Access concentration

Hello everybody!

According to Jack kornfield, Daniel Ingram and i'm sure others as well, access concentration is the minimum requirement in order to progress with insight practices. On page 137 in a Path With Heart, Jack kornfield writes:

"In access concentration we become merged and attentive in our meditation, so that a powerful shift of consciousness occurs and clarity, ease and concentration all begin to flow into our practice."

I feel i'm getting nowhere in my practice (I have not yet attained "mind and body"-nana). I've have not yet experienced this "powerful shift in consciousness" that jack kornfield writes about and i'm wondering if this is my problem.

How long does it take to develop accesss concentration? I've been practicing almost every day (maybe 30 minutes) for 5 months switching between shamata and vipassana (i've been mostly doing shamata).

Best regards
Anaj

Anaj,

In answer to the "how long" question, I think it is important to keep in mind not how long you have been practicing but "how well". As I was stumbling through this, it took someone to tell me to really (really!) focus on the breath, like a dog with a bone, to get super concentrated. At that time, I was trying to get into the whole jhana thing but, in so doing, I was able to get to and, probably more important, recognize when I got to "access concentration". For me, I feel a "ballooning" in my head and a "whoosh" as my field of focus tightens substantially.

Again for me, counting breaths really helped. And don't go down the path (as I did) of seeing how high you can count, thinking that is a good thing. Just do 1-10 over and over, and don't fret if you get lost and "have to" start over again. And also, just pick one spot to watch your breath...don't jump around.

Hope this helps,

-- tomo

Tomotvos, thanks for answering! Very helpful!

when you say "don't jump around", do you mean between abdomen, nose etc or do you mean individual spots at the nostrils? I can focus in many different spots around my nose (just below the nostrils, at the nostrils, at the upper lip) and now that you did mention that, I must say i'm guilty of jumping around between them. Also, when you say "really really focus on the breath" do you mean that I should apply effort every single moment to reestablish (or keep) attention on the breath or do you mean something else?

Also, do I need to drop counting at some point in order to get to access concentration or will countring bring me there?

Very thankful for your help!

- anaj

Hi anaj,

I recommend picking one particular spot to focus on and stay on it doggedly - repetition is important, as is paying attention to the breath - not quite as focused as when doing vipassana, but knowing that you are breathing in, knowing when you are breathing out - noticing whether the breath is long or short, or whether the in-breath is longer or shorter than the out-breath, etc. Just stay concentrated as possible and things will take care of themselves.

Here's a link to some good info on jhannas and concentration meditation: www.leighb.com/jhanas.htm

Hope this helps; practice well.

By "jumping around", I was referring to nostril, abdomen, etc. If you can distinguish various parts of your nose, it seems to me you have pretty good focus. As to counting, for me the counting was not a hindrance as long as I did not obsess about it. If I lost count, oh well, back to 1.

And yes, by "really really", I mean "every effort". The term "doggedly" that n8sense used is pretty apt too.

Hi Anaj,

Tomo and John have provided excellent advice.

Another thing you can try is practicing with a kasina object. I used to used a green disc about 8" in diameter that I made out of construction paper. I taped it to the wall at eye level and sat about 10' away. The kasina doesn't have to be green, however. Earth tones work well.

Simply stare at the disc. Keep it in focus. It will do all kinds of crazy things (disappear, move, grow, shrink, etc.), but just keep it as steady as you can. In time, you will notice a shift in consciousness and things become more stable and collected. That's what you're going for.

You may not need to go the kasina route, but it could be a good second measure if focusing on the breath at the nostrils or belly doesn't work so well.

Getting there the first time is the difficult part. Once you get it, you should be able to access it much more easily on subsequent attempts.

Best of luck!

~Jackson

"awouldbehipster: "Another thing you can try is practicing with a kasina object. I used to used a green disc about 8" in diameter that I made out of construction paper. I taped it to the wall at eye level and sat about 10' away. The kasina doesn't have to be green, however. Earth tones work well."

In the same vein, I have a collection of kasinas I created using PowerPoint that I use on my laptop which have worked quite well for me. I haven't figured out how to post them on the site here, but I will gladly send them to anyone who is interested as an email attachment, just let me know.

