Sublime

Concentration is the second step in study. If, in addition to bringing the mind repeatedly to the subject matter, the person will concentrate on what is being studied, learning is vastly increased.

So when we concentrate in our writing, it is good. But we should always concentrate, not by blocking out the world, but by allowing it all to exist.

Concentrate all your thought upon the work in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.

Convergent focus is a single-minded or narrow focus on an object—anything having matter. That’s the kind of focus you’re displaying in my meditations when you rest your attention in a specific place in your body. It’s the same kind of focus you use when you pay attention to objects in your environment.

Ecstasis

Concentration is like a muscle and it strengthens as you concentrate more. If you stop concentrating every time an email comes in or the phone rings, you actually lessen your ability to concentrate and you become less effective in any situation that requires concentration.

Concentration of the mind is stopping it from running around from one object to another in order to stay with just one object. We stay with one object in order to observe it and to look deeply into it. In this way, stopping and observing become one.

When we have a light bulb, for the light to concentrate on our book, we need a lamp shade to keep the light from dispersing, to concentrate the light so that we can read the book more easily. The practice of concentration is like acquiring a lamp shade to help us concentrate our mind on something.

The ability to concentrate intensely is a skill that must be trained.