Concentration – samadhi
Samadhi (spoke on the eightfold path): spectrum of concentration, focus, collected, absorption, calm, settled, connected
- sam, “together” or “integrated”; ā, “towards”; dhā, “to get, to hold”: “to acquire integration or wholeness, or truth”
Opposite of letting go – Collecting things, bring them in, hold them together
Like rescuing strays – my imagination goes to dogs and cats, birds, mountain lions in the Santa Monica mountains that are coming down closer to us with the droughts – how their images touch us, we don’t want to be separate, we want to bring them into the fold.
Same way we can become aware of inner parts of ourselves that need attention and integrate them into our understanding
Sometimes I think of taking a picture of our inner worlds. Before and after the pandemic. Things change so much inside but don’t show with the outer picture. Things integrate, feel whole and at some point fall apart again. One reason we hold ourselves lightly.
Meditation practices have a map of concentration. Different ways toward concentration.
Traditional way: Directed towards one pointedness if there is a single meditation object, or single part – there are stages on the way. It’s a well thought-out map. The Jhanas. Jhanas – Mary Talbot
What is our map?
Calm states develop idiosyncratically and can be hard to detect and validate by the meditator. Gentleness and calm are mutually dependent.
Our map is loosely structured. Our map is a little more messy but not only that, it Honors messiness. Samadhi develops with gentleness and calm in our practice. Gentleness has a strength, an energy that can lead the way to integrating our calm and insights.
Calm and concentration in RM practice:
- Meditation – through gentle instructions
- Reflection and journaling (after meditation, at times during meditation)
- Free form writing
- Discussions – staying on topic, focusing using “language of experience”
Additional Resources
Stephen Batchelor – Reimagining the Eightfold Path
Right Concentration – Focus: Linda’s Notes
- keeping attention collected and concentrated on what matters most for me
- environment where the application can take place or unfold
- enters this as a stream, independent of others in our practice – autonomous, responsible
- differentiation – don’t need validation from authority figure, comes from the practice – self validating
confidence grows - make choices of your own (can go back to tradition, take a different path – understand what keeps you truly your own)