| There is a huge misconception among people | | | | like climbing the mountain or doing some aerobic |
| about the real meaning of meditation. A lot of | | | | jugglery require even more focused concentration. |
| people including even those who are into yoga for | | | | But all in all these tasks which requires |
| quite sometime think that meditation is just | | | | concentration are merely those tasks where we |
| another form of concentration. In fact nothing can | | | | project our attention towards them. Just because |
| be far from the truth than this statement which | | | | these tasks required concentration does not |
| equals meditation with concentration. I often | | | | mean that it is concentration which is at the core |
| wonder how come people make such | | | | of everything and for meditation you only need a |
| misconception about such a wonderful yet subtle | | | | pure level of intensive concentration. |
| thing like meditation to start comparing with | | | | In meditation you require concentration but |
| meditation. | | | | concentration is not meditation itself. In meditation |
| Let us understand this in detail a bit to understand | | | | you just remain aware of the moment without |
| why Meditation is not concentration. In | | | | choosing anything to concentrate upon. In fact |
| concentration you merely project your attention | | | | meditation is an act where the knower knows the |
| towards one form of activity or task. | | | | both- the observer as well as the observed. The |
| Concentration can be focused on any thing. For | | | | person who concentrate on a particular activity be |
| studying you need concentration, for driving you | | | | it a lit candle, a mystic chart or on breathing itself |
| need concentration, for eating, drinking, listening, | | | | - he will not only know the thing concentrated |
| talking, playing or even for walking some sort of | | | | upon (candle, mystic chart or breathing in this |
| concentration is required. Now the intensity of | | | | case) but he also knows the doer - that is the |
| concentration in all these activities varies. For | | | | person who is concentrating. So it becomes a |
| eating or drinking you need concentration but not | | | | three fold phenomenon where the observed, |
| in great amount. These daily processes like eating | | | | observation and the knower become distinct. |
| or drinking have become so ingrained in our | | | | My intention to clarify that concentration is not |
| subconscious mind that we tend to do them | | | | meditation is not to tarnish the role of |
| almost automatically. But the fact remains they | | | | concentration in meditation. In fact concentration |
| these processes also require some amount of | | | | is very much required in meditation and in the |
| concentration. | | | | initial phases it is extremely important. However, |
| For other processes like driving or studying the | | | | while relying on concentration to learn meditation, |
| intensity of concentration increases. These | | | | you must remember that concentration is not |
| processes require a constant flow of | | | | meditation. It is just a mean we use to attain the |
| concentration to complete the task. Some tasks | | | | state of meditation. |