I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Ella Benhim, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 1:19 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 1:19 PM

I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 4 Join Date: 7/30/22 Recent Posts
One pointed concentration is a state where thoughts are completely absent the mind is so fucused that it pushes all the thoughts away I need help to reach this state ...
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Chris M, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 1:41 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 1:41 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 5104 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
Why do you want to reach that state, Ella? Did someone suggest it to you? What is your ongoing practice like?
Ella Benhim, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 1:57 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 1:57 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 4 Join Date: 7/30/22 Recent Posts
I have accidentally reached it once I was focusing on the darkness behind my eyelids then it happened I heard a sound in my head then my thoughts and worries were completely pushed out of my mind I have racy thoughts..my mind was empty it was an amazing and a very peaceful state I was just sitting there with no thoughts my mind is completely silent it was amazing after some research I found it this is called one pointed concentration I tried to reach it many many time doing the same thing and it just didn't happenI hope I will get advice here  about my daily routine I have been doing guided meditation on YouTube for the last 5 years and for the last few months I have been focusing on my breath for 30 minutes sometimes an hour one session or two a week i am not good sorry  I focus on the breath maybe 50%...
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Chris M, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 2:04 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 2:04 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 5104 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
Ella, I'm curious about how you managed to find us here on DhO. Also, what is your long-term plan for your meditation practice? I'm sure there are a few folks here who will have some suggestions for you.

Thanks
Ella Benhim, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 2:35 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 2:35 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

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If I remember correctly someone linked it in r meditation that it has alot of information 
Ella Benhim, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 2:38 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 2:38 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

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About my plans I love meditating I will meditate for the rest of mylife
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Jim Smith, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 11:59 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 10:50 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 1633 Join Date: 1/17/15 Recent Posts
Ella Benhim
One pointed concentration is a state where thoughts are completely absent the mind is so fucused that it pushes all the thoughts away I need help to reach this state ...


Stress and mental fatigue are two of the biggest sources of mental turbulence. To quiet the mind I find types of meditation that are relaxing (aka relaxation exercises) to be helpful: http://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/2020/08/preparing-for-meditation-with.html

Another source of mental turbulence is when you are not really conscious of everything behind your thoughts. Sometimes we mask the true reasons for thoughts and feelings with layers of additional thoughts and feelings to distract us or because we don't want to admit what is really happening in the mind. http://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/2020/09/when-you-cant-find-tranquility.html

And it helps a lot if in between meditation sessions you can keep your mind from becoming turbulent. That's why on meditation retreats they usually don't allow casual talking. Whatever it is that gets your mind going, TV, news, relationships, work, school, be aware of the effects and try to minimize or avoid them. The monks and nuns have all those rules and precepts and they live in seclusion because it helps them to keep the mind quiet so that is really the model that seems to work best.  (Another thing that is common on retreats (if you didn't know) is to do 5-10 minutes of walking meditation in between 40 minute meditation sessions.) 

If you can take care of the obvious sources of mental turbulence then you just have to be patient and keep meditating. The mind in this situation is like a muscle so you have to exercise it to make it "stronger" That is you have take the time to strengthen it and keep pushing it harder and harder - which for meditation translates into a lot of meditation. But you also have to give it time to recover just like with lifting weights when the muscles repair themselves, the brain needs time to rewire.

So you have to consider both aspects, cumulative effects, and also the effects of stress that happen every day.

You don't say why you are interested in one pointed concentration so I don't know if this is relevant, but there are reasons someone might not be interested in pursuing that state. Many people don't want to live like a monk or nun. Also if you are trying to stop all thoughts it might seem nice while you are doing it, but it can also cause thoughts and emotions to become suppressed which can result in irritability and mental turbulence later. Also you can learn to let go of attachments and aversions by observing the activity of the mind and seeing how it forms attachments and aversions, if you stop the mind completely you won't be learning. For some people and their goals, it can be more useful to calm the mind to a certain point where they are able to observe it steadily rather than stopping it completely. In fact there are some practices where you just watch your stream of consciousness without trying to influence it.

A good book on this subject is: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer. He started out seeking one pointedness and achieved some success but later changed to more of an observing type of meditation. I found the book easy to read, interesting, and entertaining so I recommend it. I also enjoyed another book by him, The Surrender Experiment.
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Jim Smith, modified 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 11:58 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/15/22 11:57 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

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Also it can help to notice if certain foods or substances have  a bad effect on your concentration. Caffeine, alcohol, tobacco or recreational drugs are obvious examples but also some foods can have an effect too. I find too much sugary foods can be a problem.
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Dream Walker, modified 1 Year ago at 8/17/22 11:42 AM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/17/22 11:42 AM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

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Ella Benhim One pointed concentration is a state where thoughts are completely absent the mind is so fucused that it pushes all the thoughts away I need help to reach this state ...
Please read the folowing links-
Wikipedia link-
Ekaggata
Ekaggatā (Pali; Sanskrit: ekāgratā, एकाग्रता, "one-pointedness") is a Pali Buddhist term, defined as tranquility of mind or one-pointedness.[1]

This mental factor is the primary component in all jhānas and the essence of concentration or samādhi. One-pointedness temporarily inhibits sensual desire, a necessary condition for any meditative attainment. Ekaggatā exercises the function of closely contemplating the object, the salient characteristic of jhāna, but it cannot perform this function alone. It requires the joint action of the other four jhāna factors each performing its own special function: vitakka, vicāra, pīti, and sukha.

MCTB link-
26 the wide world of jhana

After reading, do you have a more detailed question?

​​​​​​​~D
Rousseau Matt, modified 1 Year ago at 1/8/23 4:54 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/18/22 8:30 AM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 136 Join Date: 5/1/22 Recent Posts
Try  smiling.  Seriously. 
Adi Vader, modified 1 Year ago at 8/18/22 9:35 AM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/18/22 9:35 AM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 268 Join Date: 6/29/20 Recent Posts
Some reading recommendations:

The Mind Illuminated - The Upasaka Culadasa (Dr. John Yates PhD)
With each and every breath - Thanissaro Bhikku (Ajahn Geoff)
Right Concentration - Leigh Brasington
Dharana Darshan - Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
Keeping the breath in mind and lessons in samdhi - Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo
Rousseau Matt, modified 1 Year ago at 1/8/23 4:54 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/18/22 11:42 AM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

Posts: 136 Join Date: 5/1/22 Recent Posts
Have you read tina Rasmussen  book.  Practicing the jhanas.  She worked with Pa auk Sayadow.    
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David Matte, modified 1 Year ago at 8/18/22 5:17 PM
Created 1 Year ago at 8/18/22 5:11 PM

RE: I need help to reach one pointed concentration

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That sort of state of stopping thought is possible in meditation, but it's only a state, and when you come out if it, thoughts and all the rest of the klieshas will come back.

​​​​​​​What you really want, and the traditional goal of meditation, is not a temporary state of stopping thought, but to be able to disidentify with thought; to have the ability to witness thought as just arising and passing phenomena with equanimity.

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