just ONE any task.

And you need to start with PREPARE to complete the selected task using CONCENTRATIONS.

Because the process of concentration consists of two phases, then these two phases are what you need to go through BEFORE how to start completing any task.

First phase - phase of figurative representations- It's better to go in the morning. Mentally imagine how you will perform the chosen task during the day in various familiar situations (at home, at work, on the road, etc.) - what and how you will do, what and how to react to, what to ignore, etc.

Daily mental representation of completing course assignments will allow you to act correctly in reality, because everyday situations that arise will no longer be unexpected for you, you will be ready for them, and as a result, paradoxically, they will not interfere, but will help you complete the course tasks. What previously prevented you from losing weight, confused and distracted you, will now help.

Second phase - readiness phase— you can take it both in the morning and during the day before completing each task. However, I will not dwell on this in detail, because... Some course assignments are precisely options for completing this phase.

So, let us remember that if we want to succeed in any activity, then we definitely need to prepare for it with the help of proper concentration. This will achieve the desired result with a 95.5% probability.

Concentration of attention, disconnection from the environment and one’s feelings is helped by preliminary training in controlling the motor activity of the body, over spontaneous and conscious movements. This is especially useful for those who cannot sit quietly for even a minute.

Control over motor activity of the body. The exercise is performed sitting or lying down (just so as not to fall asleep). Its essence is self-immersion. You need to trace the sequence of discomfort, the desire to move, change position, or rub some part of the body. There will be minor discomfort at first. It will increase, there will be a feeling of itching, tension, and perhaps peristaltic movements of the intestines will become audible. You need to go through this stage, relaxing more and more.

Control over the muscles of the arms and legs. In a sitting position, extend your hand to the side at shoulder level, palm down, and closely watch your middle finger, not allowing the slightest movement. Perform for a minute on each arm and leg.

Control over the muscles of the whole body. Perform while sitting, looking at one point. Relax the facial muscles and eyes. Breathe rhythmically, slowly, calmly. Relax the muscles of the whole body. Exercise daily for 5 - 10 minutes.

Option - standing with arms extended forward.

Control over voluntary movements. Slowly rotate your thumbs around each other 50 to 100 times, focusing all your attention on this.

Modification of the exercise - very slowly, one by one, straighten the fingers of the hand clenched into a fist, then bend. Attention should be completely focused on the movement. It is advisable that the hand is initially in sight, on the table, for example. Later you can keep it in your pocket. Right-handed people should pay more attention to their left hand.

This seemingly simple exercise gives an amazing effect. The will is strengthened and its role in managing attention increases. For some, this exercise affects even more than the physical training system. The explanation, perhaps, should be sought in the large representation that the hand has in the cerebral cortex.

To develop the ability to disconnect from the environment, yoga uses a system of exercises based on the principle of dominance, when all attention is focused on only one feeling.

Focusing on the visual image. Place an object in front of your eyes at arm's length and focus on it. Look at it for 5 - 10 minutes, highlighting qualities such as color, shape, structure of the material, etc. Try to go so deeply into the process of looking at it that you turn off other organs of perception. You can complicate the exercise by gradually moving from bright to increasingly dull colors, from a clear, unusual configuration to increasingly inexpressive forms.

Focus on sound. The ticking of a clock is used for training. First they are placed side by side, then they are moved further and further. You need to listen to the ticking, first count to one hundred, then increase the duration of the exercise to 10 minutes. Daily training, according to yogis, develops clairaudience.

Focus on tactile sensation. Place a coin or other light object on a naked area of ​​the body and focus on the sensation of contact. If a feeling of warmth or even burning appears, the coin is moved. Sometimes areas of energy centers are chosen as places for contact. Additional points - the center of the palms. Over time, you need to learn to determine the side of the coin from just one touch.

Focus on taste. To do this, first use products with contrasting tastes (salt, sugar, spices, etc.), then move on to less contrasting ones. You need to close your eyes (you can also close your ears) and try to completely immerse yourself in the taste sensations, merge with them, feel them with every cell of the body. Train for 5 - 10 minutes.

Focus on the smell. Work with various aromatic substances for 10 minutes a day. The source of the smell is gradually removed. The harshness of the odor is reduced.

After mastering the above exercises, they set directly opposite tasks. You must not see, not hear, not touch. Not seeing a clock in front of your eyes, not hearing its ticking, being distracted from the pressure of an object in contact with the body. Having achieved success, it is no longer difficult to disconnect from the environment and arbitrarily direct focused attention to any object or its individual characteristic.

Additional methods of switching off include: repeated monotonous repetition of the mantra AUM (mentally or out loud), concentration on breathing with mental accompaniment of inhalation with the sound SO, and exhalation with the sound HAM; performing several series of various Pranayama with bated breath between each series (Kevali - Kumbhaka); mental wrapping of oneself in a cocoon, impenetrable to light, sound, smell.

Concentration on an object with visualization- this is the next step. The Tratak method, discussed in detail earlier, is used. Its essence lies in alternating periods of looking at an object with periods of mentally recreating its image. Gradually, visualization periods increase from several to tens of minutes. Any objects can serve as objects for this exercise. The training complication is to reduce their attractiveness.

Concentration on natural objects is a further complication of practice. Clouds, blue sky, water surface, stars, moon, nature views are used as objects. The method of concentration as in the previous exercise is Tratak.

Focus on processes eating, walking, physical labor, talking, etc. expands the range of self-control, trains attention, promotes awareness of oneself and one’s habits, and helps improvement.

Concentration on meditative music, like all previous exercises, it is performed in a relaxed state. You need to imagine that music fills your entire being and you gradually “merge” with it.

Concentration on the thought process consists of detached observation of emerging thoughts. Trace the beginning and end of each thought. Gently return attention that is trying to slip to other objects.

Concentration training should be regular. His success is determined not so much by volitional efforts as by preliminary cleansing of the body and consciousness. Trying to start with Raja Yoga without first going through the stages of Kriya and Hatha Yoga rarely ends in success. Yogis believe that failure to comply with the requirements of Yama and Niyama clogs the mind and makes mental training impossible. Conceit, arrogance, vanity, hypocrisy, falsehood - all these qualities constantly create problems: either a conflict with superiors, or a sidelong glance from a colleague - everything worries, creates an unfavorable emotional background, and leads away from the tasks of self-improvement. Failure to comply with the requirements of Niyama sooner or later leads to illness, and then there is no time to train the gaze and attention. Only an integrated and consistent approach will lead to victory over yourself.

Meditation

True meditation is a special state of immersion in something observed or performed. Images and thoughts, unexpected and striking, come on their own. True meditation, as yogis believe, happens spontaneously. However, it is necessary to prepare it, create the preconditions for its occurrence, carefully practicing simple, controlled forms. Mastered separately, they can subsequently be combined into a chain of mental journeys. A specific choice of meditation topics, their combination is a problem that can be solved independently,

Pendulum. Feel like you're suspended on a string in space. There is piercing darkness all around. For every inhalation and exhalation, there is a kind of swaying from side to side. The amplitude is getting bigger and bigger. The body is relaxed. Attention to surrounding stars, nebulae, feeling of weightlessness. The thread holds the top of the head and goes into infinity. The movement changes to a circular one. A few circles and the thread breaks.

Falling backwards. Flakes of fog and static structures rush past. The flight accelerates in a vertical tunnel. There is no fear, nothing bad can happen. Heaviness in the body, incredible heaviness. Smooth sliding into horizontal flight. Decrease speed.

Flight. Imagine a blue, bottomless sky around you. Flowering land below. Feel like a bird. Watch the landscapes passing below. Go lower. See lakes, rivers, lawns. Find your clearing.

Nature. See yourself lying on the grass, sand, hayloft, under a tree. Feel the aroma of freshly cut grass. Hear the chirping of grasshoppers, the buzzing of a bee. Feel the ray of sun on your shoulder, chest, forehead and the breeze, feel a pleasant languor and relaxation.

Creek. Imagine yourself lying in the bed of a forest stream. Streams of pleasantly cool, clear water wash your entire body. Water saturates it, penetrates through it, flows through the head, torso, legs, first in small streams, then in a stream, taking with it diseases, toxins, fatigue, bad mood, filling it with sparkling purity, joy, and energy.

Ray. It's like it's falling on your face from above. Sources: moon, sun, your star, the entire cosmos. It penetrates through the area between the eyebrows into the head, flows along the spine, permeating the entire body with orange (yellow) energy. It splashes out through the whole body. Gives a feeling of warmth (coolness).

Option 1. First, the whole body is filled with energy, its clot accumulates in the tailbone, synchronously with breathing rises upward in steps. When the charge reaches the top of the head, see a thin sparkling thread in the middle of the spine.

Option 2. Along the course of the ray, with each inhalation, a sparkling sign, the OM symbol, floats and penetrates into the middle of the head.

Ripple. Feel the pulsation in individual areas, and then throughout the body. Connect it with a beam, a stream.

Dissolution. See a stream (stream, ray) passing through the body, which carries away illnesses and tension. Imagine soft tissue melting. Feel like a skeleton. Dissolve that too. Feel like a complex of emotions and desires. Get rid of them too. Then free yourself from thinking. Wash the remaining Soul with the pure coolness of the stream. Recreate yourself in reverse order.

Rose garden. Imagine yourself among the blooming rose bushes. Smell them. Focus on the most beautiful bud. Observe carefully how, under the influence of your gaze, it begins to slowly open up. Imagine a picture of a flower fully blooming and then falling off. Watch the fall of each petal.

Time and antitime. Mentally see yourself in the process of some activity. Trace the process over time. Try to turn the impressions in reverse order, without missing a single previously seen detail.

