WITHDRAWING AND UNITING
WITH SOURCE,
THROUGH
FOUR FUNCTIONS OF THE MIND
MEDITATION
Union through Meditation
Intuiting Transcendence
Through Concentration and Meditation.
Swami Vivekananda
"The world is ready to give up its secrets
if we only know how to knock, how to give it the
necessary blow.
The strength and force of the blow come through
concentration. To me the very essence of education
is concentration of the mind, not the collecting
of facts. If I had to do my education over again,
and had any voice in the matter, I wouldn't study
facts at all. I would develop the power of concentration
and detachment, and then with a perfect instrument
I could collect facts at will. Side by side, in
the child, should be developed the power of concentration
and detachment." -
CONCENTRATION IS THE SOURCE OF ALL KNOWLEDGE
"We have but one method of acquiring knowledge.
From the lowest man to the highest, all use the
same method; concentration. The chemist concentrates
all the powers of his mind, brings them into focus
on the elements; and the elements stand analyzed.
Knowledge comes. The astronomer also concentrates
his mental powers and brings them into focus through
his telescope; and stars and systems give up their
secrets. So with the professor, the student - with
every man. In making money, in worshipping God,
or in doing anything, the stronger the power of
concentration, the better that thing be done. This
is the one knock, which opens the gates of nature,
and lets out floods of light. This, the power of
concentration, is the only key to knowledge. The
system of Raja-Yoga deals almost exclusively with
this."
Swami Vivekananda..
Thus, all of our insights and understandings are
gained through the power of concentration and assimilation.
When intensified, one's perception deepens into
meditation. And through deeper meditation, we can
liberate consciousness by collecting and focusing
our attention on higher truths. The more centered
and open the act of concentration, the more liberated
one's consciousness becomeS.
We can fix our attention on an object, a holy word,
or concept. Whenever the mind wanders it is brought
back to the object of concentration. In time consciousness
will cease wandering and become still. A state of
focused uninterrupted concentration will occur.
From this state, one will eventually intuit higher
Reality, or one's core self.
