Monday, August 22, 2011

Concentration is Power


Learn Mind’s Secrets – 4

Concentration is Power

Scientific research in the metaphysical field has demonstrated the fact that man can influence his sub-conscious mind to his advantage by right thinking. He can bring into his experience the things he wished to enjoy if he thought correctly. Man becomes what he thinks, and what he thinks in the present, determines what he is to become in the future; and also that since he can change his thought for the better along any line, he can therefore completely change himself along any line.

When we want anything, we must enter into the very soul of that thought and be thoroughly in earnest. Every desire should be deeply felt as all deeply felt mental actions become subconscious actions. It is an excellent practice to let every desire sink into the deeper mental life. Only then we awake the finer creative energies of mind, those forces that build talent, ability and genius - those forces that make man great. We must be determined to do what we think we can do, This determination must be invincible, and must be animated with that depth of feeling that arouses all the powers of being into positive and united action. The power will thus be placed at our command to make our dream a reality.

To become proficient in these methods requires the power of concentration. This power can be described as focused attention. It is the ability to direct the attention to one single thought or subject, to the exclusion of everything else. When our mind is focused, our energies are not dissipated on irrelevant activities or thoughts. This is why developing concentration is essential to anyone who aspires to take charge of his or her life. This skill is essential for every kind of success. Without it, our efforts get scattered, but with it, we can accomplish great things.

The cultivation of attention is the distinguishing characteristic of every successful man. The power of attention can be more readily understood by comparing it with a magnifying glass in which the rays of sunlight are focused. They possess no particular strength as long as the glass is moved about and the rays directed from one place to another. But let the glass be held perfectly still and let the rays be focused on one spot for any length of time, the effect will become immediately apparent. So is the power of thought. If we let power be dissipated by scattering the thought from one object to another, no result is apparent. But if we focus this power through attention or concentration on any single purpose for any length of time, nothing becomes impossible.

The purpose of concentration is to apply all the active forces of mind and personality upon that one thing which is being done now, and it may therefore be called the master key to all attainments and achievement. In its last analysis, the cause of all failure can be traced to the scattering of forces, and the cause of all achievement to the concentration of forces. So whenever you are thinking about anything, try to feel your thought getting into the vital life of that something, and wherever you turn your attention, try to feel that the force of that attention acts through your whole mind instead of simply on the surface of your mind. Whatever you have to do, deepen your thought, and the deeper your thought becomes, the more perfectly will the full force of your mind and thought focus upon the point of concentration.

To develop the power of concentration we must practice the shutting out of all distracting thoughts and impressions from our minds. The most important part is to focus positively on one-thing-at-a-time and to avoid thinking of other things that may distract or divert you. When the mind is peaceful and clear, you naturally address issues one at a time. If you limit yourself to doing or only thinking about one thing at a time - you will find that the mind, in turn - gradually develops clarity and with this increased concentration and will power.

Mainly you should become interested in that upon which you desire to concentrate. If you are not interested in that subject or object, begin at once to look for the most interesting point of view. You will be surprised to find that no matter how uninteresting a subject may seem, the very moment you begin to look for the most interesting viewpoints of that subject, you will almost immediately become interested in that subject itself. And it is a well-known fact that whenever we are thoroughly interested in a subject we concentrate thoroughly and naturally upon that subject.

Always look for the most interesting points of view, and while you are looking for those viewpoints, deepen the action of your mind by trying to feel the real vital life of those actions. You thereby become interested in the subject on the one hand, and you make every action of the mind subjective on the other hand; and when perfect interest is combined with subjective mental action, you have perfect concentration.

Concentration has many uses and benefits. It assists in studying and understanding faster, improves the memory, and helps in focusing on any task, job, activity or goal, and achieving it more easily and efficiently. This ability also plays an important role in meditation. Without it, the mind just jumps restlessly from one thought to another, not allowing us to meditate properly. When this ability is developed, the mind obeys us more readily and does not engage in futile, negative thoughts or worries. We gain mental mastery and we experience true peace of mind. It is also required for developing psychic powers, and is a powerful tool for the efficient use of creative visualization.