I am the subject. Feel like any object, feel its condition, internal structure, relationships with the environment. For example, imagine yourself as a bubble, rising and falling with the rhythm of your breathing. Feel the tension of its walls, the emptiness inside, the rope that won’t let you fly, experience the feeling of weightlessness.

Partner. Imagine your partner in business negotiations. Introduce yourself to them. Analyze the situation in which he finds himself. Recreate his views, needs and motives. Feel his reaction to your possible proposal.

Meeting. Introduce the course of the meeting, all those present, their characters, habits, views, attitude towards you and the problem being discussed. Feel the possible options for the development of the situation and the decisions made.

My qualities. See yourself from the outside. Assess the advantages and disadvantages. Steadily visualize an image or situation where a negative quality is replaced by a positive one (perseverance, goodwill, patience). Perform regularly before falling asleep for 5 minutes.

My star. Imagine yourself lying under the night sky, choose your star. Contemplate it, imagining yourself as a small lake, in the depths of which the star is reflected. Feel the kinship with her, the same vibrations, feel her in the depths of yourself. Do it for several days in a row.

Everything is unreal. In a crowded place, feel the unreality of what is happening. Watch as an outside observer. Repeat several times during the day for 2 - 3 minutes.

Diving into your emptiness. Performed before bedtime eyes closed. Feel like a dark, deep emptiness, the entrance to a huge other world. Look into it. Perform for 20 minutes for 2 - 3 weeks.

Shiva Netra(tantric meditation “third eye”). Sit still with an unfocused gaze, focus on the blue light (10 minutes), close your eyes and gently sway from side to side (10 minutes). Repeat three times.

Nada Brahma Meditation is a classical Tibetan technique. Sitting, slowly chant the OM mantra (hum). Listen to the rustle of vibrations. Imagine yourself as an empty vessel filled with humming vibrations. Dissolve in them. This stage lasts up to 30 minutes. Then slowly draw a circle with your palms, spreading your arms to the sides from the level of Manipura to Ajna and lowering them. The first 7 - 8 minutes, the palms are facing up (energy release), the subsequent ones are down (reception). Feel the energy exchange with the Universe. At the third stage - exit after complete relaxation for 15 minutes.

Exchange of energies. While standing in front of natural objects (river, trees, sun, sea, stars, etc.), while inhaling slowly, imagine that the subtle Prana energy filling them is passing to you in the form of an inhaled mist. As you exhale, mentally slowly release your energy. It is necessary to evoke admiration for nature and admiration for it. The selection of Prana colors is intuitive (blue, green, orange, white, etc.). Help with your hands, as in the previous meditation. Exercise calms you down and gives you strength.

The last three meditations are dynamic. According to Guru Bhagavat Shri Rajneesh, they are more effective than static ones. These exercises are closer to true meditation, which, unlike the preparatory stages, is not accompanied by volitional effort. This is a state of shutdown, trance, in which there are no mental manipulations. It is believed that it harmonizes the energy structure, relieves stress, and opens up new horizons of consciousness.

Training rules

1. Conduct the training in a quiet place. A sharp knock, noise, or the appearance of unauthorized persons are unfavorable factors. Over time, meditation becomes possible in any conditions:

2. It is more advisable to do meditation in the morning, between 4 - 8 o'clock, in the evening between 19 and 20 and just before falling asleep.

3. Train on an empty stomach or no earlier than an hour after eating. If you are very tired, emotionally overexcited or ill, it is better to refrain from meditation.

4. Create a ritual of classes (interior, lighting, music, aroma, clothes).

5. Exercise 3 to 5 times a week for 15 to 40 minutes.

6. Excessive variety of topics for meditation is not always beneficial. It is better to limit yourself to a small number of them, but update them periodically.

7. Evaluate the effect of meditations, selecting the ones that best suit your psychological make-up and temperament. The criterion is freshness, joy, tranquility.

Evolution of consciousness

In the Vedas, Upanishads and other sacred books of India, ancient philosophers showed in large strokes the path of man in comprehending the world and himself, running from the material through Manas (reasoning mind), Budhi (Higher Thinking) to Brahman itself (Cosmic Mind). The stages of this movement were described in detail by Patanjali, who gave the technique of transferring consciousness to higher levels, the technique of Raja Yoga. It took another two thousand years for a Teacher to appear, whose intellect, through this technique, penetrated the sphere of higher thinking (Superconscious), studied and systematized it in detail.

Aurobindo Ghose, in his teaching on integral yoga, considered five states of consciousness, of which two relate to the level of consciousness and three to Higher thinking (Superconsciousness). He believed that a person who has acquired deep concentration of attention, allowing him to enter the state of Samadhi, enters the zone of the Superconscious. Doors open before him into the unknown, to where the untouched reserves of the body and psyche lie. Aurobindo Ghosh demarcated the space of Higher thinking and identified three states: Illuminated, Intuitive and Global mind.

Illuminated mind. During yoga training, with the attainment of peace in mental activity and the emergence of the ability to stop reasoning thinking, the manifestation of the Illuminated Mind becomes possible. In this state, information comes in the form of an avalanche of images, words of revelation, overwhelming a person. Phrases, rhythms, colors are all bursting forth and, with sufficient technical skills, can be embodied in music, poetry, painting.

Enthusiasm, bursting energy, constant readiness for action - character traits Illuminated mind. Talented poets, musicians, artists, writers, as well as lovers rise to this level. But this condition is not stable. If the mind and body are not sufficiently prepared, a return to lower levels is possible.

Intuitive Mind. Intuition is said to be the recollection of Truth. Truth, knowledge, information seem to be nearby, waiting for us to become purer and more enlightened to see them. In this state, the meaning of concepts, phenomena, objects is concentrated in concise formulations, without a single extra words. Enlightenment lasts longer. Major scientists, creators of new sciences and art movements, philosophers and religious figures rise to this level.

Global Mind is a peak that a person very rarely reaches. This is Cosmic Consciousness, merging with the individuality and conscious of the poet. If the walker has patiently conquered each step of the ascent so that the lower levels remain connected to the peak, then he can tell what he has achieved.

The global mind is the world of gods and founders of great religions. At this level, Universal Beauty and Universal Love are cognized. There are no oppositions here. Good and Evil, Love and Hate are perceived not as negations, but as elements of Cosmic Harmony.

All three stages of the evolution of consciousness represent the Superconscious. However, the threshold of the Superconscious, the limit of the mind to which each person has risen, is not the same. For some, the Illuminated Mind can hardly be called Superconscious - this is part of their normal state; for others, the simple reasoning mind remains a distant possibility of internal development.

Modern man, having developed analytical logical thinking capabilities, often loses the ability to directly, unprejudicedly perceive the environment. He lacks an intuitive grasp of the essence of things and the ability to make non-standard solutions.

Yoga allows you to rise to a level where a person becomes the master of not only the body and psyche, but also the mind. He gains purity of thought, clarity of expression, the ability to concentrate at any moment and realistically assess the situation. Potential capabilities and talents are developed.

Yoga is the path to oneself, the path to comprehending one’s “I”, the path of serving Humanity. Good luck to you on this path. After all, “every person is Shiva and is capable of achieving His power by developing himself through the methods of yoga” (Garuda Purana).

We look at three exercises and how they can help us in our daily lives as part of our Eightfold Path practice. The three exercises are:

Ethical self-discipline

Concentration,

Recognition.

To develop ethical self-discipline, we practice correct speech, action, behavior and earning. Now let's take a look concentration exercise which includes right effort, mindfulness and concentration itself.

The Right Effort means getting rid of destructive thought patterns and developing states of mind conducive to meditation.

Mindfulness like mental glue that holds an object without letting go so that we don't forget:

• the true nature of our body, feelings, mind and mental factors so that they do not distract us;
• various ethical precepts, instructions and, if we accepted them, vows;
• and also do not miss the object of concentration, do not forget about it.

Obviously, if we meditate, we need mindfulness so as not to lose the object on which we are focusing. During a conversation, you need to pay attention to the interlocutor and what he is saying.

Self concentration is the disposition of the mind on an object. That is, when we listen to someone, our concentration is on his words, appearance, facial expressions, actions, and so on. Mindfulness helps maintain focus, like a mental glue that keeps our mind on an object and prevents lethargy and distraction.

An effort Arrow down Arrow up

This is the first factor of the eightfold path that we use to develop concentration. We try to eliminate distracting thoughts and emotional states that do not contribute to concentration, and also develop positive qualities. In general, if we want to achieve anything in our lives, we need to make efforts. Results don't come out of nowhere, and no one said they were easy to achieve. However, by working on ethical self-discipline—on our actions, speech, and behavior toward others—we will learn to apply ourselves, and then we can begin to work on our mental and emotional states.

Wrong effort

Wrong effort means putting energy into harmful, destructive thought patterns that distract us and make concentration difficult or impossible. There are three main types of destructive thinking:

• greedy thoughts
• malicious thoughts,
• distorted, hostile thinking.

Greedy thoughts

Greedy thinking involves thinking enviously about what others have achieved and what pleasures and material things they possess. We think, “How can we get this for ourselves?” This happens because of attachment. We cannot come to terms with the idea that another person has something that we do not have: it could be success, a beautiful partner, a new car - whatever. We think about it all the time and it is a very restless state of mind. It completely disrupts concentration, doesn't it?

This can also include perfectionism: we constantly try to outdo ourselves. It's almost like self-envy!

Malice

Malicious thoughts are thoughts about how to harm someone, for example: “If he says something I don’t like, I’ll get even with him.” We may think about what we will do or say the next time we see that person and regret not saying it right away when they said something to us. We think about it all the time and can't get it out of our heads.

