How to Focus | Shaila Catherine
Guest Shaila Catherine, founder of Insight Meditation South Bay and author, discusses overcoming distraction in meditation and daily life. She shares tips for cultivating concentration, distinguishing it from mindfulness, and approaching advanced states like the jhanas with the right attitude.
Deep Dive Analysis
13 Topic Outline
Defining Concentration in Meditation
Struggles with Concentration and the 'Wanting' Problem
Cultivating the Right Attitude for Deep Concentration
Differentiating Mindfulness Practice from Concentration Practice
Types of Samadhi: Kanaka vs. Apana
Understanding the Buddhist Concept of Conceit (Mana)
Jhana Factors vs. Jhanas: Deepening States of Mind
The Four Jhanas: Altered States of Absorption
Purpose and Value of Jhana Practice for Insight
Accessibility and Attainability of Jhanas for Meditators
Practical Applications of Jhana Practice in Daily Meditation
The Impact of Ethical Behavior on Concentration
Strategies for Dealing with Distracting Thoughts
8 Key Concepts
Concentration (Samadhi)
In meditation, concentration refers to an undistractedness of mind, a stillness, and the ability to apply and sustain attention to a meditation subject without wandering. It's not a narrow, rigid, or forced attention, but rather a spacious mind that is steady and engaged.
Hindrances
These are mental obstacles that prevent the deepening of concentration, such as desire, aversion (anger/hypercriticalness), restlessness, sleepiness, and self-doubt. Purifying the mind of these hindrances is a primary condition for supporting deep concentration.
Right Attitude
This refers to approaching meditation with wholesome intentions, free from attachment-driven wanting, unrealistic expectations, or self-criticism. It involves recognizing that practice is for liberating the mind, not for personal achievement or a 'badge of success'.
Kanaka Samadhi
This is a type of concentration that develops through the perception of changing experiences, such as sounds, sensations, or thoughts, within an open and broad field of attention. The mind remains present and mindful, but the objects of attention keep shifting.
Apana Samadhi
This is a type of concentration based upon a fixed object, where the meditator narrows their field of attention to a single, stable meditation subject like the breath or loving-kindness. This focused attention opens the possibility for absorptive states like the jhanas.
Conceit (Mana)
In Buddhism, conceit is a technical term referring to a subtle comparing function that keeps the delusion of a solid 'I am' in play. It's one of the last fetters to fall away and includes not only superiority but also inferiority and equality in comparison.
Jhana Factors
These are five intensifying qualities of mind that develop with concentration: directing attention, sustaining attention, joy, pleasure, and one-pointedness. They are present in powerful samadhi states and are necessary conditions for entering the jhanas, but can also arise in non-jhanic meditation.
Jhanas
These are specific altered states of consciousness, typically four in sequence, attained through super-deep concentration on a fixed mental object. They are characterized by profound seclusion from sensory distractions, suffusion with non-sensual bliss and happiness, and serve to make the mind 'fit for insight' into the nature of reality.
7 Questions Answered
In meditation, concentration (samadhi) refers to an undistracted, steady, and unified mind that can apply and sustain attention to a meditation subject without being pulled away by thoughts or external stimuli. It is not about forced or rigid focus.
Wanting concentration can be a hindrance if it's rooted in attachment, leading to frustration, anger, or self-criticism when the desired state isn't immediately achieved. This 'attachment sort of wanting' creates pressure and fuels further hindrances.
Mindfulness is the basis of all practice, involving awareness of what's happening in the present moment. Concentration is a continuity of mindfulness, where attention is sustained without distraction. They are intertwined, but how one relates to the meditation object (broad awareness vs. fixed focus) can lead to different kinds of concentrated experiences.
Conceit (mana) is a subtle mental defilement that involves a comparing function, reinforcing the delusion of a solid 'I am.' It's not just arrogance but also includes inferiority and equality in comparison, and it's one of the last attachments to fall away in the awakening process.
The jhanas are not limited to monastics or full-time practitioners and can be done at home, though retreats are supportive. While not everyone who attempts a jhana retreat will achieve full absorption, the path of practice itself deepens samadhi and refines understanding of the mind, making it a valuable endeavor for many.
The purpose of jhana practice is not to get addicted to bliss, but to 'sharpen' and 'clarify' the mind, making it 'fit for insight' meditation. The non-sensual joy and energy gained transform one's view of sensual pleasure and provide the mental strength needed for the difficult work of seeing the changing, empty nature of experience.
Ethical behavior (virtue) is a necessary foundation for right concentration. If one's actions, speech, or thoughts are unskillful or cause regret, the mind will be more restless and agitated, making deep concentration difficult to achieve. Cultivating virtue purifies the mind and supports steadiness.
20 Actionable Insights
1. Cultivate Right Attitude for Practice
Practice with the purpose of purifying and liberating the mind, not for personal achievement, pride, or unrealistic expectations. This prevents frustration and supports deep concentration, abandoning unwholesome states like anger, aversion, and selfishness.
2. Deal with Hindrances First
Approach deepening concentration by working with and purifying the mind of any obstacles or hindrances, such as desire, aversion, anger, or self-criticism. This frees the mind, allowing concentration to arise naturally rather than through forced effort.
3. Apply Mindfulness to Hindrances
When hindrances (like desire, aversion, or self-criticism) arise, be mindful of them and how they manifest in your body and mind. This ‘deals with’ them by settling and dissolving them, preventing them from becoming distractions.
