How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

The cultivation of calm or tranquility and the development of concentration
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Mirror
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Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:06 am

How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

Post by Mirror »

Hello,

I'm very interested in achieving deeper states of single pointed concentration/one-pointedness of mind or samadhi. I'm not a 'calm/pleasure seeker'. I want to use it as a skillful tool for my meditation practice. I'm generally familiar how to practice samatha, but I would like to incorporate my daily life into my practice in order to progress faster on my pursuit of single pointed concentration. Please can you tell me some tips, advices, supportive practices, which I can do in my daily life in order to deepen my single pointed concentration? I'll be very grateful for anything! Thank you very much!
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JamesTheGiant
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Location: New Zealand

Re: How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

Post by JamesTheGiant »

Practise practice practice!
There is no replacement for as many hours of meditation practise as you can fit into your day.
My friend manages 3 hours a day while working fulltime, but I rarely manage two hours.
Meggo
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Joined: Tue May 07, 2013 2:42 pm

Re: How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

Post by Meggo »

The Book "The Mind Illuminated" by Culadasa is good for this.
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Pondera
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Re: How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

Post by Pondera »

Mirror wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:41 am Hello,

I'm very interested in achieving deeper states of single pointed concentration/one-pointedness of mind or samadhi. I'm not a 'calm/pleasure seeker'. I want to use it as a skillful tool for my meditation practice. I'm generally familiar how to practice samatha, but I would like to incorporate my daily life into my practice in order to progress faster on my pursuit of single pointed concentration. Please can you tell me some tips, advices, supportive practices, which I can do in my daily life in order to deepen my single pointed concentration? I'll be very grateful for anything! Thank you very much!
It’s extremely difficult to point out “what” bliss is; what “tranquility” is; and “what” rapture is.

But, this is what the Buddha said;

Suffering is a prerequisite for faith; faith is a prerequisite for joy; joy a condition for rapture; rapture for tranquility; tranquility is a prerequisite for bliss; and bliss is a prerequisite for concentration …

Then comes insight knowledge and liberation.

So, that’s what the Buddha said. He also said:

“When the mind is full of rapture, the body becomes tranquil. When the body is tranquil, he feels bliss.”

With bliss comes samadhi.

So, what to do.

Anapanasati and Metta. Attention to any part of the nose will clear corruptions from the body, mind, and heart - if you are skillful and understand the conditions and relationships between the conditions.

Think of bliss as metta. Imagine a dimension where there is only love. You peer into the darkness and SURPRISE! You find a dimension where there is only love.

Then, that is your bliss. Then, that is the HINT to gather your mental energy! Gather it into one tiny spot in the middle of your brain! Then LOOK!!!! LOOK OUT! Look into the Void! That is where you will gain insight knowledge.

:sage:
Like the three marks of conditioned existence, this world in itself is filthy, hostile, and crowded
SarathW
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Re: How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

Post by SarathW »

I would like to incorporate my daily life into my practice
You cant practice Samatha in daily chores.
Only Vipassana can be practiced while doing daily chores.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Pondera
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Re: How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

Post by Pondera »

SarathW wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:15 am
I would like to incorporate my daily life into my practice
You cant practice Samatha in daily chores.
Only Vipassana can be practiced while doing daily chores.
Re: above

OP … Find a job in law enforcement or security. It’s a good livelihood (right livelihood) and most of your down time can be spent cultivating samatha.
Like the three marks of conditioned existence, this world in itself is filthy, hostile, and crowded
Mirror
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Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:06 am

Re: How to practice single pointed concentration in our daily life?

Post by Mirror »

Thank you all for your replies!
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