Distorted, hostile thinking

For example, if someone tries to work on themselves or help others, we think: “Stupid! What he does is useless. Helping others is ridiculous!”

Some people don't like sports and think that those who watch football on TV or go to any team's matches are completely stupid. However, there is nothing harmful in loving sports. Thinking that this is stupid or a waste of time is a very unpleasant state of mind.

Or someone tries to help a beggar by giving him money, and you think, “You are very stupid to do this.” We won't be able to concentrate if we constantly think about how stupid other people are and how irrational everything they do is. We want to get rid of such thoughts.

The Right Effort

Right effort means that we stop investing in destructive, harmful thought patterns and instead develop beneficial qualities. In this context one speaks of the “four right aspirations,” as they are called in Pali. In Sanskrit and Tibetan texts they are called " four factors for achieving correct eliminations”, in other words, the factors for eliminating our shortcomings, or the “four pure eliminations”:

1. We make every effort to prevent the emergence of negative qualities that have not yet appeared. For example, if we easily develop addictions, we do not join an online movie watching service so as not to spend the whole day watching TV series. This is undesirable as it will lead to loss of concentration.

2. We make every effort to get rid of the negative qualities that we already have. If we have an addiction to something, it is good to limit it. For example, we all know people who are so attached to their iPod that they cannot leave the house without listening to music. It’s as if they are afraid of silence, afraid to think about anything, so they constantly listen to music. Of course, loud music can be helpful: it can help us stay awake when driving for long periods of time, or keep up the pace during sports exercises, and soft music can help us calm down while working. But music definitely doesn’t help you listen to your interlocutor with concentration. She will inevitably distract us.

4. And we make an effort to maintaining and strengthening the advantages we already have.

It's interesting to consider this from the point of view practical application. My own example: I had a very bad habit related to my website. There are about 110 people working on the site, who constantly send me translations and edited texts by email - I receive many files every day. My bad habit was that I would upload all the files into one folder instead of putting them in folders where my assistant and I could easily find them. It was a really bad habit: my inefficiency prevented us from concentrating on working with files: we had to spend a lot of time finding and sorting them. What could happen in this case positive quality? Develop a file storage system and, as soon as a new file arrives, immediately save it in the desired folder. This develops the habit of always putting things in the right place rather than being lazy and leaving them everywhere.

In this example, there is a negative quality - a very unproductive habit - and a positive trait. We are working hard to avoid this issue and prevent it from happening again by creating a proper file system. This is what we are talking about at a very simple level of practice.

Overcoming the Five Obstacles to Concentration

Right effort also includes working to overcome the five obstacles to concentration, namely:

The intention to obtain any of the five desired sensory objects

The five sense objects are pleasant sights, sounds, smells, tastes and physical sensations. We deal with this obstacle when we try to concentrate on something, such as work, but our thoughts distract us: “I want to watch a movie,” “I want to go into the refrigerator.” That is, we strive for sensual pleasures or desires, for example, we want to eat, listen to music, and so on. We need to make an effort not to rush to these things when such thoughts arise and to remain focused.

Malevolent thoughts

These are thoughts about hurting someone. If we always think unkindly: “He hurt me, I don’t like him, how can I take revenge on him?” – this is a big obstacle to concentration. You need to make an effort to avoid unpleasant, destructive thoughts, and not only in relation to others, but also in relation to yourself.

Brain fog and drowsiness

This is when our mind seems to be in a fog, we are “out” and cannot think clearly. Sleepiness is obviously when we want to sleep. We need to try to cope with brain fog and drowsiness. It doesn't matter whether we're drinking coffee or ventilating the room, we need to make an effort not to give in to these feelings. But if it becomes really difficult to concentrate, you need to rest by setting a limit. If you work at home, this might be: “I'll take a nap or break for 20 minutes,” and if in the office, “I'll take a ten-minute coffee break.” When the pause time is up, return to work.

Agility and regret

Mobility of mind - when our mind is distracted by Facebook, YouTube or something similar. With regret, the mind is distracted by guilt: “I feel guilty because I did this or that.” This distracts us greatly and makes it difficult to concentrate.

Hesitation and doubt

Finally, we need to make an effort to get rid of indecisive hesitation and doubt: “What to do?”, “What to eat for lunch?” Maybe this, or maybe that?” Unable to make a decision, we waste a huge amount of time. If we are constantly plagued by doubt and indecision, we cannot concentrate and do what we need to do. Therefore, efforts must be made to deal with this.

In short, right effort is when we try:

Avoid disturbing and destructive thought patterns;

Get rid of bad habits and shortcomings that we may have;

Develop good qualities that we already have or that we lack;

Get rid of obstacles to concentration.

Mindfulness Arrow down Arrow up

Right mindfulness is the next aspect of the Eightfold Path that deals with concentration.

Mindfulness like mental glue. When we concentrate, our mind is kept on the object. Thanks to this hold, we do not let go of the object.

It is accompanied vigilance, which notices that attention has begun to wander or that we feel drowsy or lethargic.

Then we use attention- the way we perceive the object of concentration.

In this case, we pay attention to how we perceive our body, feelings, mind and various mental factors. We are trying to prevent ourselves from holding on to and being unable to let go of the wrong ways we perceive our body and feelings because they cause us to become distracted and unable to focus. So let's look at right and wrong mindfulness in turn.

Mindfulness of your body

In general, the body refers to both the body itself and various physical sensations - aspects of the body. Wrong perception of the body is when we think that the body is by nature pleasant, pure and beautiful. Then we spend a lot of time worrying about how we look: our hair, makeup, clothes, and so on. Of course, it's better to be clean and look presentable, but if we go to the extreme of thinking that our body is a source of pleasure for others and we must always look perfect to attract their attention, it will prevent us from focusing on anything more meaningful.

Let's look at the body realistically. If we sit for too long, it becomes uncomfortable and we have to move. If we lie down, sooner or later we feel discomfort and change our position, and then the same thing happens. We get sick, the body ages. It is important to take care of the body and maintain good health through exercise and proper nutrition, but if you put too much emphasis on it and think that the body is a source of long-term pleasure, a problem arises.

We need to get rid of this wrong mindfulness, let go of the idea that our hair is the most important thing in the universe, or that the colors of our clothes should always match correctly because it will bring us happiness. We stop holding on to it and develop the right mindfulness: “My hairstyle and clothes are not the source of happiness. By thinking about it too much, I just waste time and can’t focus on anything more useful.”

Mindfulness of your feelings

This refers to feelings of happiness and unhappiness, which are connected at a deep level to the source of suffering. When we are unhappy, a so-called “thirst” arises - we long for the source of unhappiness to stop. In the same way, if we feel a little happiness, a craving arises for it to increase. In general, this is the source of problems.

When unhappiness seems like the worst thing in the world, it interferes with concentration: “I feel a little uncomfortable,” “I’m in a bad mood,” “I’m unhappy.” So what? Just keep doing what you're doing. If you really think that your bad mood is the worst thing in the universe, and you hold on to that, it creates a serious obstacle to focusing on whatever you do.

When we are happy, there is no need to be distracted by wanting the happiness to increase and last forever. This can happen when we meditate and start feeling really good about ourselves and then get distracted by how wonderful it is. Or when we are with someone we like, or eating delicious food, the wrong mindfulness is to hold on to the feeling “this is so wonderful” and get distracted by it. Enjoy what is happening without exaggerating its significance.

Mindfulness of your mind

We will find it difficult to concentrate if we believe that our mind is inherently full of anger, stupidity or ignorance, that there is something wrong with it at a deep level. Often we think that we are not good enough: “I am not this, I am not that, I am nothing.” Or we think: “I’m not able to understand this,” although we haven’t even tried. As long as we hold on to such ideas, everything is pretty hopeless. On the contrary, with right mindfulness we think, “Well, maybe I don’t understand yet, maybe I’m temporarily confused, but that doesn’t mean that’s the nature of my mind.” This gives us self-confidence and we can use concentration to work on it.

Mindfulness of one's mental factors

The fourth point is related to mental factors such as intelligence, kindness, patience and so on. Wrong mindfulness is when we think that they are unchangeable: “Well, that’s just the way I am and everyone will have to accept that. There is nothing I can do to change or develop these factors.” Right mindfulness involves knowing that all these factors are not fixed at a certain level: they can be developed, in a given context, to achieve greater concentration.

We control ourselves

It’s quite strange, but if we analyze what we do when we are in a bad mood or when we feel guilty, we find that we hold on to one mood or another and get stuck in it. For example, in the case of guilt, we become fixated on the mistake we made. But we are human and everyone makes mistakes. Wrong mindfulness is when we become fixated on it and cannot let go, punishing ourselves for how bad we think we are. Correct mindfulness is when we know that mood is changeable because it depends on causes and conditions that change all the time. Nothing stays the same forever.

One very helpful advice from Buddhist teachings - “control yourself.” Just like we get up in the morning: we lie in bed and don’t want to get up because we are comfortable and we feel sleepy. But we just pull ourselves together and get up, don't we? We have the ability to do this, otherwise half of us wouldn’t get up at all! It's the same when we're in a bad mood or feel a little low on energy. We can pull ourselves together: “Come on, just do it!” – we do not give in to the feeling that arises, but simply continue to do what is needed.

Other Aspects of Mindfulness

In general, mindfulness is very important: it prevents forgetting. If we need to do something, right mindfulness helps us focus on it. Mindfulness is related to memory, for example, we remember that our favorite TV show is tonight. But in this case, we retain in memory what is not very important, and because of this we forget about what is more important.

