Friends:
What is Feeding the Concentration Link to Awakening!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, just as this body, is sustained by feeding, exists in dependence
on feeding
and cannot survive without food, even & exactly so are the
Seven Links to Awakening
also sustained by feeding, they can also only exist in dependence on feeding
and they
cannot remain without feeding... And what, bhikkhus, is the feeding of the
emergence
of any yet unarisen Concentration Link to Awakening
and also feeding of the completion
by condensation of any arisen Concentration Link
to Awakening? There are two signs:
The sign of calm,
serenity & mental silence and the sign of non-distraction
& non-scatter!
Frequently giving
careful and rational attention to them, is feeding the arising of any
yet
unarisen Concentration Link to Awakening
& also feeding of the gradual fulfilment of any
already arisen Concentration Link to Awakening...
And what, Bhikkhus, is the starving that
obstructs all emergence of a yet unarisen Concentration
Link to Awakening & which also
hinders any already arisen Concentration Link
from reaching fulfilment by development?
The sign of calm, serenity & mental silence
and the sign of non-distraction & non-scatter!
Not giving frequent,
careful and rational attention to them; not considering them much
and often; is the starving that prevents an unarisen
Concentration Link to Awakening from
arising and also blocks any already arisen Concentration
Link to Awakening from reaching
any complete fulfilment by mental training and progressive development by
meditation...
Comments from the classical commentaries:
Focus
is the characteristic of the Concentration Link
to Awakening (Samādhi-Sambojjhanga).
Ceasing of all distraction, disturbance,
diversion, agitation, mental instability and wavering is
the purpose of the quality of Concentration
(Samādhi).
Penetration is the manifestation of
the Concentration Link to Awakening. This
stability produces breakthrough to understanding!
Concentration is present in all consciousness. This can be greatly enhanced
by fixing attention.
Further conditions helpful for the emergence
of the Concentration Link to Awakening are:
1: Keeping own body, behaviour, belongings
and surroundings completely clean...
2:
Having routine in recognizing the sign of calm and the sign of non-distraction...
3: Ballancing the
abilities of Faith vs. understanding &
Energy vs.
Concentration evenly...
4: Controlling, confining and restraining the mind, whenever necessary...
5: Pushing, prodding and exerting the mind, whenever needed...
6: Gladdening, encouraging and easing the mind, whenever suitable...
7: Looking on, just overseeing the mind in equanimity, whenever appropriate...
8: Avoiding unconcentrated, agitated, diffuse and scatter-minded people...
9: Friendship with concentrated people with direct experience in absorption...
10: Frequent reviewing of the
mental absorptions (jhānas)
& the
mental liberations...
11: Commitment to focus the mind into one-pointed and absorbed Concentration!
There is Concentration
while thinking and there is Concentration
without any thinking!
Mental absorption (Jhāna) is the higher being's
exquisite state! Awakening is fixed focus!
On
how to attain the Jhāna absorptions:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Details_of_the_Jhana_Absorptions.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Requisites_for_Jhana_Absorption.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Concentration_Ability.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_is_Right_Concentration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Concentration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Concentration_Samadhi.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/g_m/jhaana.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Jhana_Absorption.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Samma-Samadhi.htm
Sources (edited extracts):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
Book [V:
65-6+102-8] 46: Links. 2+51: Group & Nutriments....
