Concentration: Gateway to the Celestial Arts by Willow Willow Moon copyright 2000
Concentration, or the ability to focus our thoughts, is an indispensable aid to our normal functioning and well being. Developing the ability to concentrate is one of the primary methods of obtaining magical competence. Without the ability to summon power, the magical r ites which evoke the power of the ods is mere theater or play acting. Concentration activates our personal potential by connecting us to the source of life force and occult power within us, the power which was passed through the generations from the !ncients who dared teach our ancestors the celestial arts of magic and wisdom. Developing the ability to concentrate opens the door to magical efficacy both theurgically "magic aimed at Deity# and thaumaturgically "magic aimed at effect#. $he teachings of the %amkhaya yoga philosophy, philosophy, which were adopted either in their entirety or in parts by all the later religious and philosophical systems of &ndia, e'plain the benefits of concentration.( &n this tradition, the ancient ancient writer )antan*ali talks about uniting the breath together with concentration on specific points in the human body to produce magical effects such as invisibility, flying or shape shifting. %wami +ariharananda !ranya comments on )atan*alis words by s aying- %upernormal knowledge and powers are gained through concentration.2 %ayed &dries %hah, in his book /riental Magic, talks about techniues used to call the spirits. +e writes- !nother process says that the e'orcist should stand within his circle, consecrate it by dedicating the whole e'periment in a suitable speech, and then call upon the ood %pirit that he wishes to appear. When he is sure that he is concentrating well, and that no other thought is in his mind, he must address the spirit in a low voice. 1irst he must call his name thrice, and promise that no harm shall befall him. $hen, the spirit should appear. $his e'cerpt clearly states that the ability to concentrate well is a prereuisite for the invocation of spirits. $he magician focuses single3pointedly upon the purpose of the ritual while he calls the spirit into manifestation. $his same principle is applied in most workings of the magic arts, where the sorcerer concentrates on his intent while manipulating physical matter or psychic energy in some way to produce the magical effect. %hah also says- $here is no doubt that the concentration of mind achieved by %ufis is responsible for what could be classed as truly supernatural manifestations.4 $his statement about the source of the magical abilities of the %ufis is e'actly what 5ogis say about the source of siddhis or magical powers in the &ndian traditions. &n another chapter %hah talks about the the close similarities between 6abylonian, 1innish, !ryan and %emitic as well as the Witch cult systems of magic. +e says- +ere too, we come across the mana3akasa theory- the belief that there is a supernatural force that permeates the atmosphere and which is personified as a power within all men. $owards $owards the concentration of that elusive power, and its aid in influencing spirits and gods, the activities of the
magicians are directed.7 8nergy flows where the mind goes, which is to say that our vital energy moves to wherever we place our mind. Most Westerners think of concentration as only a spiritual or mental e'ercise, but those who are trained in 8astern metaphysics and medicine know that concentration is also an aid to increase ones physiological life force. Most people go through life spending their vital energy and end up like a sputtering candle about to go out. +ealers have discovered that when one is still, calm and centered, ones body collects energy naturally, like a pool collects water. $his means that through concentration one can collect power. $hat is why, in the /rient, concentration is used as a method to prolong ones life. Metaphorically if ones life span were to measure out to an eleven inch string and one bunched that string up into knots of tension, the string would appear shorter. &f, on the contrary, one were to smooth out the string "i.e. smooth out the mind, rela'ing from stress# then the string representing the life span would appear longer. &n our culture we tend to think of a high energy person as one who is constantly hurrying around doing things, however to an /riental doctor that is merely a symptom of running on empty. !ccording to /riental medicine a person who has a strong life force is calm and effective in the face of challenging circumstances. erald ardner mused in his book Witchcraft $oday that- & think that thousands of years ago some medicine men found that by directing the Massed )ower of Mind they got good results in hunting. Whether this power affected the animal or the hunter did not matter, it produced results, and they called this )ower, Magic.9 $he )ower of Mind is massed together by uninterrupted concentration upon a single purpose. /nce this power is collected it is directed to its purpose also by concentration. $his implies that the powers of the mind cannot be activated without the ability to concentrate. &n Mastering Witchcraft, )aul +uson writes about the power of will saying- $his will is switched on during the actual magical operation, and it functions hand in hand with the bubbling and boiling emotions evoked by means of your wicked imagination. &t is in effect the lens through which the burning emotions are focused. &n order to sharpen your will to the correct needlepoint, you may wish to employ one or two aids in the form of simple e'ercises designed to help concentration. 8astern disciplines such as certain yoga meditation e'ercises can be used. $hey are very wearisome, but they do work, with perseverance.: %uch e'ercises can be wearisome due to the persistent needed to continue practicing even when one doesnt feel like doing so, or during periods when one doesnt feel progress. +owever, the development of concentration when taken to a certain level of e'pertise generates a blissfully contented state of mind and becomes anything but wearisome. Many writers on Witchcraft have e'tolled the necessity of learning to concentrate in order to be able to practice magic but leave the reader with not much to go on to actually learn how to concentrate. 1or e'ample, instructions found in +uson are- Meditating on the single flame of a candle is also good, as is keeping the attention fi'ed upon a painted dot within a circle for half an hour without budging. $he attempt to ga;e at the second hand of a watch completing the circuit of one minute, maintaining ones awareness of the hand at every second is also very rewarding, and is freuently used by witches as a toning3up e'ercise for the will, here used to direct the attention.< $hese are helpful instructions for someone who already has a rudimentary ability to concentrate, however, in this article & provide a fuller understanding of the purpose and techniues of concentration. With proper training based on an understanding of underlying principles anyone can learn to improve their ability to focus the mind. %ometimes the only instructions given to learn concentration is focus= as if our minds could be whipped into shape. &t seems that the harder one tries to control the mind the more one becomes uncontrolled. $rying to control the mind is like building a dam across a river to hold back the water. &t will work for a while, but due to a continual flow the water will eventually spill over the dam.