(To be continued…)

- N.GANESHAN

Friday, August 12, 2011

Chase the clouds away …



Life is not perfect. It does not tally with our expectations. Still life needs to be lived and managed. How can we manage and control our life? It can be done only through proper knowledge and understanding. The following passage from new-age-spirituality.com explains how to chase the clouds of worry and depression. It teaches us how to sail through our life’s storms. Read, reflect, understand and live.
- N.Ganeshan

Chase the clouds away …
Everything is significant. Everything we do does have a permanent effect upon the universe which will continue long after our earthly existence, like the ripples from a pebble thrown into the sea. This is why it is so important to make the effort to do our best at all times, and why every success however minor is worthy of a healthy dose of satisfaction.
Similarly, every experience has a permanent effect upon us. If we are to grow as individuals we must actively seek experiences which will further that growth. Hiding within our shells will lead only to stagnation and frustration, and worsen our depression. Even negative experiences provide an opportunity for growth so long as they are treated as lessons and inspire appropriate responses such as enhanced knowledge that will benefit us in the future.
The perfect human being has not yet been born. What separates the content from the forlorn is how we handle our failings. You are a human being of limited strength and ability. You cannot achieve perfection, for that is not your purpose. Instead, you can and must use what limited capacity you have at your disposal as effectively as possible.
Life is essentially and inevitably a one-way journey to the grave, beyond which we have no way of knowing what, if anything, awaits us. Life, this life, is therefore all we possess. Thus it is our right and duty to make the best of it, to the very best of our ability. To neglect this responsibility is a betrayal not only of ourselves, but of whatever superior power may have gifted us this existence.
Know yourself. Understand your situation. Where are you now? What are your assets and strengths? What are your weaknesses and liabilities? What are your hopes and dreams? How best can you fulfill as much of your potential as possible? Often these are the hardest questions to answer, but without grasping the nettle you cannot hope to move forwards positively.
Is there anything you can do to improve the situation? If there is, do it. If not, then you are going to have to live with it, and you'd better start planning how you can make the best of a rough deal and focus on those things you CAN have an impact on.
Just like you everyone else has also made mistakes, wilful or otherwise, because to err is human. What counts is how we deal with the consequences. To wallow in sorrow and regret is to compound the damage. To seek to learn and make amends is to progress.
- from an e-article of abracad

Monday, August 1, 2011

Key to the Treasure House


Learn Mind’s Secrets – 3

Key to the Treasure House

We have seen that the mind is a great treasure house and sub conscious mind is the door to the treasure house. Do you know the key to the door? The key is deep and strong thoughts.

There are many ordinary impressions and experiences that enter our consciousness are not accompanied with depth of feeling. We may be conscious of such experiences or impressions, but we are not affected by them. For this reason we need not give them our attention, which is well because the majority of the impressions that enter the conscious mind pass off, so to speak, without affecting life in any way.

But whatever enters the consciousness of man and deeply felt will enter into sub conscious mind. Then it is taken up by the creative energies and slowly begins to express itself in the personality of man. So we become like the thoughts we think deeply because the creative power of thought is the only creative power that we have within us. And the energies of mind are constantly creating. So there can be no greater art than the art of correct thinking. Every thought is a cause and every condition an effect. So it is absolutely necessary that you control your thoughts so as to bring forth only desirable conditions.

Everything has a tendency to grow and increase in the subconscious. Whenever an impression or desire is placed in the subconscious, it has a tendency to become larger and therefore the bad becomes worse when it enters the subconscious, while the good becomes better. We have the power, however, to exclude the bad from the subconscious and cause only the good to enter that immense field. So do not permit any idea, suggestion or expectation to enter the subconscious unless it is something that you actually want developed or worked out, and here we should remember that every idea, desire or state of mind that is deeply felt will enter the subconscious.

James Allen says in “As a man thinketh” “Man is made or unmade by himself; in the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace. By the right choice and true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends below the level of the beast.”

“Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits which he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful, and pure thoughts, By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master gardener of his soul, the director of his life. He also reveals, within himself, the laws of thought, and understands with ever-increasing accuracy, how the thought forces and mind elements operate in the shaping of his character, circumstances, and destiny.”

Buddha said, "What we are today comes from thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind."

So make it a point to give continuous directions to the subconscious every day for the steady improvement of mind, character and personality along all lines. You cannot give the subconscious too much to do because its power is immense, and its capacity limitless. Permit no thinking to be aimless. Every aimless thought is time and energy wasted, while every thought that is inspired with a definite aim will help to realize that aim, and if all your thoughts are inspired with a definite aim, the whole power of your mind will be for you and will work with you in realizing what you have aimed.

When there are no results, do not lose faith. Continue to give your thought a deeper life and a more persistent desire. Always be prepared to give these methods sufficient time. Some have remarkable results at once, while others take long time. Be determined in every effort you may make in this direction, but do not be impatient or over anxious.

(To be continued…)

- N.GANESHAN