If we are engaged in training, we also need mindfulness. When doing exercises, it is important to remember this every day. If we are on a diet, we need to remain mindful of this so that we do not grab a piece of the pie when it is offered to us.

Mindfulness means that we continue to do what we are doing without being distracted by the unimportant and insignificant.

Maintaining Mindfulness by Spending Time with Family

Many people find it much more difficult to remember ethics in a family setting than when they are with friends or strangers. If this is our case, general advice the point here is to set a very strong intention at the very beginning. When planning to meet with relatives, make a decision: “I will try not to lose my temper. I will remember that they were very kind to me. These are close people, and how I treat them will affect their feelings.” Here's what's important to do first.

It's also important for us to remind ourselves that they are human. There is no need to identify them only with the role of mother, father, sister, brother, and so on. By fixating on their role, we tend to react to their actions with multiple projections of what a mother or father should be like, involving all the history, expectations and disappointments from the past. It's better to communicate person to person. If they don't have that mindfulness and still treat us like a child, we avoid the temptation to start acting like a child. We remember that they are people and don't play this game. After all, it takes two to tango.

Recently my older sister stayed with me for a week. She would go to bed very early and tell me, “Go to bed now,” as if she were my mother. If I reacted like a child: “No, it’s too early, I don’t want to sleep, why are you making me go to bed?” – then I would play her game and we would only be upset. I reminded myself that she was giving me advice simply because she cared about me, and not out of a desire to annoy me. She thinks it's better for me to go to bed earlier. So, it is important to try to maintain a realistic understanding of what is happening, rather than projecting your ideas.

Before meeting with family, we can remain mindful of our motivation, that is:

About our goals– have a good time with family, with people we care about and who care about us;

About related emotions– caring for our family members as people.

When your family starts nagging you, as parents often do: “Why don’t you get married or find a better job? Why don’t you still have children?” (The first thing my sister said to me when we saw each other was: “You need to get your hair cut!”) – we realize that they are asking these questions because they care about us. We simply respond: “Thank you for your concern!”

We can also think about their environment. Many of their friends ask: “What is your son doing? What does your daughter do?” – and they need to maintain social connections with their friends. They ask why you haven't gotten married yet, not out of hostility, but because they care about your happiness. The first step is to acknowledge this and appreciate their concern. If you want, you can also calmly explain why you didn't get married!

Often we use mindfulness to avoid forgetting things that are not productive at all. These can be very old stories, for example: “Why did you do that ten years ago?”, “You said that 30 years ago.” We hold on to it and don't give others a chance because we can't focus on how these people are now. We fixate on the idea “this will be terrible - my parents are coming.” We decided in advance that it would be terrible. Because of this, we are tense before even having dinner with them! So, with the help of right mindfulness, we change our perception, thinking of it as an opportunity to find out how they are doing and respond according to the situation as it develops, without prejudice.

How to maintain mindfulness in difficult situations? Need to develop:

intention– a firm intention not to forget;

acquaintance– when we repeat the same process over and over again, so that we eventually remember it automatically;

vigilance- an “alarm” that detects loss of memory.

All of this is based on the caring attitude with which we care about the consequences of our behavior for ourselves and for others. If we do not care how we act, it will not promote mindfulness: there will be a lack of discipline. Why should we care about this? Because we are people. Our mother and father are people. We all want to be happy, no one wants to be unhappy. The way we act and speak affects the feelings of others, so it is important to care about how we behave.

You need to examine yourself and your motivation. If we just want to be good so others will like us, that's a bit immature and stupid. The best reason for maintaining mindfulness is caring for others based on a caring attitude.

Concentration Arrow down Arrow up

The third aspect of the Eightfold Path that we practice to develop concentration is called proper concentration. Concentration is the placement of the mind on an object. When we begin to hold onto something we want to focus on, mindfulness keeps the object in place so we don't lose it. But concentration itself is the initial retention of the object.

To place focus on an object, we use attention. In the modern world, unlike in the past, attention has become increasingly divided, so that we do not fully focus on anything. When you watch the news on TV, you see a person on the screen talking about today's events, below him there is a line with other news, and in the corners there may be something else. We cannot pay attention to any of these objects, we cannot concentrate on anything completely. Although we might think that we are capable of multitasking, no one except a Buddha is capable of maintaining perfect concentration on all these objects at the same time.

Sometimes we are in the company of other people, they tell us something, but our mind is “located” in the mobile phone. This is a wrong state of mind because others are trying to tell us something, but we are not paying attention. Even if we have placed the mind on an object, the position of the mind is very difficult to maintain. In the modern world, we are so accustomed to the fact that everything changes quickly and that we need to look at one thing or another, that we quickly become bored. If we have such concentration - a few moments on one thing, then a few on another - this is an obstacle. This is wrong concentration. Correct concentration means that we can concentrate for as long as necessary without feeling bored or moving on to another object because we are no longer interested in the first one.

One of the main obstacles is that we want entertainment. This brings us back to the wrong mindfulness of thinking that temporary pleasure will satisfy us, when in fact it only increases craving. Sociologists have found that the more options we have in terms of what we can do and what information we can access—and the Internet provides endless possibilities—the more boredom, tension, and stress we experience. When we do one thing, we think that there might be something even more entertaining somewhere, and we are afraid of missing it. This way we switch from one thing to another without focusing on anything. Although it is difficult, it is a very good idea to simplify your life so that there are not too many things happening at the same time. As concentration develops, we will be able to deal with more objects.

If we have good concentration, we can concentrate on one thing and then on the other, but take turns so as not to be distracted. Just as a doctor needs to work with one patient at a time, focusing completely on him and not thinking about the previous or next visitor. Although a doctor may see many patients in a day, he is always completely focused on one patient. This kind of concentration is much better.

However, it is very difficult. For example, I work with a huge number of different tasks related to the site, with different languages and so on. It is very difficult to concentrate on one thing. A lot is happening at once. Everyone who works in big business knows this too. But you can develop concentration gradually.

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There are different ways to get rid of obstacles to concentration. A simple method is to turn off the mobile phone when we are working, select a specific time once or twice a day when we check our email. Then we can fully concentrate on what we need to do. For example, a doctor or professor has certain visiting hours: you cannot come at any time. We can and should do the same because it will help develop concentration.

It's interesting to look at social development. Previously, the main obstacle to concentration was our own states - wandering of the mind, daydreaming, and so on. Nowadays there are many more obstacles, and a significant part of them appear from external sources, such as mobile phone, Facebook, email. So that this does not take up all our time, we have to make efforts, and for this we need to be aware of the shortcomings of these means mass communication. The most obvious one that many people have probably noticed is a decrease in attention span. Twitter has a limited number of characters, and the Facebook feed is constantly updated. Everything happens so quickly that you develop a terrible habit of checking for updates, which is detrimental to your focus: you can't keep your attention on anything because the feeds are constantly updating. This is what is important to keep an eye on.

There are two large groups of methods aimed at cleansing the psyche, developing energy and achieving a state of mental silence (two groups of yogic-type meditation methods, as opposed to magical ones). These are concentration meditation and awareness meditation. Both have been known in the East since time immemorial. In Southern Buddhism they are known as shamatha (concentration) and vipashyana (awareness). In Chinese Buddhism (Tian-Tai school) - as “zhi” (concentration) and “guan” (awareness). In classical Indian yoga - how sabija-samadhi(seed meditation) and nirbija-samadhi(meditation without seed). Sabija Samadhi is nothing more than concentration meditation, or meditation with an object. The Sanskrit word "bija" means "seed", that is, an object chosen for meditation-concentration. Nirbija Samadhi is already meditation without a seed, that is, without a permanent object. In other words, nirbija samadhi is the awareness meditation we discussed earlier, in which the expansion of the sphere of awareness is cultivated. In the case of concentration meditation, attention is purposefully kept on one single object. This achieves one-pointedness of mind and a state of inner silence.

The path of spiritual development that is outlined in this book is based on realistic methods of meditative practice, with the rejection of fantasy meditation. For our path, such a refusal is of fundamental importance. When applied to concentration meditation, this means that we do not practice concentration on artificially constructed objects created by the “creative imagination.” For us, fantasy visualizations, so widespread in Tibetan Buddhism and various magical and religious teachings, are unacceptable. If we perform concentration meditation, then we do it exclusively on real objects: on the flame of a candle, on the lower abdomen, on the ticking of a clock, etc., but in no case on the products of our own imagination. We work only with reality and do not cultivate illusions, no matter how sweet and beautiful they may be.

Awareness meditation and concentration meditation were very highly valued in the East, considered the most important means of spiritual development. These methods were especially important in the Tian-Tai Buddhist school. As the master of this school, mentor Shi Yi, said: “Zhi Guan is the main gate to the great Nirvana, the unsurpassed path of self-improvement, leading to the acquisition of all virtues and the achievement of the Supreme Fruit” 1 .

In another place they are told:

"He who has achieved and zhi And guan- fully competent to achieve the highest good for oneself and to help others in this.”.

I am deeply convinced of the correctness of these words and believe that true (as opposed to illusory) spiritual development is achieved only through the practice of these two great methods - both awareness meditation in its two varieties - introspection and presence, and concentration meditation. As the enlightened masters of the Tian-Tai school said: “Zhi-guan is the highest Path and the greatest jewel.”

