1. Importance
2. Concentration in Meditation
3. One-Pointedness in Daily Life

II. Concentration in Meditation

Example: A person who is a habitual worrier will find that when he sits down to meditate, his mind automatically goes back to his worry. And that often is the end of his meditation. He is unable to control his mind to make it go where he wants it to go.

Some exercises in concentration and attention.

1. Close your eyes, and mentally count "1" as you breathe in, and count "2" as you breathe out. Feel relaxed as you do this, and let the pace of breathing slow down naturally. Just focus on the breathing and the counting. If your thoughts stray away, gently return back to your breathing. Watch your attention stray away, and then just patiently lead it back to your breathing. As you do this in a relaxed way, you will notice that there is a gap between your out breath and in breath, where there is no counting and there is no breathing. There is stillness and serenity although you are fully aware and awake. From this you will experience the nature of meditational silence.

2. This practice must be accompanied with regular readings of spiritual literature that are uplifting. Such reading and reflection will prepare the ground for blossoming of our spirituality as we practice regular meditation.

There are some suggestions to become one-pointed:

• Keep a written list of things that you have to accomplish during the day. Write these on a notebook or a schedule book. Enter each item according to date.

• Resolve to finish each item in your list as quickly as possible, or according to a timetable. Sometimes there is a tendency to delay or postpone doing something because you think it is not important. But if you have written it in your "To-do" list, then do it even if not urgent. This develops self-discipline which is a very important part of being one-pointed.

• If you are interrupted in what you are supposed to do, go back to the list after the interruption and continue to do the items you have not finished.

• Try to make a similar list for things you have for the week or the month or year. Then always refer back to this list to keep you in track whenever you have forgotten. It will make you one-pointed in your duties or targets.

• When you have been able to develop this habit of accomplishing what you have listed down, then you will find an expansion of your horizon in life. You feel a greater sense of confidence in achieving difficult tasks.

  The more difficult the task to be done, the greater is the need to be focused and one-pointed. But this self-discipline is developed by being one-pointed on small daily things that need to be done.

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  Copyright 1995. Permission to reprint is granted provided acknowledgment is made to:
  Peace Center
  Theosophical Society in the Philippines, 1 Iba St., Quezon City, Philippines
  E-mail: tspeace@info.com.ph

  "If five percent of the people work for peace, there will be peace."