Meditation and Concentration - Meditation is not Concentration

Often there is a confusion and misunderstanding about Meditation and Concentration, as many teachers teach concentration excercises in the name of meditation. Meditation is not cencentration and is totally different from it. In fact, meditation is totally opposite to concentration. Meditation is all about going beyond the mind, whereas Concentration is about making the mind more stronger and stronger.

In concentration, we narrow our attention to a single point, whereas in Meditation we expand the attention to include all. We exclude nothing in meditation and we are open and recpetive to everything. To make the things more clear, When we focus the sunlight on a paper using a lens then it is an example of concentrating the sun rays at a single point. When sun rays are falling everywhere and there is no distraction or preference of sunrays while falling on earth, then that is an example of meditation.

In Mediatton, we witness the thought and don't get involve with them. Where as in concentration, we concentrate on one thought or mantra or image and keep our total attention on it. Thus in Concentration, we exclude all others except the point where we foucs. Whereas in Meditation we don't foucs on any thing, We don't choose or block any sensory experience but we do witness them.

Let's take another example, When we normally talk with any one then we pay attention to the other person voice and at the same time ignore other sounds like sound of a passing vehicle, bird or some other noise. This act of ignoring other sounds and paying attention to one sound is concentration. Whereas in meditation we don't choose any thing, we witness whatsoever the situation is. Meditation does not choose any thing whereas in concentration we choose one thing on which we pay our total attention and ignore resl all.

Concentration narrows down the attention and makes the mind stronger. It is good for studies or scientific analysis or in our office job. Concentartion produces tension and stress in us and can't be done all the time. Whereas Meditation makes the hold of mind on us weaker. Meditation is an expansion of consciousness and makes us more relax, blissful and at ease.