So, in this type of meditation, focusing attention on one, specially selected object is used as the main technique. There are a huge number of practices built on this principle and differing in the chosen object of meditation. Various energy centers (chakrams) of our body can serve as such an object. For example, in Taoist yoga, meditation-focusing on the lower Tan Tien 2 is used as the most important, key technique. In Indian yoga, focusing on the Ajna Chakra (the center between the eyebrows) is most often practiced. Concentration meditation can be performed on many other energy centers: the crown, the tailbone, the solar plexus, etc. In principle, any area of ​​our body can be used as an object for concentration meditation: the tip of the nose, the middle of the chest cells (Anahata chakram or heart center), navel center, palm centers (Lao Gong points) or sole centers (Yong Quan points) and so on. The object of meditation can also be a specially selected point in the surrounding space. For example, in one of the Taoist qigong schools, called “Heavenly Form,” the basic exercise of the first stage of practice is to concentrate on a point located on the floor in front, about two to three meters from the student sitting on a chair. Meditation on a candle flame (a point in space in front) is also known, as well as meditation on the sound of a ticking clock (or metronome) located behind, at the level of the back of the head.

Various forms of mantra yoga (long repetition of short verbal formulas performed with full concentration) are also types of concentration meditation. The object of meditation in this case is a sacred syllable or a short prayer.

The method of focusing attention has been known in the East since ancient times. The essence of the method is to stop the mind from wandering by fixing attention on one object. This achieves a state of one-pointedness of mind, called in Sanskrit ekagrata. Despite all the methodological simplicity of this method, achieving success is not at all easy. During the practice of concentration, attention is constantly distracted, the necessary focus is disrupted from time to time and it has to be resumed again and again. As soon as we notice that attention has gone to extraneous thoughts or has been distracted by external stimuli, we must immediately return it to the chosen object; if we have lost control again, we must return it again. For beginners, throughout the entire period of meditation, attention is repeatedly distracted, which is completely natural and should not be a cause for concern. You should take the inevitable disruptions in focusing your attention calmly, without placing excessive demands on the quality of your meditation. When attention is distracted, each time you should calmly and patiently resume the lost focus of attention.

So don’t demand perfect quality of meditation from yourself, don’t get annoyed or angry with yourself when your attention is distracted. There is no reason for such concern. Over time, with practice, your ability to concentrate will increase, and the number of deviations will steadily decrease.

Imagine that you need to fell a huge oak tree, and you only have a pocket knife in your hands. At first, the situation seems hopeless, and the work is completely meaningless. If, in spite of everything, you nevertheless begin your daily work, sooner or later you will discover that your penknife has turned into a cleaver, which has become incomparably more convenient to work with. Then the cleaver will turn into a sharp ax, and things will go very well.

This metaphor is quite applicable to the growth of your ability to concentrate, to the growth of the quality of meditation during your practice. All that is required of us is simply to persist and not stop our meditation, despite the apparent lack of results. If you are capable of this, then sooner or later, after a few months or after a few years of regular practice, you will certainly come to a great breakthrough into a new quality of consciousness, to spiritual transmutation. This is one case where optimism is entirely appropriate.

Meditation - focusing on one object - is discussed in detail in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. In this treatise, according to the yogic tradition, the Sanskrit word “samyama” is used to denote the method and process of concentration.

Samyama , being the same meditative method, the same mental process, depending on the depth of concentration achieved, can be performed either at the initial student level (the stage called “dharana” in Sanskrit) or at a more advanced level (the second stage - “dhyana”), or at the master level (the third stage, called “samadhi” in Sanskrit).

Dharana , according to the Yoga Sutra, is “keeping the mind in one place.” In dharana (the first stage of the samyama process), the mind (attention, consciousness) is held (fixed) within a limited area defined by the object of concentration. During the process of meditation, attention is kept within a limited mental territory and, with any deviations to the side, it immediately returns back. However, at this initial stage of the meditative process of samyama, the ability to concentrate attention has not yet been developed and a defocus of attention constantly occurs, the mind running away to extraneous thoughts. Thus, in the dharana stage, the main work is to repeatedly and patiently return the wandering mind to the object of meditation.

Dhyana , according to the Yoga Sutra, is the second stage of the samyama process, which is characterized by continuously maintaining attention on the chosen object. Regular practice of dharana leads to a gradual reduction in the occurrence of distractions during meditation. When such distractions of attention are completely eliminated, and the student is able to maintain attention on an object for a long time in the complete absence of extraneous thoughts, then he reaches the second stage of the meditative process - the stage of dhyana.

Concentration meditation at the dhyana stage is no longer discrete in nature (as it was at the dharana stage), but continuous and resembles oil flowing in a continuous stream from a jug.

Samadhi . The definition of samadhi (the third and highest stage of meditation-concentration) is given in the third aphorism of the third section of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Due to the great complexity of the theory presented in the Yoga Sutras, combined with the brevity of the aphorisms, there is no uniform understanding in the vast commentary literature, and often the same sutras (aphorisms) are interpreted in different ways. The concept of “samadhi” is one such stumbling block. Therefore, I will risk offering my own version of the translation of the third aphorism of the third part of the Yoga Sutra.

Tad evarthamatra-nirbhasamsvarupa-shunyam iva samadhih

Interlinear translation from Sanskrit:

Tad eva - the same;

Arthamatra - object of meditation (what one meditates on);

Nir - only (but only);

Bhasam - shining or appearing in this place;

Svarupa - the inner essence, the true subtle (energy) essence of the object of meditation, in contrast to rupa- coarse material, material, accessible to ordinary perception form of the object of meditation;

Shunya - emptiness;

Willow - ostensibly;

Samadhi - samadhi.

Translation of the aphorism as a whole:

“The stage of samadhi is reached when the same meditative process leads to emptiness from which the object of meditation appears in its luminous subtle form.” It is simply impossible to understand the meaning of this statement without a detailed commentary.

After meditation-concentration on a certain selected object (for example, on a zone of the body corresponding to a certain energy center-chakram) has reached the stage of dhyana (continuity of maintaining attention on the object and the absence of its distractions), then it begins in highest degree an amazing process, a full understanding of which is impossible in the absence of personal experience. Here we return again to the three stages of the development of meditation. Because of the special importance of a full understanding of what happens during our practice, let me once again repeat the description of the three stages of development of the meditation process.

The initial phase of this process can be designated as rupa samprajnata samadhi, intermediate - like asamprajnata samadhi and the final one - like svarupa samprajnata samadhi. Term samprajnata samadhi (meditation with “knowledge”) means that during the meditative process, information content is present in the field of consciousness - a reflection of the object of meditation by our psyche. Rupa - this is the gross material form of the object of meditation, the way it is perceived by ordinary senses. Thus, rupa samprajnata samadhi is a reflection by our psyche of the object of meditation in the usual, gross material mode of its perception. (Anyone who has never engaged in energy meditative practice does not know any other mode of perception).

Meditation in the mode of rupa samprajnata samadhi sooner or later leads to a completely unusual state. Suddenly the object of meditation disappears, although the process of meditation is not disturbed, the mind is completely focused and under complete control. This stage of “emptiness” or “entering the cloud” in the yogic tradition is called asamprajnata samadhi, or meditation “without knowledge”. At this stage, the practitioner’s consciousness passes through a “partition” between the gross material (material) and subtle material (energy) planes of existence. Thus, at the stage of asamprajnata samadhi, there is no information content in the field of consciousness, although the meditative process continues. The situation can be characterized as follows: there is a subject, but there is no object. At this stage the coarse material already is not perceived, because it dissolved during the process of meditation; and the subtle more not perceived.

If we continue to meditate, patiently focusing our consciousness and not being embarrassed by the absence of an object, sooner or later the passage through the “partition” between two planes (bodies) will be completed, and our consciousness appears on the other side of this “partition.” At the same time, the previously lost object of meditation appears again, but not in its previous, gross material form, but in a “shining” subtle material (energy), revealing its true essence (svarupa). The practitioner again returned to the phase of samprajnata samadhi, again in the sphere of consciousness information content corresponding to the object of meditation appeared, but this content is already of a subtle material nature, therefore the third phase was called “svarupa samprajnata samadhi”.

Each of the three stages of development Samyama(meditation-concentration) corresponds to the level of energy filling of the practitioner. Let me remind the reader that our attention is the channel for the flow of energy. Focusing attention on any part of the body, for example, on the Tan Tien (the center of gravity of the body, located in the abdomen below the navel) leads to filling this area with vital energy. The volume of incoming energy and the level of energy filling depend entirely on the quality of meditation, on our ability to focus attention. At the first stage of concentration meditation, which in classical yoga is called dharana, attention is often distracted, the ability to concentrate is insufficiently developed. Therefore, the energy level is the lowest. Thus, from the point of view of “usefulness” and effectiveness, the dharana stage is at the lowest level. Metaphorically speaking, it can be described as: “A beggar knocks at the gate of a rich house and receives alms.”. On the one hand, in terms of efficiency this is the lowest level, on the other hand, the unfortunate and hungry beggar still receives food.

Second stage - dhyana, is characterized by an incomparably higher ability to concentrate attention. At this stage, the practitioner is already able to maintain continuous focus of attention with minimum quantity distractions. The difference between dharana and dhyana is that dharana is a discrete process in which concentration is often disturbed and is, so to speak, dotted in nature. In the Dhyana stage, concentration becomes continuous and distractions occur very rarely. This is a completely different quality of meditation, accompanied by a much higher level of energy filling. Continuing our metaphor, the stage of dhyana can be designated as follows: “Dear guest sits at the festive table”.

Finally, the third stage of the samyama process is the stage samadhi means a qualitative leap accompanied by the opening of the energy center (chakram). Long practice of concentration meditation was eventually crowned with success. This practice, figuratively speaking, drilled a hole into a thin plane. When this arduous process is completed, the practitioner gains access to the unlimited energy resources of the subtle-material sphere. This is similar to drilling an artesian well in a waterless desert, with the only difference being that meditation begins to bring benefits from the very beginning, and this benefit increases as the ability to concentrate develops. On a metaphorical level, this final stage can be called "Master of his own house".

