CONCENTRATION

-Swami Vivekananda (March 16th, 1900) @ Washington Hall, San Franciso (An interpretation)

When Arjuna shot the eye of the fish, it is the epitome of what an individual can achieve- success with the power of concentration be it shooting the bird's eye as a student or the eye of the fish at the swayamwara. This is created as a myth, not reality but no. It is a suggestion as to what is possible not just ten but also in today's world. There are enumerable examples. Someone had a vision and they concentrated on achieving what they set out to do not letting their physical disabilities deter them from

contributing significantly be it Helen Keller or, paralympic player Malati Holla or silver medallist H. N. Girisha. What differentiates these achievers from the rest of the crowd is that they had the will and determination. This is what Swami Vivekananda had to say about the tremendous power of concentrationat the Washington Hall, San Francisco and that we all can do the same. Yoga is defined as Chitta-Vritti-Nirodahaa technique which will integrate the mind and the body and bring them together for a definitive purpose. Yogis have laid down certain rules and the techniques of yoga help all of us mortal human beings become

seemingly superbeings by just realizing our potential through concentration. Concentration, of course, comes from various sources. Through the senses one can gain concentration . One need not, as Swami Vivekananda said, lie on a bed of nails or sit in odd postures to our senses. The difficulty is that if you study closely, you see how extraordinary power arrived at was not attained by regular scientific training. The gradual training of the mind requires discipline and dedication. The technique of examining our own breath, or Pranayama helps focus all our senses into the process of breathing in and

breathing out. This activity of being able to set aside all other disturbances and yoking together the senses is yuja, the root word of yoga. Universal methods have been organized according to different philosophers. Some say we want to attain super-consciousness of the mind- going beyond the limitations the body made for us. The value of ethics to the Yogi lies in that it makes the min pure. The purer the mind, the easier it is to get concentration. Yoga, thus, is but a means in the pathway to progress and success. Friends, I'm sure you've had fleeting glimpses of extraordinary concentration when we do something close to our heart. It may be as

simple as listening to music, watching a mystery or reading a book. When we have tasted success in such things of passion we can do the same in other aspects also. The thing missing is our dislike or opposition to like. Let's make it an opportunity to like what we want to do, what we should do and what we ought to do. Let us learn how to withdraw the senses from all the surroundings and focus it on what we plan to do. This is when we will realize the supreme effect of concentration. A little known story about Swami Vivekananda is that when he was touring the USA, he was asked to play golf, of which he had heard but never played. After a

two minute instruction, he swung the club and got a hole in one. When asked for how long he had been practicing, he replied Since the last two minutes. This is the supreme power of concentration.