The Buddha said that continuous wise attention, aimed toward the development of concentration was the cause of concentration. Preceding concentration causes successive concentration to arise.
1. Cleanliness
The first is the purity of the internal and external bases, of the body and the environment. This influence has been discussed under the second factor of enlightenment, investigation.
2. A Balanced Mind
The second cause of concentration is balancing the controlling faculties, wisdom, and faith, on the one hand, energy and concentration on the other.
3. Clear Mental Image
The third cause is more relevant to jhana practice than to strict vipassana. It is to be skillful in the concentration object, meaning to maintain a clear mental image as is practiced in tranquility meditation.
4. Uplifting the Discouraged Mind
The fourth cause is to uplift the mind when it becomes heavy, depressed or discouraged. You have doubtless taken a lot of bumps and tumbles in your practice. At these times you should try to uplift your mind, perhaps applying techniques for arousing energy, rapture or insight. Uplifting the discouraged mind is also one of the teacher’s jobs. When a yogi comes to interviews with a long and sullen face, the teacher knows how to inspire him or her.
5. Calming the Overenthusiastic Mind
At times it is also necessary to put down the excited mind. This is the fifth cause leading to the development of concentration. At times yogis have fascinating experiences in their meditation practice. They become excited and active; their energy overflows. At these times the teacher should not be encouraging. He or she should speak in such a way as to put yogis in their proper place, one might say. A teacher might also help to activate the fifth factor of enlightenment, tranquility, by the means discussed in the previous section. Or the teacher may instruct yogis to take it easy, just settle back and watch without trying too hard.
6. Cheering the Mind that is Withered by Pain
If the mind is shrunken and withered by pain, it may need to be made happy. This is the sixth means. A yogi may feel depressed by the environment, or by a recurrence of an old health problem. At this time the mind needs to be uplifted and cleared so that it becomes bright and sharp again. You might try to liven it up in various ways. Or the teacher also can cheer you up, not by telling jokes, but by encouraging talk.
7. Continuous Balanced Awareness
The seventh way to arouse samadhi is to continue balanced awareness at all times. Sometimes as the practice really deepens, you seem to be making no effort, but you are still mindful of objects as they arise and pass. At such times you should try not to
interfere, even if this comfortable speed feels too slow for you and you want to step on the gas. You may want to realize the Dhamma very quickly. If you do try to speed up, you will upset the mind’s equilibrium, and your awareness will become blunt. On the other hand, everything is so nice and smooth that you might relax too much. This, too, brings regression in practice. When there is an effortless effort, you should cruise along, yet nonetheless, keep up with the momentum that is present.
8-9. Avoiding the Distracted, Choosing Friends who are Focused
You should avoid people who are unconcentrated and keep company with people who are concentrated – the eighth and ninth arousers of concentration. People who are neither calm nor peaceful, who have never developed any kind of concentration, carry a lot of agitation within them.
Children born to such parents may also lack peace of mind. In Burma, there is a concept closely related to the current Western notion of “good vibes.” There are many cases of people who have never meditated before, but when they come into the meditation center as visitors, they begin to feel very tranquilized and peaceful. They get the vibrations of yogis who are working seriously. Some visitors decide to come and practice. This seems very natural.
In the Buddha’s time, there was a king named Ajatasattu who had killed his father to gain the throne. He spent many, many sleepless nights after committing this evil deed. Finally, he decided to consult the Buddha. He went through the forest and came upon a group of monks listening with peaceful concentration to a discourse of the Buddha. It is said that all his remorse and agitation disappeared, and he was filled with calm and tranquility such as he had not felt in a long time.
10. Reflecting on the Peace of Absorption
The tenth method is to reflect on the peace and tranquillity of the jhanic absorptions. This is relevant for yogis who have meditated in this way and attained pure tranquility. Remembering the method they used to attain jhana (knowledge), they can briefly use it in the present
moment to attain the concentration of mind. Those who have not yet attained the jhanas perhaps can recall some of the times when a momentary concentration was very strong when there was a feeling of peace and one-pointedness. By remembering the feeling of liberation from hindrances and the peace of mind that comes from continually activating momentary concentration, concentration could again arise.
11. Inclining the Mind
The eleventh and last cause for concentration is to incline the mind persistently toward developing concentration. Everything depends on the effort expended in each moment. If you try to be concentrated, you will succeed.