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Meditation can be seen as a spectrum that goes from pure mindfulness to pure concentration. An example of what I mean by "pure mindfulness" is open awareness type of meditation, where the mind is simply open to whatever comes up and lets go of it as soon as it arises. Awareness is a bright sky and thoughts and mental phenomena are ephemeral clouds passing through that sky. "Pure concentration", on the other hand, is holding attention on one object and only one object, not letting it waver.
Both contain each other, like the famous taiji/yin-yang symbol from Taoism. Pure mindfulness is what the Buddha referred to as "signless concentration". Instead of focusing on one particular object within experience, the entirety of experience is taken as the object. Experience is regarded as a whole and experienced as a whole. Pure concentration, on the other hand, requires mindful awareness to see when distraction arises, and to see the state of mind and adjust accordingly until proper concentration is reached.
Typically I practice a mix of these. I practice a samatha or concentration exercise, focusing on where I feel the breath in my body and trying to hold my attention there--which is especially challenging during the pauses between in- and out-breaths. Interruptions come up, and I try to let go of them and bring attention back to the breath. Sometimes the interruptions are minor and easily released. But sometimes they are major. Loud. Persistent. Insistent. These must then become the object of meditation, but rather than concentration exercise I do a more mindful examination of them. How do they feel in the body? Where is there tension, where is there relaxation? Where is there constriction or restriction, and where is there release or opening? What is the cause? What is being gratified? What is the danger? How can I work to let go? The examination is performed gently, prodding the object and allowing it to reveal itself under the guidance of my quiet questioning. And eventually it is teased apart, and I'm able to release it and return to the breath.
Both contain each other, like the famous taiji/yin-yang symbol from Taoism. Pure mindfulness is what the Buddha referred to as "signless concentration". Instead of focusing on one particular object within experience, the entirety of experience is taken as the object. Experience is regarded as a whole and experienced as a whole. Pure concentration, on the other hand, requires mindful awareness to see when distraction arises, and to see the state of mind and adjust accordingly until proper concentration is reached.
Typically I practice a mix of these. I practice a samatha or concentration exercise, focusing on where I feel the breath in my body and trying to hold my attention there--which is especially challenging during the pauses between in- and out-breaths. Interruptions come up, and I try to let go of them and bring attention back to the breath. Sometimes the interruptions are minor and easily released. But sometimes they are major. Loud. Persistent. Insistent. These must then become the object of meditation, but rather than concentration exercise I do a more mindful examination of them. How do they feel in the body? Where is there tension, where is there relaxation? Where is there constriction or restriction, and where is there release or opening? What is the cause? What is being gratified? What is the danger? How can I work to let go? The examination is performed gently, prodding the object and allowing it to reveal itself under the guidance of my quiet questioning. And eventually it is teased apart, and I'm able to release it and return to the breath.