$houghts can be stopped temporarily but soon flood again over the mind. $he application of ones intention is a style of learning concentration where one trains the mind like one would train a dog, consistently and patiently bringing the mind back to the ob*ect of concentration. $he intention is like a leash that keeps our attention from wandering too far from the chosen ob*ect of concentration. $his must be done with care, as forcing the mind to stay is counter3productive in the same way as any intelligent being would resist being forced to stay in one place. $he training must be fun, rewarding and be set up in a way that you can actually do it comfortably and realistically. $rying to train your mind till you are tired does more harm than good. &ts important to stop while you are still alert and can look forward to practicing again later. !llowing the mind to rest uietly is another style of developing the ability to focus. &n the $ibetan language, concentration practice is called shi3nay,> which means calm abiding. $he use of this word is based upon the recognition that our mind performs best when we are friends with ourselves, rather than looking at our mind as something evil or as an unruly child that needs harsh punishment in order to learn discipline. 1orcing ones mind to concentrate may work for a while, but it binds up vital energy to maintain the level of tension that inevitably en3sues from such a struggle. $he meaning of shi3nay e'plains the meaning of the practice, which is to teach the mind to remain at rest by leaving the thoughts and emotions that agitate and disturb it alone.(0 6y learning to calmly abide with the ob*ect of concentration one can eventually maintain a focused state of mind indefinitely because it becomes a self perpetuating feed3back loop. ! single pointed mind generates a rela'ed, blissful feeling due to the gathering and strengthening of the bodys vital energy. When our vital energy is strong we feel comfortable and invigorated. )leasure naturally attracts the attention of the mind, like nectar attracts bees, making it easier "and more fun# to concentrate. %uch one3pointed focus, if done properly, does not remove one from the every day world but brings it more into focus and releases tension from the mind so one is able to think and react more clearly. Calm concentration is not done with a knit brow nor is it a narrowing down of ones awareness to e'clude all other perceptions. $hat is a sort of tense concentration which most of us are familiar with in daily life.Calm concentration is effortless, natural and is not distracted by sensations or thoughts. &n fact it includes all sensations, thoughts and feelings without partiality or compulsion. $he uality of the mind at rest can vary greatly, it can be a coarser or finer state of mind. $he coarsest state is a hibernation3like lethargy that is the opposite of calm abiding. Calm abiding is a state in which mind is not in conflict with its thoughts? it is undisturbed and remains alert and lucid. &f the mind lacks clarity, it goes into a state of dullness, torpor or sleep and calm abiding is lost. $he mind should be neither too tense, because then it is agitated, nor too la', because then there is the risk of falling asleep.(( @ike a stringed instrument whose strings must be neither too tight nor too loose in order to play in tune, the mind should rest attentively. !fter much patient training one can begin to dwell on the ob*ect with ease and grace. 8'periences of contentment or the absence of thoughts often occur. When thoughts do occur they are less upsetting to the delicate balance of the mind poised between the agitation of distractions on one hand and a loss of awareness on the other. $hrough proper training you can learn to fully engage in the world without losing the ob*ect of concentration. &f you strain at holding onto an ob*ect then the mind will become only more wound up and tight with tension. /ne is then easily interrupted and characteristically such a person becomes irritated at perceived intrusions. &t is important to begin training by developing an attitude of non3chalance toward interruptions. &f during a practice session you are interrupted, allow it to be okay, *ust rela' and do not
