The Ultimate Focus of Concentration

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The genius of the Rishis of
ancient India was their ability

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to focus on the essential core
of knowledge, will and

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existence.
They reminded us that we can

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obtain many forms and types of
knowledge, but each of these is

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but a fragment, an isolated fact
or event.

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If we have not identified that
central knowledge which being

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known, all is known.
Similarly, when we focus our

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will on an aim, it should be to
reach that central status that

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represents the core of our
existence.

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Young Brugu in the Tituria
Upanishad asks his father and

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preceptor to teach him the
Eternal.

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The reply is illustrative.
Seek thou to know that from

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which these creatures are born,
whereby being born they live,

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and to which they go hence and
enter again, for that is the

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eternal.
The Cana Upanishad provides an

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extensive exposition of this
insight.

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That which is unexpressed by the
Word, that by which the word is

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expressed.
Know that to be the Brahman and

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not this which men follow after
here, that which thinks not by

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the mind that by which the mind
is thought.

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Know that to be the Brahman and
not this which men follow after

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here.
Sri Auro Bindo's translation

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Concentration can be focused on
any phenomenal result in the

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world, but it finds its highest
use in withdrawing focus from

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the outer things and events and
turning its attention to the

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essential core reality.
Sri Robindo observes quote.

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It is by the thought that we
dissipate ourselves in the

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phenomenal.
It is by the gathering back of

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the thought into itself that we
must draw ourselves back into

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the real.
Concentration has three powers

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by which this aim can be
affected.

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By concentration on anything
whatsoever, we are able to know

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that thing, to make it deliver
up its concealed secrets.

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We must use this power to know
not things, but the one thing in

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itself.
By concentration again, the

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whole will can be gathered up
for the acquisition of that

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which is still ungrasped, still
beyond us.

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This power, if it is
sufficiently trained,

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sufficiently single minded,
sufficiently sincere, sure of

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itself, faithful to itself
alone, absolute in faith, we can

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use for the acquisition of any
object whatsoever.

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But we ought to use it not for
the acquisition of the many

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objects which the world offers
to us, but to grasp spiritually

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that one object worthy of
pursuit which is also the one

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subject worthy of knowledge.
By concentration of our whole

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being on one status of itself,
we can become whatever we

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choose.
We can become, for instance,

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even if we were to be for a mass
of weaknesses and fears, a mass

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instead of strength and courage,
Or we can become all a great

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purity, holiness, and peace, or
a single universal soul of love.

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But we ought, it is said, to use
this power to become not even

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these things, high as they may
be, in comparison with what we

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now are, but rather to become
that which is above all things

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and free from all action and
attributes, the pure and

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Absolute being all else, all
other concentration can only be

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valuable for preparation for
previous steps, for a gradual

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training of the dissolute and
self dissipating thought, will,

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and being towards their grand
and unique object.

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End Quote.
Reference.

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Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
Powers Within, Chapter 4,

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Concentration, pages 44 to 45.