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.Lastly, stick to one thing only.AIDS TO CONCENTRATIONFaithThough any subject has been established by means of arguments and valid authorities, stillpeople s minds being entirely taken up with gross external objects, any clear conception of subtleultimate truths is almost impossible without proper faith.When there is faith, the mind can be easilyconcentrated on the subject to be understood; and then the understanding quickly follows.149 CONCENTRATIONControl of BreathRemove the Rajas and Tamas that envelop the Sattva of the mind by Pranayama, Japa,Vichara and Bhakti.Then the mind becomes fit for concentration.Pranayama or control of breathremoves the veil of Rajas and Tamas that envelops Sattva.It purifies the nerves (Nadis).It makesthe mind firm and steady and thereby renders it fit for concentration.The dross of the mind iscleansed by Pranayama, just as the dross of gold is got rid of by melting.A Hatha Yogi tries toconcentrate his mind by having his breath controlled through Pranayama.A Raja Yogi tries to concentrate his mind by Chitta-Vritti-Nirodha (restraining thevarious modifications of the Chitta), by not allowing the mind to assume various shapes of objects.He does not care for control of breath.But, his breath becomes necessarily controlled when hismind is concentrated.Hatha Yoga is a branch of Raja Yoga.Avadhana or AttentionAttention (Avadhana) plays a very great part in concentration.It is the basis of will.When itis properly guided and directed towards the internal world for purposes of introspection(Antarmukha Vritti), it will analyse the mind and illumine very many astounding facts for you.The force wherewith anything strikes the mind is generally in proportion to the degree ofattention bestowed upon it.Moreover, the great art of memory is attention and inattentive peoplehave bad memories.Power of attention becomes weakened in old age.Attention is focussing of consciousness.It is one of the signs of trained will.It is found inmen of strong mentality.It is a rare faculty.Brahmacharya wonderfully develops this power.AYogi who possesses this faculty can even fix the mind on an unpleasant object for a very long time.Attention can be cultivated and developed by persistent practice.All the great men of the world whohave achieved greatness have risen up through this faculty.It is through the power of attention that mind carries out all its activities.Attention is thebasis of will-force.Therefore cultivate the power of attention.Attention may be either subjective or internal on an idea or objective or external on anyobject.Throw your entire attention into whatever you happen to be doing at the moment.It is easyto fasten the mind on an object which the mind likes best.Practise attention on unpleasant tasks,from which you have been shrinking before on account of their unpleasantness.Throw interestupon uninteresting objects and ideas.Hold them on before your mind.Interest will slowly manifest.Many mental weaknesses will vanish.The mind will become stronger and stronger.AN ILLUSTRATION OF SINGLE-MINDED CONCENTRATIONThere was a workman who used to manufacture arrows.Once he was very busy at his work.He was so much absorbed in his work that he did not notice even a big party of a Raja with hisretinue passing in front of his shop.Such must be the nature of your concentration when you fixyour mind on God.You must have the one idea of God and God alone.No doubt, it takes some time150 MIND ITS MYSTERIES AND CONTROLto have a complete Ekagrata of mind.You will have to struggle very hard to have asingle-minded concentration.Sri Dattatreya made the above arrow-maker as one of his Gurus.A COMMON BLUNDERSome medical students leave the medical college soon after joining it as they find itdisgusting to wash the pus in ulcers and dissect the dead bodies.They make a serious blunder.In thebeginning, it is loathing.After studying Pathology, Medicine, Operative Surgery, MorbidAnatomy, Bacteriology, the course will be very interesting in the final year.Many spiritualaspirants leave off the practice of concentration of mind after some time as they find it difficult topractise
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