The Need and Benefit of the Power of Concentration

1
00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:04,560
Bias cases, Do thou seek to know
the eternal?

2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:08,280
For concentration in thought is
the eternal.

3
00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:14,640
Thus spoke Varuna to Brugu in
the Tituria Upanishad Srioro

4
00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,480
Binda's translation, Swami
Vivekananda's lectures on Raja

5
00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:24,320
Yoga, expounding the Yoga Sutras
of Patanjali with an extensive

6
00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:28,200
commentary or a textbook on
developing the science of

7
00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,560
concentration and the benefits
of such development.

8
00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:35,600
For those who eventually
recognize the chaotic and

9
00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,400
undisciplined state of the
mental space, the practice of

10
00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,480
Raja Yoga can be a tremendous
benefit.

11
00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,560
It is interesting that we are
always seeking new exotic powers

12
00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:52,480
while we overlook the enormous
capabilities and potential of

13
00:00:52,480 --> 00:00:56,800
the powers we already have,
which simply need to be focused,

14
00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,680
trained, and developed.
Concentration is perhaps the

15
00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,960
foremost of these powers, and
the benefits of concentration

16
00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:11,080
can be seen wherever we turn.
If you want to succeed in the

17
00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:16,480
world, if you want to excel in
science, mathematics, sports,

18
00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,120
art, or music, concentration is
essential.

19
00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:25,280
What most people do not seem to
appreciate is that we not only

20
00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,920
need to learn how to utilize the
power of concentration, but that

21
00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:35,000
it can also be trained,
enhanced, focused, and developed

22
00:01:35,320 --> 00:01:38,640
through various methods,
practices, and repetition.

23
00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,600
We tend to live a life of
distraction, particularly with

24
00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,600
all of the forces in the modern
world seeking to pull our

25
00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,080
attention in One Direction or
another.

26
00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,360
Ours fixation with modern
technology certainly has proven

27
00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:55,520
to be a major force of
distraction.

28
00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:00,440
Even when we try to sit for
meditation, we find that all

29
00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:05,360
kinds of chaotic thoughts,
feelings, emotions, sensations

30
00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,639
are competing for attention in
our minds, and for the most

31
00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,360
part, we wind up jumping from
1:00 to another without any

32
00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:19,200
clear method of control or
focus, the mother writes.

33
00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:24,160
Quote Whatever you may want to
do in life, one thing is

34
00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:29,000
absolutely indispensable and the
at the basis of everything, the

35
00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,440
capacity of concentrating the
attention.

36
00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,840
If you are able to gather
together the rays of attention

37
00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,480
and consciousness on one point
and can maintain this

38
00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,920
concentration with a persistent
will, nothing can resist it,

39
00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,360
whatever it may be, from the
most material physical

40
00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:50,720
development to the highest
spiritual one.

41
00:02:51,640 --> 00:02:55,960
But this discipline must be
followed in a constant and, it

42
00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,840
may be said, imperturbable way,
Not that you should always be

43
00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:03,920
concentrated on the same thing.
That's not what I mean.

44
00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:10,280
I mean learning to concentrate,
and materially for studies,

45
00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:15,000
sports, all physical or mental
development, it is absolutely

46
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:18,680
indispensable.
And the value of an individual

47
00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,400
is proportionate to the value of
his attention.

48
00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,960
And from the spiritual point of
view it is still more important.

49
00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:30,400
There is no spiritual obstacle
which can resist a penetrating

50
00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,960
power of concentration.
For instance, the discovery of

51
00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:40,000
the psychic being union with the
inner Divine, opening to the

52
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,240
higher spheres, all can be
obtained by an intense and

53
00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:46,320
obstinate power of
concentration.

54
00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:52,320
But one must learn how to do it.
There is nothing in the human or

55
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,920
even in the superhuman field to
which the power of concentration

56
00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:00,680
is not the key.
You can be the best athlete, you

57
00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:05,480
can be the best student.
You can be an artistic, literary

58
00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:10,280
or scientific genius.
You can be the greatest St. with

59
00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:14,120
that faculty.
And everyone has in himself a

60
00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:18,839
tiny little beginning of it.
It is given to everybody, but

61
00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:21,839
people do not cultivate it.
End Quote.

62
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:28,160
Reference Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother Powers within, Chapter 4

63
00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,240
concentration, pages 38 to 39.