Of course, in practice, all this does not happen at all as beautifully as it looks in theory. Drilling a hole into a thin plan is not an easy task. It requires enormous patience and perseverance. The fact is that this process inevitably leads us to a meeting with a blockage, which is that barrier, that wall that fences us off from the inexhaustible source of Strength and Grace. It is the dissolution of this blockage, overcoming this barrier that constitutes the main content of the first stage of meditative practice. Ultimately, this practice will lead to breakthrough and opening of the chakram. However, a meeting of consciousness with a blockage is always discomfort, always a meeting with an unpleasant and sometimes very painful psychosomatic state. The presence of such discomfort in the first stages of practice is quite natural and inevitable. However, it is through patiently staying with this discomfort that we gradually dissolve the blockage. Sooner or later this difficult period will end and sitting in meditation will be comfortable and beneficial. The first two months of practice are usually especially difficult. The body is in the way, the posture is unusual and uncomfortable, attention constantly wanders to the side, the head is besieged by numerous thoughts. Extremely unpleasant and difficult to bear psycho-emotional states constantly arise. This is a feeling of boredom, impatiently waiting for the end of the allotted period of meditation. This is annoying irritability due to the confusion of one’s ideas about meditation as a sublime and blissful process, with the complete absence of all this on initial stages practices. We can say that at this stage of the beginner takes away from practice. Just as there is “psychological resistance”, which is well known to practical psychologists and psychotherapists (something inside the patient resists very strongly, preventing healing), so, similarly, there is meditative resistance, gradually increasing as practice progresses. After about 2-3 weeks it reaches its maximum. Thoughts appear and become more and more intense that there is something wrong with this practice and, perhaps, I need a completely different method. Or a person is generally disappointed in all this, they say, they talk and write about it very beautifully, but in reality all of this is either the baseless fantasies of eccentric fans, or a direct deception on the part of shameless businessmen selling spirituality. Or maybe this practice is only for especially gifted, exceptional people, but I honestly tried it (tried it) - and nothing worked for me. What's the point of continuing?

It is at this phase, as I said, after about 2-3 weeks, that most beginners become disillusioned with meditation and stop the practice. Such disappointment is usually associated with excessive and completely inadequate expectations. The method of energy meditative practice received by the student is like a small seed. Looking at this seed lying in the palm of your hand, it is very difficult to imagine that it hides a huge, powerful tree capable of producing beautiful flowers and wonderful fruits. At first, it is very difficult to see its hidden content and enormous potential resources. However, if we plant this seed in the soil and water it regularly, without missing a single day, it will first send out a root, then shoot out a stem. A small tree will appear, which will gradually, year after year, grow and develop. In the end, the period of quantitative changes will end and a qualitative leap will occur - the tree will bloom, and then, over time, fruits will appear on it.

The same is true with the practice of meditation. It is completely absurd to expect the fruits of meditation until your practice has reached true maturity. Waiting impatiently for results simply eliminates the possibility of achieving them. True progress begins only when the process of meditation becomes the main thing, completely forgetting the expected result.

“Friends knew that I had achieved success in curing diseases through meditation, and visitors came to me asking me to teach them, but out of hundreds and thousands, only one or two achieved results. Failures occurred due to an impatient desire to get quick results. They didn't see that my success was due to my persistence and not my impatience. Many students were completely serious when starting meditation, but suddenly gave it up when they did not find it as effective as they expected. Some even suggested that I had secrets that I refused to tell them.".

As I have already mentioned, a beginner's meditation is very imperfect, but gradually its quality improves. With practice, concentration meditation gradually develops and is performed at an increasingly higher level. Even if the practitioner's attention is not distracted, it still does not have good focus. Instead, it wanders within a fairly large area (volume) around the center of concentration. Gradually, the area of ​​attention fluctuations is reduced and, finally, concentration meditation becomes fully focused. This may require several months of daily practice. When this is achieved, attention begins to work like a lens, like a burning glass, collecting the sun's rays into one point. Thus, the most important factor determining the success of concentration meditation is the degree of its sharpness.

This refers to the fact that there are serious differences in the quality of concentration even when it is present, even when there are no distractions! This difference lies in concentration areas.

It turns out that when a beginner sits down in meditation, his attention does not rest at all on one point corresponding to the chosen center of concentration. It is in constant wandering, in constant oscillatory movements within a certain spatial region around the center (see Fig. 5).

With practice, this area (volume) gradually decreases, the level of focus increases and, ultimately, quantitative changes turn into qualitative ones. This qualitative leap occurs when the sharpness of meditation-concentration reaches the stage point concentration, when the area (volume) degenerates into a point. The qualitative difference is due to the fact that geometric point has no dimensions. Imagine a sphere (ball), the diameter of which decreases infinitely and tends to zero. It turns out that on the one hand, the point exists, but on the other, it does not exist. Exists and does not exist at the same time. Why does it exist? Yes, because there is a difference in the perception of this place in space from any other, because this point elected our consciousness. Why doesn't it exist? Because it has no spatial dimensions, its diameter is an infinitesimal value, tending to zero and inaccessible to any measurement.

Thus, we come to the conclusion that the geometric point relates entirely to sphere of subtle. Therefore, mastering a point means a breakthrough into the sphere of subtle matter. This is the essence of concentration meditation. From this follows a very valuable recommendation regarding the technique of meditation-concentration. It turns out that you should meditate not just, say, on the center of gravity of the body (Tan Tien), but on the center of gravity of the body like on an immaterial point. At the same time, the meditative attitude is that we constantly reduce and reduce the sphere within which the concentration of attention occurs. In other words, we make our concentration more and more pointed and thereby increase the pressure on the wall separating us from the sphere of subtle material. Advanced Stage Difference sharpness attention from the preceding stage of concentration within a certain volume around the Center is approximately the same as the difference between a push with an open palm and a poke with an awl. It is during this transition to sharpened or pointed meditation that that miracle, inexpressible in words, occurs, which we call opening of the Center. A pinpoint concentration of attention has drilled a hole in the invisible shell in which we are enclosed and which separates us from the sphere of the subtle. What happens is incredibly powerful and incomparable. Access to the subtle plane, access to its energy and information resources is opened. As I said earlier, this is like drilling an artesian well in a thirsty desert. In this case, the energy channel corresponding to this chakra is opened, the light of consciousness illuminates the corresponding sector of the psyche, and those systems and organs of the physical body that are associated with this energy channel are healed and healed. Finally, in this case, the practitioner acquires a whole range of paranormal abilities (siddhis, Skt.), corresponding to a given chakram and its energy channel.

Any form of meditation is a systematic effort aimed at maintaining a certain mode of functioning of consciousness. The main tool for this is our voluntary attention. Meditation methods differ precisely in their specific internal setting, special focus voluntary attention. Formation, and then preservation and maintenance of this attitude throughout the entire period of practice is the essence and qualitative originality of this form of meditation. In the case of concentration meditation, this means that you must constantly strive to increasingly reduce the area of ​​concentration and, ultimately, reduce it to an immaterial point. Briefly, this can be described as an attitude towards the sharpness of meditation.

Until now, we have talked about the quality of meditation-concentration during the period when this concentration takes place, when concentration is maintained, no matter whether it is within a large area (volume) around the Center or a small one. It is important that this concentration exists. However, as we know, a beginner’s attention is often distracted, that is, it completely leaves the given zone. The practitioner thinks about something completely extraneous and there is no concentration at all on the chosen Center. If earlier we discussed greater or lesser focus of attention, now we will talk about distractions in which concentration stops altogether. During these periods of distraction, the proper meditative attitude is absent and there is no meditation as such. This is, so to speak, empty, ballast time, which needs to be gradually reduced, and ultimately completely eliminated.

So the second one important point in the concentration meditation technique, it is a systematic effort and self-control aimed at achieving undistracted attention. It is important not to allow attention to be diverted from the object of concentration to something extraneous. Briefly this can be described as sustainability or continuity concentration. At first, as I said earlier, distractions are natural and inevitable. Therefore, the task of the first stage is not to completely eliminate them, but only to gradually reduce the number of distractions and the time spent in a state of “falling out” of meditation.

The requirement for focused meditation (to achieve one-pointedness of the mind) simultaneously means the need to be distracted, to abstract from everything else, the need to remove conscious attention from the surrounding world, from the physical body, and from introspective contemplation of one’s own psyche. Thus, full concentration on one thing automatically means disconnecting from the perception of everything else.

Therefore, the essence of concentration meditation is the cessation of the process of awareness. If introspection has as its goal the expansion of consciousness, then concentration, on the contrary, narrows it, up to reaching the level of pinpoint sharpness. Thus, these are two diametrically opposed methods, two options for the functioning of consciousness, located at different poles of a single continuum and forming a pair of dialectical opposites.

So concentration is the exact opposite of introspection. Where there is one, the other is completely excluded. In classical Yoga this was well understood. Awareness (Nirbija Samadhi) was clearly different from concentration (Sabija Samadhi). Both methods of meditation were seen as completely different and complementary. However, in modern yoga, this understanding seems to have been lost. Thus, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, in his three-volume work “Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya,” argues that the object of concentration meditation serves as a kind of guide for awareness.

