I'm new here and I've been reading some very interesting posts. I have a question of my own. I've tried meditation before and as soon as I'm at the borderlines, I hear a voice and it breaks my concentration. The only problem is the voice isn't real. How can I keep my concentration going without it breaking?? I'm not very in depth with everything like most of you are. I'm still new to everything and I'm trying to increase my knowledge, so please bare with me.
I will BEAR with you, yes. You'll have to find someone else who can BARE with you if that's what you're into. My suggestion is to practice. If your concentration is broken, start again. If it's broken again, start again. ... and again ... and again ... My other suggestion is to practice keeping the mind stilled. This is not accomplished through meditation, yet a stilled mind is essential in meditation to keep the mind focused and concentrated. How does one keep the mind still? Practicing the Noble Eightfold Path. And the Noble Eightfold Path is just this: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livlihood, Right Mindfulness, Right Effort, and Right Concentration. The Noble Eightfold Path has three aspects to it: Sila (morality), Samadhi (concentration), and Panna (pronounced phanya) (wisdom). Samadhi is conditioned by a continual practice of Sila. And, Panna is conditioned by a continual development of Samadhi. That without the continual practice of morality there can be little-to-no concentration because the mind is too busy to sit still for any length of time. Consequentially, there can be no development of wisdom as wisdom is conditioned by concentration. Sila (morality) is just this: undertaking a precept to not take the life of any living being; undertaking a precept to not take what has not been given; undertaking a precept to not engage in any inappropriate sensual behavior; undertaking a precept to not use false speech; undertaking a precept to not take intoxicants which lead to a lack of mindfulness. The precept of not taking the life of any living being is this: In Theravada Buddhism it is spoken as Panatipata (first 'a' with a bar over it) means not to kill anything that breaths. Ana means breathing in, pana means life; breath; a living being. Pata means killing (patana: bring to fall; throwing down; killing). The precept of not using false speech is four parts: not using divisive speech; not using harsh speech; not using idle speech; and not using untruthful speech. The precept of not taking intoxicants which lead to a lack of mindfulness does not mean one cannot take medications which are prescribed by a physician for means to correct a malady or illiness. Rather that one should not take it with the intention to alter ones perceptions as this leads one to a lack of mindfulness. ALL ACTIONs have results, consequences. One is NOT COMMANDED to take the precepts. One takes the precepts because one is desirous for specific results, that is, one changes ones actions to ones that have specific results and this result is a stilled, quiet and settled mind. By continually keeping the mind stilled, quiet and settled, one begins to condition and develop concentration. By further continual practice of keeping the mind stilled, quiet and settled, this development of concentration leads to, conditions wisdom. This is how one can develop their concentration during meditation. By keeping the mind stilled, quiet and settled. HTML:
