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CONCENTRATION a Practical Course - with a Supplement on Meditation

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CONCENTRATION a Practical Course - with a Supplement on Meditation CONCENTRATION A Practical Course - With a Supplement on Meditation By Ernest Wood Former Head of the Sind National College Hyderabad, Pakistan, and the Madanapalle College, Madras State, India The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Madras, India Eleventh Edition 1955 1 FOREWORD MR. ERNEST WOOD is well known as both a writer and a lecturer on religious and educational matters, and his work is always careful and thoughtful. A practical course on Concentration is a subject for which he is well equipped, and this little work should prove very useful to the serious student. It is admirably planned, and effectively carried out, and — a most important fact in such a treatise — there is nothing in it which, when practiced, can do the striver after concentration the least physical, mental or moral harm. I can therefore heartily recommend it to all who desire to obtain control of the mind. ANNIE BESANT 2 AUTHOR'S PREFACE THIS book has been through a great many editions in various languages — so many that I have long lost track of them — and must have had a total circulation of over a quarter of a million in many countries. In view of public demand for the work I have revised it for this ninth Indian edition, which I hope will be copied in other countries. I have seen no reason to alter materially either the exercises or the philosophy it contains, but I have I think described and explained them better than before. The book is intended as a practical manual, and the student who takes it seriously as such will derive most benefit from it if he treats it as a six months' course rather than as a reading book. At the end of the course the earnest student will find that he knows exactly what to do next. All the same, others who wish to treat it only as a general help to their meditations will find benefit from reading it through, and picking out for their use whatever appeals especially to themselves. Many hard-headed people may think that my convictions as to the possibilities which we may attain in the near or remote future by internal self-culture are excessively extravagant; but I can assure them that they are perfectly in accordance with the practical mysticism of both East and West, and are consistent with the actual experience and attainment of a number of experts whom I have had the honor to meet and know. Ernest Wood 1949 3 Table of Contents FOREWORD..................................................................................................................... 2 AUTHOR'S PREFACE .................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 1 SUCCESS IN LIFE ................................................................................... 6 THE UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITY ............................................................................. 6 SUCCESS AND CONCENTRATION........................................................................... 7 THE HIGHER ACHIEVEMENTS................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER 2 THE MAGIC BOX .................................................................................... 9 THE MIND'S FIRST POWER ....................................................................................... 9 DISCOVERY OF THE WILL ...................................................................................... 10 THE ROADS OF THOUGHT ...................................................................................... 11 THE FOUR ROADS OF THOUGHT .......................................................................... 13 CHAPTER 3 AIDS TO CONCENTRATION .............................................................. 16 ATTENTION WITHOUT TENSION .......................................................................... 16 NATURAL IMAGES ................................................................................................... 18 CONFIDENCE ............................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER IV CHAINS OF THOUGHT ..................................................................... 22 THE WALKING MIND ............................................................................................... 22 THE WORLD OF THE MIND..................................................................................... 23 THE TRACK OF THE FISH ........................................................................................ 25 THE POWER OF THE MOOD .................................................................................... 25 POLARIZATION OF THOUGHT ............................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 5 CONCENTRATION IN DAILY LIFE ................................................. 28 OUTWARD AND INWARD SUCCESS ..................................................................... 28 THE FOLLY OF WISHING ........................................................................................ 30 ECONOMY OF FORCE .............................................................................................. 32 TRUE WORK IS PLAY ............................................................................................... 34 THE FOUR GREAT ENEMIES .................................................................................. 35 CHAPTER 6 CONTROL OF THE BODY AND SENSES ......................................... 37 HOW TO SIT ................................................................................................................ 37 THE FIVE BODILY EXERCISES .............................................................................. 38 WHY PHYSICAL EXERCISES? ................................................................................ 41 CONTROL OF SENSATION ...................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER 7 THE REMOVAL OF INTRUDING THOUGHTS .............................. 43 TROUBLE FROM ONESELF ..................................................................................... 43 ONE-POINTED PURPOSE ......................................................................................... 44 THE EFFECT OF SURROUNDINGS ......................................................................... 45 CHAPTER 8 GYMNASTICS OF CONCENTRATION ............................................ 47 DIRECT AND INDIRECT THINKING ...................................................................... 47 EXERCISES IN SEQUENCE ...................................................................................... 47 EXERCISES IN GRASP .............................................................................................. 48 EXERCISES IN SELF-EXPANSION .......................................................................... 49 EXERCISES IN MENTAL COMMAND .................................................................... 50 4 CONCENTRATION AND STUDY............................................................................. 50 CHAPTER 9 WHAT MEDITATION IS ...................................................................... 51 CONCENTRATION AND MEDITATION ................................................................. 51 MEDITATION AND EXPERIENCE .......................................................................... 53 MEDITATION AND HUMAN EVOLUTION............................................................ 54 CHAPTER 10 METHODS OF MEDITATION .......................................................... 56 PRELIMINARY PRACTICES ..................................................................................... 56 MEDITATION ON OBJECTS ..................................................................................... 57 PRACTICAL EXERCISES .......................................................................................... 57 MEDITATION ON VIRTUES ..................................................................................... 58 MEDITATION ON THE LAWS.................................................................................. 59 DEVOTIONAL MEDITATION .................................................................................. 59 MEDITATION ON SENTENCES ............................................................................... 62 MEDITATION FOR WRITING AND SPEAKING .................................................... 62 INTELLECTUAL MEDITATION ............................................................................... 63 CHAPTER 11 MEDITATION WITH MANTRAS ..................................................... 66 THE NATURE OF MANTRAS ................................................................................... 66 MANTRA TO SHRI KRISHNA .................................................................................. 66 MEDITATION ON SHRI KRISHNA .......................................................................... 68 THE MEANING OF OM ............................................................................................. 68 CHAPTER 12 OBSTACLES TO MEDITATION ...................................................... 70 THE THREE STEPS .................................................................................................... 70 GIVE UP WISHING..................................................................................................... 70 THE NEED OF A TEACHER ...................................................................................... 71 MEDITATE WITHIN YOURSELF ............................................................................. 72 CHAPTER 13 CONTEMPLATION ............................................................................
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