automatically get upset merely because someone dared to intrude. & am not saying that you should never be upset, that you should suppress your emotions, or not react appropriately to stimuli. What & am saying is to look at how your mind works when you happen to get interrupted during practice. Do you automatically become irritated with the intrusionA & believe there are people and spirits who can willfully try to interfere with magical rites. & encourage you to protect yourself in an appropriate manner from such beings before beginning any practice session or ritual if you feel the need. +owever, for purposes of training your mind to concentrate it is important to discover how your mind reacts to sudden change. Bnderstanding this will help you develop a greater mental fle'ibility to move with daily changes without losing your balance. $ibetans have for centuries developed a psychic technology in much the same way our culture has developed a material technology. &t is from this ancient tradition that & have adapted techniues to use in our own art of magic. &n general, to learn the knack of abiding in a calm and focused state there are two main approaches- learning to fi' the mind with a support and fi'ing the mind without a support. ! support is any ob*ect, whether physical or imagined. Bsually, mastery in fi'ing the attention upon an ob*ect is achieved first before you continue on to practice fi'ing your attention upon non3substantial infinite vastness, which is without thinking of the past, present or future, free from contrivance, fabrication or alteration of the natural mind. @earning to fi' the mind without a support is an antidote to obsession and furthers the development of psychic ab3ilities by opening the mind beyond our everyday concerns. %ome techniues include both approaches together in order to facilitate a faster and more graceful development of concentration. !lso, some methods of learning concentrat ion use vocal sounds to integrate the various stages of learning. When one first starts to practice concentration one often notices that the mind acts like a waterfall- thoughts constantly tumbling over one after another, each one pulling at us to follow, distracting us from the ob*ect of concentration. !fter training a while, the mind becomes like a stream, with the thoughts flowing more slowly and steadily. /ne can start to perceive intuitive feelings arising in between the thoughts. !fter continued practice the mind becomes like a clear, serene lake with mysterious depths of feelings and insights. With more practice the mind is said to become limitless and unfathomable like the ocean, constantly in motion but never moving. $his is a natural state of calm abiding in which focusing on anything for any length of time is effortless. %uch an e'perience may seem far3fetched to most Westerners. &n general we are charged up mentally, swimming in a sea of changing emotions and thoughts, raising us up and dropping us down. +ow can we possibly live in a calm state without our minds filled with constantly churning thoughtsA $he method of fi'ing your attention upon a single ob*ect is one way to begin. Choose an ob*ect you feel good about, something you like or that has a special meaning to you. $his is so you will feel happy when you practice, which will encourage you. $he ob*ect can be something physical or totally imaginary. &t is easier to imagine an ob*ect or symbol that you are already familiar with. &t is not a good idea to use a bright, shining physical ob*ect because that would damage your sight.(2 )lace the ob*ect in front of you, either physically or seeing it in your minds eye. &f you have a tendency to lethargy or if you find that you are falling asleep during the practice of fi'ing your mind, then place the ob*ect up higher so that you fi' with your eyes wide open. With an imaginary ob*ect, you can imagine that it is radiating brightly colored light to prevent torpor and increase the clarity of the ob*ect.( &f, however, you are agitated or easily distracted then place the ob*ect lower so that you are fi'ing with your eyes half closed. &f you are feeling neither sleepy nor distracted then place the ob*ect at a comfortable height. During a practice session it is common to shift between sleepiness and agitation, simply notice how you are doing and ad*ust the height of the ob*ect appropriately.