« Guide to Awareness. In order to be able to direct awareness into the depths of the mind, a symbol, process or sound is required to act as a guide or means of fixing attention.". And further:

“You will be able to achieve deep Concentration more easily if an object captures or holds your attention, since your awareness will be less likely to wander here and there and will be directed into the areas of the mind…

Almost anything can be a vehicle for awareness. If you belong to a particular religion, you can use an image or form of God. That is, if you are a Christian, then you will most likely achieve success using an image or image of Christ. If you are a Buddhist, choose Buddha, and if you are a Hindu, you can choose any of the incarnations or avatars of God, such as Krishna, Rama and so on…

If you have a guru, focus on his image, or you can focus on the cross, the Yin-Yang symbol, the Aum symbol, the breathing process, any mantra, rose, lotus, moon, sun, candle, etc.” 4 .

Alas, Satyananda really confuses different things: concentration-meditation and awareness-meditation (Sabija Samadhi and Nirbija Samadhi). I'm not even talking about the fact that for him there is no difference between the path of yoga of consciousness and the path of religious worship, there is no difference between fantasy meditation and realistic meditation. As you know, the vastness and encyclopedic nature of knowledge are not at all a guarantee of clear understanding.

But in fact, awareness and concentration are two different methods that cannot be mixed! From a content point of view, they represent directly opposite modes of mental functioning. In awareness meditation (Nirbija Samadhi), we strive to expand the sphere of awareness, to simultaneously perceive all objects accessible to our awareness. In concentration meditation, on the contrary, we strive to focus our attention, naturally arbitrary attention on one single selected object while simultaneously excluding all other objects. How can we say that the object of concentration meditation serves as a “conductor of awareness” if introspection and awareness are methods of opposite psychological content? In the same book, Swami Satyananda talks about concentration meditation as follows:

“You should not force yourself to concentrate. It must be allowed to arise spontaneously.”. And further:

“Concentration is something that happens by itself(?!) with complete relaxation of mind and body" 6. (Ibid., volume I).

But this cannot happen by itself! Concentration is a purposeful activity that requires certain volitional efforts, patience and perseverance. Another thing - How perform this concentration. Concentration must certainly be combined with relaxation and calm. Concentration meditation is not at all a type of mental rigor. In addition, there is no need to strain your soul, trying your best to avoid any distractions. The attitude that the mind should not wander is not realistic, at least for a long initial period of practice. In fact, when, during concentration meditation, attention is distracted from its object, the first thing that needs to be done is to realize the very fact of distraction and realize what exactly our attention was diverted to. Thus, for a short time we stop focusing and, instead, realize the obstacle (external or internal) to which our attention has been distracted. What happens can be described as follows:

a) Basic meditation of focusing attention on a chosen object is performed. This is done until distraction occurs.

b) As soon as we discover the very fact of distraction, we should move on to short-term awareness meditation, that is, to a completely different mode of work. Awareness of the interference (distraction factor) should be detached, without annoyance or irritation due to the distraction. Awareness of interference, the purpose of which is to dissolve it, should be perceived as a natural component general practice concentration meditation, like Yin within Yang.

Of course, such work (awareness of distractions) should not be too long. It is quite enough to simply identify these obstacles with consciousness. We should not forget that our main practice is concentration meditation.

c) After a short-term awareness of the interference, you should mentally repeat the setting formulas for mental self-regulation: relaxation(refers to the physical body) and calmness(refers to mental state).

We then return to focusing on the chosen object (basic practice). We try to do this gently, maintaining the state of calm and relaxation achieved at the previous stage. Then the cycle repeats.

It is important to keep in mind that periodic short-term use of mindfulness meditation here is a necessary measure. There is no deliberate stopping of concentration meditation in order to move on to awareness of distractions. In fact, the starting point of such a technique is the distraction of attention from the object of concentration that has already happened against our will. Therefore, the above technique is just a description of the correct way getting attention back.

Thus, awareness of distractions is a necessary measure. This meditation technique is only suitable for the Dharana stage (the first, crudest and most undeveloped form of concentration meditation). During this initial stage, the practitioner's attention is periodically diverted.

Persistent practice of Samyama (concentration meditation) gradually develops the ability to focus one's attention and, sooner or later, the practitioner comes to the second stage, which is called Dhyana. At this stage there is uninterrupted concentration without any distractions and hence there is no need for periodic awareness of distractions.

Let me remind you that the stage of Dhyana is usually likened to oil flowing from a jug in a continuous stream. Thus, the above technique is intended only for beginners, for those who are at the first stage of concentration meditation.

So, those who begin the practice of Samyama 7 need to concentrate their attention, trying, if possible, not to disturb relaxation and calmness - the most important conditions for the effectiveness of any meditation. General rule is that concentration should not be too rigid. Chinese masters say about concentration meditation: “Concentration is as if it is there, as if it is not.” This is a very good way of expressing the idea that concentration meditation should be soft, that is, carried out against the background calm relaxation. There should be no brute mental effort to concentrate. Genuine concentration meditation is art fine tuning , not the psychic equivalent of swollen veins and tense muscles. At the same time, the “spontaneous” concentration that Satyananda spoke about is, in my opinion, nonsense. Concentration is not spontaneous, but purposeful mental activity. It’s a completely different matter that it should be performed against a background of calm relaxation, with periodic working out of emerging interference.

In meditative practice, as we see, two opposite mistakes are possible. The first is the frantic samurai approach characteristic of Japanese Zen Buddhism, requiring the utmost effort of all forces to achieve complete concentration on the chosen object. The second, diametrically opposite, mistake is a complete refusal of volitional effort, of deliberately focusing attention on the object of concentration. This is the approach to Kriya Yoga as stated by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Here we again discover duality - another type of multifaceted duality, in this case - methodological duality.

It is quite obvious that correct and highly effective concentration meditation avoids both extremes and in its method of practice harmoniously combines Yin and Yang: calmness and gentle relaxation on the one hand, and volitional focusing of attention on the chosen object on the other. In my opinion, this is so clear and obvious that there is no point in discussing this matter.

So, on the one hand, Satyananda talks about concentration meditation, on the other hand, that it should be spontaneous, which leads the reader into great confusion. We, in our naivety, believed that meditation-concentration is nothing more than systematic effort of voluntary attention. It turns out not! Satyananda encourages, during concentration meditation, to let go of your consciousness and not make efforts to focus it. But then it will no longer be meditation-concentration, but meditation-awareness!

In my opinion, Swami Satyananda deserves to be reproached for such sloppy handling of words and meanings.

In classical yoga, Patanjali distinguishes eight components of the yogic path of self-improvement (Sadhana). It should be said right away that this eight-fold scheme of the yogic path is in fact very conventional, suffers from incompleteness and contains a number of logical contradictions and often gives rise to completely erroneous ideas about yogic practice. Therefore, in my opinion, it should not be fetishized and taken too seriously.

So, classical yoga of Patanjali identifies the following eight components.

1. Pit. These are various moral precepts, among which the most important are Ahimsa (not causing harm to any living beings) and Satya (absolute, uncompromising truthfulness).

2. Niyama- rules of conduct prescribed to the yogi, the most important of which is considered moderation in food.

3. Asana 8 . These are different body positions (asanas), each of which has a special effect on both the physical body and the psyche of the practitioner. The practice of breathing (pranayama) or meditation is always performed in strictly defined asanas, without which it will not be effective.

4. Pranayama. These are various breathing exercises. Classical yoga identifies eight most important pranayamas, eight basic methods of breathing practice.

5. Pratyahara. This is the yogic ability to completely switch off indriyas(organs of cognition and organs of sense) from their objects. Upon achieving this ability, the yogi draws his conscious attention, his ability to perceive various objects, inside, just as a turtle draws its limbs - legs and head - under its shell 9 .

6 - 8. Dharana. Dhyana. Samadhi.

The last three components have already been explained by me. Let me remind you that they represent different levels of development of the same process of meditation-concentration, called in Sanskrit Samyama. The first five components (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama and Pratyahara) are traditionally referred to as “external practice”, while the last three (Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi) are called “internal Sadhana”, that is, they relate to internal practice. The Yoga Sutra says:

“These three (Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) are more internal means, unlike the previous five (III, 7)”.

“But even these are external to Nirbija Samadhi (meditation without seed) (III, 8)”.

It means that Samyama(meditation-concentration) belongs to the category Sabija Samadhi, that is, to meditation with the seed ( bija, Skt.). A seed is a permanent object chosen for meditation and concentration. More high level yogic practice, actually the highest and going beyond the eightfold Ashtanga yoga- This Nirbija Samadhi, that is, meditation without seed. In other words, we are talking about introspection meditation, free awareness meditation, which is qualitatively different from concentration meditation.

Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are in no way independent methods, and therefore their isolation as separate components of Ashtanga Yoga is completely unjustified. These three parts of Patanjali's Yoga should be replaced by one - Samyama (aka Sabija Samadhi, i.e. meditation-concentration). Well, if we single out Sabij Samadhi as an integral part of yogic Sadhana, then we need to add Nirbija Samadhi (meditation-awareness) to the general scheme, which for some unknown reason is placed outside the brackets of the classical eight-part scheme.

From the above, it is not difficult to see the entire convention of distinguishing eight components in the classical Yoga of Patanjali. And the classics themselves are, in fact, very conventional. In another revered classic treatise on yoga, the Gheranda Samhita, there is no longer an eight-part, but a seven-part scheme of yogic Sadhana, which is very different from the “classical” scheme of Patanjali. It includes the following components:

1. Shat Karma (six purification methods)

4. Pratyahara

5. Pranayama

7. Samadhi

In fact, “classical yoga” as a generally accepted, unified and only true teaching does not exist. And it never happened. Both in ancient times and today, each teacher has his own understanding and his own version of Yoga. Both in the past and at the present time, there is a huge variety of yogic schools and it is not possible to single out any one of them as classical and the only true one.