4. Continuity of Mindfulness
Cultivate a continuous stream of mindfulness to gradually wear away hindrances and distractions. This steady presence creates the conditions supportive of deep concentration.
5. Regularly Monitor Your Attitude
Repeatedly ask yourself, ‘What’s the attitude in my mind right now?’ during meditation. This helps you become aware of underlying agendas, such as trying to force an outcome or seeking personal achievement, allowing them to dissipate over time.
6. Question Self-Attachment
Actively question any attachment to the concept of self by examining what you identify with or believe you possess or control (e.g., body, feelings, thoughts). This helps unravel the delusion of a solid, permanent self.
7. Balance Effort in Meditation
Strive for a balanced effort in your practice, avoiding both excessive forcefulness and excessive laxity. The goal is to be fully engaged yet relaxed, which supports sustained attention.
8. Cultivate Ethical Behavior
Base your concentration practice on virtue by considering how you act, speak, and think in daily life. Unskillful engagement with the world (lack of virtue) leads to mental restlessness and hinders concentration.
9. Address Restlessness from Unvirtuous Acts
If you experience restless agitation during meditation, mindfully examine if it stems from unvirtuous actions, speech, or thoughts. Acknowledge these and work to cultivate more virtuous conditions to settle the mind.
10. Dedicate Time to Focused Attention
In your daily meditation, predetermine a specific period (e.g., 15 minutes) to focus solely on a single object like the breath or a particular perception. This strengthens your ability to direct and sustain attention.
11. Skillfully Choose Meditation Object
Understand the difference between various types of samadhi and distraction, then skillfully choose your meditation object and the way you attend to it (e.g., open awareness vs. fixed focus) to support your specific aim.
12. Practice Observing Changing Experiences
Engage in open awareness practices where you are mindful of whatever is dominantly arising in the present moment, allowing your attention to move between different perceptions (e.g., sounds, body sensations, thoughts). This develops a type of concentration (kanaka samadhi) where objects change but the mind remains undistracted.
13. Practice Focusing on Fixed Object
To cultivate deeper absorption, narrow your field of attention to a single, fixed meditation object, such as the breath (as a mental concept, not changing sensations) or loving-kindness phrases. This opens the possibility for a different kind of samadhi (apana samadhi).
14. Nourish Jhana Factors through Mindfulness
Develop a continuity of mindfulness to naturally cultivate and strengthen the five intensifying factors: directing attention, sustaining attention, joy, pleasure, and one-pointedness. These factors support deeper concentration without needing to consciously force them.
15. Use Jhana Practice for Insight
If pursuing jhana practice, understand its purpose is to sharpen and clarify the mind, making it ‘fit for insight,’ rather than merely for temporary pleasure or attachment to blissful states. This transforms the mind and provides energy for deeper wisdom.
16. Approach Jhana with Right View
Engage in jhana practice with a ‘right view’ and understanding, seeing it as a practice of letting go and purification, not for reinforcing self-identification or attachment to achievements. This prevents the pitfalls of craving or conceit.
17. Develop Mindfulness Before Jhana
Beginners should first develop strong skills in mindfulness and focusing their energy before attempting jhana practice. This foundational work helps balance effort and reduces hindrances, making deeper concentration more accessible.
18. Value the Jhana Path Itself
Practice the path towards jhana for its inherent value in deepening samadhi and refining understanding of the mind, even if full jhana attainment isn’t immediately achieved. The journey itself is profoundly enriching, leading to deeper concentration.
19. Adapt Object Holding for Absorption
If accustomed to open awareness, learn the specific skill of holding a meditation object steadily and without allowing attention to wander to changing experiences. This is crucial for allowing the mind to absorb into a fixed object, a prerequisite for jhana.
20. Counter Distracting Thoughts
When lost in distracting thoughts (planning, ruminating, embellishing), first be mindful of them. Then, actively ’talk back’ by mentally stating ‘No, I’m not going to think that now’ or by questioning the truthfulness of the thoughts to disengage from the distraction.
7 Key Quotes
When we're talking about concentration, we're not talking about a narrow, rigid, focused, forced attention. We're talking about a spacious mind that is undistracted and able to stay steady in whatever it's engaged in.
Shaila Catherine
Desire and aversion are hindrances to the deepening of concentration. So if the wanting is infested with a kind of attachment sort of wanting, and the flip side of that is if I don't get what I want, then I'm going to be angry or I'm going to be hypercritical, you know, about the practice or about myself, then we're putting too much pressure on the situation.
Shaila Catherine
Concentration is a continuity of mindfulness. And when we're mindful of something, we are not distracted in that. So there's an intertwining of concentration and mindfulness always. They rise together.
Shaila Catherine
The conceit in Buddhism really is the ultimate delusion of thinking that we have a solid self. The conceit is that I am.
Shaila Catherine
You sharpen a pencil so that you can write with it. And if it gets dulled, you sharpen it again. Why? So that you can write with it. You don't just keep sharpening and sharpening and sharpening and sharpening to get a perfect point and then admire it.
Shaila Catherine
The hard part is creating the conditions for the first jhana because the hard part is freeing the mind from the hindrances.
Shaila Catherine
If we're concentrating the mind without virtue, without having considered how we act in life, we're not going to succeed. And we notice that because we'll notice that the mind will be more restless.
Shaila Catherine