/nce you have your chosen ob*ect in place and are sitting comfortably, start by fi'ing your mind sharply upon the ob*ect. )ut all of your attention on it, using your mind like a sharp knife with all the aspects of your being pointing directly toward the ob*ect. !s you fi' sharply, you have no thoughts? they are automatically blocked. &t is not beneficial to remain this way for long. &f you do, then when you finish you may notice you are nervous. %o, to start, only fi' for a few seconds and then slowly rela' the minds focus. When you rela' you will notice thoughts again arising to the surface of the mind. /bserve the power of the thoughts and how they manifest in your mind until you become completely distracted from the ob*ect of concentration. /nce you notice that you are no longer dwelling on the chosen ob*ect, immediately fi' your attention sharply on the ob*ect. Dont hold the sharp focus for long, again try to rela' slowly and observe your mind. Continue on in this way during the entire session. %top when you begin to become tired and start again only when refreshed. &f you have many problems fi'ing your attention due to agitation or confusion then chant !hhh while you fi' sharply as an aid to focus your mind. &f you practice concentration in this manner, you may surprise yourself when you find you can rela' without losing your focus. 8ven with many thoughts and interruptions you can learn to have no problem maintaining concentration. &f after several attempts it appears that the imagined ob*ect is unstable, changing into something beautiful or terrible, then this is a sign of too much tension in the mind. 5ou are fi'ing sharply for too long and you need to rela' more. $he appearance of something wonderful does not mean you are enlightened nor does the vision of something horrible mean you are being attacked. &n this conte't, these sort of visions simply mean you are tense. &f you are not succeeding then it is important to use more sound. $ry sounding !hhh when you start to fi' on the ob*ect, inhale while continuing to fi' sharply, then sound again while you rela'. When you finish sounding, fi' sharply, then inhale while continuing to fi' the mind. !gain you sound and rela' ending the !hhh by fi'ing sharply once more. epeat this pattern of rela'ing while sounding and fi'ing while inhaling for seven, thirteen or twenty one times. When you are ready to stop do not fi' at the end of the last !hhh, *ust rela' and rest. &f you can immediately get into a calm state without losing focus even when thoughts arise or there is movement or noises around you, then you have developed the ability to fi' your mind with an ob*ect. $he ne't step is to learn to fi' your attention without using an ob*ect to support the mind. $he best time to start learning this method of concentration through sky ga;ing is during the early morning or late afternoon light. $he best place is with an open view of the sky. &f you are practicing in the morning face West and if in the afternoon face 8ast to avoid glaring light which could harm the vision.(4 1ully open your eyes and ga;e into the space of the blue sky. %tart by fi'ing the mind sharply in the same way as you did with an ob*ect even though there is only open space. !lthough its fine to blink softly, dont move your eyes around. $his will help keep your breathing, energy and body calm. &ts important to remember that you are not looking for anything in particular. ust ga;e softly into the space, without focusing upon any ob*ect whatsoever. 5ou need to have an attitude of waiting patiently to let your mind rest during practice. Eeeping your ga;e stable, fi' your mind sharply only for a few seconds? then rela' and observe your thoughts and perceptions. &f you lose your focus while observing the mind then once again fi' the attention sharply on clear, open space and then slowly rela'. 6y practicing in this way you can learn to integrate rela'ation with concentration and thus stop fighting against yourself to achieve the ability to concentrate anytime, anywhere. $hen you will not need any ceremony like sitting and looking at the sky. /nce you notice and discover the nature of the state of calm abiding, with practice you will be able to simply enter that state of mind even when you are surrounded by confusion or chaos.
!biding in an open frame of mind gradually frees our e'perience from the chain of compulsively conditioned thought. 6y developing a relationship with space, we reduce the identification with our thoughts which allows us to e'perience what we sense more directly. Directly e'periencing our sensations without a commentator makes it easier to abide calmly in the world. $his makes it possible for us to remain alert and rela'ed while effectively engaged in any situation.(7 Developing our power to concentrate develops our will power and benefits us in any endeavor we undertake. Without the ability to focus we are lost in a sea of whimsy or distracted too easily from our goals. $he ability to concentrate is a necessary first step for developing the more advanced skills of meditation and contemplation. $hrough the skill of concentration we can open any door to occult knowledge, wisdom or power and thus make the magic of the celestial arts an immediate reality. Fotes (. !ranya, %wami +ariharananda. 5oga )hilosophy of )atan*ali. !lbany- %tate Bniv. of Few 5ork, (><. 'v. 2. &bid. 274. . %hah, &dries. /riental Magic. Melksham, Wiltshire- edwood )ress, (>79. >9. 4. &bid. 9(. 7. &bid. 03(. 9. ardner, erald. Witchcraft $oday. Few 5ork- Citadel )ress, (>74. (72. :. +uson, )aul. Mastering Wicthcraft. Few 5ork- .).)utnams %ons, (>:0. 29. <. &bid. 29. >. &n $ibetan this is spelled shi3gnas and is often transliterated as shi3ne. (0. Ealu, inpoche. @uminous Mind. 6oston- Wisdom, (>>:. (7. ((. &bid. (74. (2. Forbu, Famkhai. $he %ong of the Ga*ra. Few 5ork- %tation +ill, (>>2. 2>. (. Drakpa, $songkhapa @ob;ang. %i' 5ogas of Faropa. $rans. lenn +. Mullin. &thaca- %now @ion, (>>9. (4<. (4. Forbu. 2. (7. /ral teachings of 6Hnpo $en;in Wangyal inpoche on $he 1ive 8lements in D;ogchen given in 6erkeley, C! on une (2, (>>>.