In my opinion, classifying the fifth “stage” of yoga - Pratyahara - as a group of external means is completely unjustified. In fact, it has the most direct relation to the process of Samyama and should be classified in the same group of “internal means” as Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.

Further, commentators on the Yoga Sutra unanimously repeat the clearly erroneous thesis that Pratyahara is an independent yogic technique, a special method of abstracting from outside world with the disconnection of the senses from external perception.

In my opinion, Pratyahara as a separate independent method does not and cannot exist, just as it is impossible not to deliberately think about a polar bear or a yellow monkey. The more we try to abstract ourselves, to disconnect, say, from the sounds of the outside world, the more we will listen to them. However, the mindset of disconnecting from everything else (and not only from the outside world, but also from sensations coming from the physical body and from one’s own psyche - thoughts, emotions, experiences) is very useful and simply necessary in the context of meditation focusing on one object. Talking about Pratyahara without Samyama (concentration on one thing) is simply ridiculous. In fact, concentration meditation consists of two complementary technical aspects that must be constantly monitored throughout the entire period of meditation. This:

a) pointed sharpness of meditation;

b) distraction (abstraction) from everything else - from everything that can be perceived in one’s own body, in the psyche and in the surrounding world.

Thus, if point (a) tells us about the need to be fully present in the object of concentration, then point (b) tells us about the need to fully disconnect from everything else. As we see, Samyama (concentration) and Pratyahara (the ability to “absorb indriyas inside oneself”, the ability to disconnect from everything extraneous) are just two aspects of the same process of meditation-concentration (Samyama).

Dharana is Pratyahara. Through focusing on one thing, disconnection is achieved indriya from everything else. Thus, Pratyahara as an independent yoga technique without Dharana is simply impossible.

Any form of concentration meditation ultimately affects its corresponding energy channel and its chakras. This happens even if the practitioner knows nothing about them at all. So, for example, any mantra certainly correlates with a certain zone of our energy system, with a certain channel and chakram. The chakram (energy center) is a kind of motor, the energy heart of this channel. Thus, any a form of concentration meditation, after a certain period of practice, turns into concentration on the chakram, BJ(seed, Skt.) of which she is. When the practice of repeating a mantra reaches a certain maturity, the connection of this mantra with concentration on its center automatically occurs. In other words, the mantra begins to be recited from the center.

There is no method of meditation that does not influence the human energy system in a very specific way, specific to this method. Therefore, any methods of meditation-concentration ultimately come down to influencing a certain part our energy system, to a specific energy channel. There is no meditation that affects only the psyche, consciousness, and at the same time does not affect the human energy system. That is why it would be more correct to talk not about meditation, but about energy meditative practice.

Methods of energy meditative practice can be divided into the following two groups:

1) methods of general influence;

2) specialized methods.

Methods of general influence include: meditation-introspection, meditation-presence (in particular, “standing as a pillar”) and breathing practice. Specialized methods include all types of concentration meditation. Of course, when we talk about methods of general influence and specialized methods of energy meditative practice, we should remember the relativity of this distinction. In fact, even those methods that I categorize as “non-specialized” (self-observation, presence, basic breathing, some forms of dynamic meditation) are also specialized, but not as rigidly and not as pronounced as concentration methods. As we already know, self-observation provides, first of all, informational development, while meditation-presence provides energetic development. Breathing qigong and dynamic meditation using the “slow meditative walking” method have their own special characteristics.

Both the first and second groups of methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of general impact methods is comprehensive and harmonious development, especially if they are practiced in combination. For example, the practice of self-observation meditation goes well with the practice of breathing qigong. If a feasible gymnastic complex (dynamic work) is added to this, then the entire system is methodically balanced and guarantees the safety of the practitioner. These are the virtues of non-specialized methods of practice. In short, this is the balance (harmony) of development and its safety.

However, this group of methods also has its disadvantages, which, as is quite rightly argued, are a continuation of their advantages. Such a serious drawback, first of all, is the inability to carry out a targeted, focused impact on the weakest link of the energy system. Meanwhile, if a person has some serious problem with physical health (with somatics) or with a psycho-emotional state, then the most competent methodological solution would be to use a specialized, diagnostically targeted method of energy meditative practice. It will be possible to switch to general developmental methods later, after this problem has been completely resolved, after complete recovery.

Another disadvantage of non-specialized practice methods is that progress is slow and unnoticeable to the practitioner himself. Beneficial changes occur slowly, in the mode of gradual maturation of consciousness. To achieve success, the practitioner requires great patience and complete conviction in the correctness of the chosen path. Not every student possesses these qualities to the extent necessary for successful practice. This is why modern Zen Buddhist teachers rarely prescribe the practice to a beginner. shikan-taza(meditation-introspection). Of all the varieties of Zen practice shikan-taza considered the highest, but at the same time, the most difficult. As Zen teachers say, the practice of shikan-taza leads to a natural and gradual maturation of consciousness and can last for years (ten years or more), until a spiritual breakthrough is achieved. According to Zen teachers, nowadays it is difficult to find people with the necessary patience for this.

These are the advantages and disadvantages of non-specialized methods of energy meditative practice.

As for the other group of methods, there are also advantages and disadvantages here. The great advantage of concentration meditation is, first of all, the ability to specifically influence the weakest link in the energy system. However, in order to realize this advantage, a competent mentor is required who can diagnose and select a meditation method for the student.

Another advantage of concentration meditation is its high effectiveness. Concentration meditation has a very strong effect, but over a very limited area, whereas the effect of awareness meditation is distributed over a large area. Anyone who practices concentration meditation can well count on receiving its fruits within a relatively short period of time (from three months before three years daily practice).

Concentration meditation is a very powerful method of practice. However, great power is always associated with great danger, especially when handled ineptly and carelessly. The practitioner must always remember that the practice of concentration meditation has a very powerful effect on the chosen energy center and energy channel, the “heart” of which is this chakram. In this case, there is an exclusively beneficial effect on those systems and organs of the physical body, the proper functioning of which is ensured by this energy center. An equally beneficial effect is exerted on the corresponding sector of the psyche. Moreover, over time, various paranormal abilities (Sanskrit, siddhis) begin to appear, corresponding to the overdevelopment of a given part of the energy system (channel and chakram).

For example, meditation on the crown center (Sahasrara chakram or “thousand-petalled lotus”) and on the space above the head can lead not only to the ability to enter into lucid dreams, but also to a number of very undesirable consequences. Pathological intake of energy into the crown center in women inevitably leads to the development of uterine fibroids, and in men - to troubles with the genital area. Both may develop chronic anxiety, phobias (fears) and general mental inadequacy. To this bouquet of diseases one should also add diseases of the gallbladder and pancreas.

Once again I will repeat a very important conclusion. The wrong choice of a concentration meditation method (a specific object on which attention is focused) is dangerous and can lead to extremely dire consequences for the practitioner.

This is clearly evidenced by the history of a group of Russian esotericists who, in the eighties of the last (XX) century, practiced the so-called Kunta Yoga (yoga of magical symbols) in Leningrad. Of the fifteen main members of this esoteric group, ten years later only 3 people remained alive (!), and young men in the prime of life died (for a variety of reasons).

As we see, the practice of meditation is far from a harmless activity; in the absence of proper guidance, it can lead to undesirable, and sometimes simply tragic, consequences. Fortunately, many modern esotericists are saved by laziness and inability to make systematic, regular efforts.

So, the correct choice of practice method, based on preliminary energy diagnostics, is extremely important. But even this is not enough. Even if the method of meditation-concentration that is optimal for this person is chosen, aimed at strengthening the weakest link in the energy system 10, a second method is still needed to complement it. The purpose of this second method is to relieve exacerbations that will inevitably arise as a result of the practice of the first method. As we see, for successful and safe practice it is necessary to know the structure and functioning patterns of the human energy system; know the connection between energy channels and various somatic and psycho-emotional problems. Finally, you need to know the methods of influencing certain energy channels and centers. In addition, it is absolutely necessary to clearly understand what mental and somatic problems this method of practice relieves, what aggravations should be expected from it, and also to know the methods for relieving these aggravations. A holistic methodology of energy meditative practice can only be built on the basis of such knowledge.

Ideally, such a holistic technique includes two methods, practiced in a pulsating mode of optimal alternation: we practice the first method, cause an aggravation, and move on to the second method. The practice of the second method relieves this aggravation, after which we return to the first method and so on. The energy system operates in a pulsating mode: release - filling, release again - filling again. This is nothing more than the alternation of Yin and Yang in full accordance with the principle of Tai Chi. This practice ultimately leads to a breakthrough into the realm of the subtle. This is expressed in opening energy centers (chakrams) and the appearance of corresponding (specific to these chakrams) paranormal abilities. At the same time, great positive changes also occur in the psychosomatic state with getting rid of long-term ailments and a qualitative improvement in health, mood and performance.

1 Quoted from Lu Kuan Yu's book "Secrets of Chinese Meditation."

2 The center of gravity of the body is located below the navel.

3 I introduce the term “conscious attention” as the opposite of involuntary attention, in which there is no special, intentional attitude towards awareness within a certain selected area. However, strictly speaking, there is also a certain level of awareness in involuntary attention.

4 Satyananda S. “Ancient tantric techniques of yoga and kriya.”

6 Italics are mine. - VC.

7 The general name for concentration meditation, while Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are the names of different stages of its development.

8 The word “asana” is pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable.

9 A classic, traditional metaphor that explains the essence of Pratyahara.

10 Chinese wisdom says: “A self-improving man is like a shepherd who follows the flock and urges on the lagging sheep.”

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