| | First you let go of everything but the breath Second, you let the breath go also
Where is all the talk about these things being inherently different coming from? To me it's same same with a subtle change as a twist. Concentrating on one object doesn't mean you forcefully attach your mind to it. That's why it fails if you strain yourself. It's about letting go of everything except for that one object of choise i.e. the breath. If you drop everything else as it occurs, there's only the breath left. Abracadabra - you mind is not filled with the breath but emptied of the rest.
When you're supposed to do the so called different practice of mindfulness, as in the zen-ish panoramic awareness, you just drop everything altogether, including that last breath. Then you end up with nothing to concentrate on but a lot of fleeting "happenings" that just "are" as they pass by your awareness.
These two concepts are on one side of the polarity. Multi-tasking/multi-attaching is on the other. To the meditator it's all about letting go, in concentration as well as in mindfulness. You cannot "hold on" to the breath while "letting go" the distractions. If you try, your mind will be in glue-mode and therefore stick to distractions as well as the breath.
Do you see why there is no paradox in the practice. Do you see how samadhi is the art of letting go of all mind objects but one. Do you see how effortless awareness in all four directions is just one breath away from the jhanas.
Go-Went-Gone... |