MEDITATION IS NOT CONCENTRATION…………

Concentration is not dhyana or meditation as is understood by many. Many consider concentration practices as meditation practices for the simple reason that concentration leads to a state of thoughtlessness - a state which normally is identified with a state of meditation. Though it’s true that a concentration practice will make our thoughts to disappear but what also happens at the same time is loss of one’s awareness. For example let us concentrate on ‘third eye’ (the spot between the eyebrows, traditionally known as ‘Shiv Netra’) or for that matter on anything and you will find that though the thoughts disappear but at the same time you also lose your awareness - please try and see. Meditation on the other hand is an exercise, the sole objective of which is to gain awareness and not lose awareness. Instead of concentrating if one is meditating then may be the thoughts may still come in but he will not lose his awareness – please try and see. Precisely for the reason that concentration leads to loss of awareness this cannot be termed a meditation practice. Similarly practices involving concentration or focus cannot be termed as meditation practices – for example focusing on one’s breath. Instead if we want this to be a meditative practice then we should be saying that we should rather become aware of our breath and not focus on breathing. Focusing on breathing or for that matter anything is concentration but becoming aware of breathing is meditation. While you concentrate you may be free of thoughts but still this cannot be called as meditation  

Thus dhyana or meditation is not concentration but pure awareness. Meditation is awareness and awareness is meditation. In fact any practice which empowers one’s awareness can be termed a meditation practice. An enlightened being is one who has become all awareness and is meditative all the time i.e. – he has become naturally aware or said to have reached the heightened state of awareness.

Another aspect is that when we practice concentration our consciousness or chetna is fixed or stuck with the object of our concentration but when we are aware or meditative then our consciousness is clearly separated. In that separated state one becomes an observer (witness or sakshi) which is our real identity. Though concentration is needed for our functioning effectively in the world or for achieving certain things in our life but if the goal is Liberation then concentration cannot help take us beyond, so called MUKTI or MOKSHA i.e. becoming free from the cycle of birth and death. Concentration is thus limited but awareness or meditation is unlimited / boundless /all-inclusive and all pervasive one which makes the person meditating to be one with everything……………….BeAware

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