Regards,

John

Anaj, one other thing to consider that may be helpful is that wanting or expecting certain kinds of experiences to happen can sometimes actually hold back your progress. You say that you have not yet experienced a "powerful shift in consciousness". Try taking a look at what your expectations and desires are regarding what you think this powerful shift in consciousness might be exactly, and investigate how that colors your practice. Does wanting it, trying to get it, and/or thinking you've not yet gotten it interfere with an equanimous yet alert focus on your meditation object?

Consider also that sometimes powerful shifts in consciousness can be rather subtle; they don't have to be in-your-face obvious. It can be easy to miss something significant if you don't yet have a great idea of what it is you're looking for, or if you're expecting it to be other than as it actually is.

It may be helpful to consider alternate criteria for what constitutes access concentration. It may be helpful to consider methodological criteria (i.e. what you're doing and how you're doing it) rather than experiential criteria (i.e. what it feels like) in evaluating where you are. One methodological criterion for having achieved access consciousness is simply that you come to a place where it becomes easier and more natural than usual to stay with your meditation object. Instead of feeling like you are waging a constant battle against mind wandering to keep coming back to the object, it may feel as though you can stay with your object for longer durations and with less effort, even if you are still not impervious to distractions. You may notice that wandering thoughts continue to arise, but have a less pronounced, wispier quality that is not as distracting for your focus on your meditation object.

Have you ever gone jogging, felt like you were tiring out and couldn't go on much longer, and then gotten your second wind? You feel like you're getting near the end of your rope, putting in a lot of energy and effort just to trickle along. Then, it just naturally happens that you begin to feel better, and you find you can run much farther and longer than you thought just a few minutes ago, and with less effort.

It is natural to feel frustrated or disappointed with your progress when you get to the point where you feel like you're putting in a lot of effort and getting little return. The key is to not allow those feelings to influence your technique. Getting to where you want to go is just a matter of consistently applying the proper technique.

If you're running, you must not allow those feelings to overcome you and persuade you to stop. If you do you will not hit your second wind. The key is simply to keep running.

Likewise, when meditating, don't allow these thoughts and feelings to influence your technique. The key is to stick with cranking the gears of your practice. In meditation, part of cranking these gears is always maintaining equanimity. Impartially observe any distractions that may arise, including your evaluations of and reactions to these distractions. Then casually return to your object. It is a kind of balanced composure that does not get caught up and carried away. Losing this equanimity is like slowing to a walk instead of maintaining your jog.

Also, the balance between effort and concentration is key. You must remain alert without overexerting yourself. Equanimity can help you strike this balance. Just keep cranking the gears and let it happen.

"Another thing you can try is practicing with a kasina object. I used to used a green disc about 8" in diameter that I made out of construction paper. I taped it to the wall at eye level and sat about 10' away. The kasina doesn't have to be green, however. Earth tones work well.

Simply stare at the disc. Keep it in focus. It will do all kinds of crazy things (disappear, move, grow, shrink, etc.), but just keep it as steady as you can. In time, you will notice a shift in consciousness and things become more stable and collected. That's what you're going for."

Since you bring it up, Jackson, could you elaborate a bit on your kasina work? I have just re-introduced it into my practice, trying to do a bit each day, and would like to hear some of your details. How long? How often? Posture, if relevant? Other visual distractions? I don't want to derail this thread, so if there is tons of stuff, then I'll split it off into a new thread but it is, of course, directly related to the topic at hand.

"Since you bring it up, Jackson, could you elaborate a bit on your kasina work? I have just re-introduced it into my practice, trying to do a bit each day, and would like to hear some of your details. How long? How often? Posture, if relevant? Other visual distractions? I don't want to derail this thread, so if there is tons of stuff, then I'll split it off into a new thread but it is, of course, directly related to the topic at hand."

Hi tomo,

I don't think this is off topic. We're talking access concentration, and kasina meditation is a way to get it.

First, Kenneth's instructions from the "Q & A on Samatha (Concentration Meditation)"...

"Here's what to do:

1. Get a kasina object. You only need one. Cereal bowls or small plates work great. It should be about 8-10" in diameter, without designs. Earth colors are best, as they don't give you eye strain. (For years I carried around one of those cheap plastic bowls they use in Burma for bathing from tanks of (cold) water (yikes).)
2. Prop the bowl against the wall.
3. Sit about 4-6' away.
4. Stare at the bowl.
5. Let us know what happens. (You may be amazed at the antics a simple cereal bowl can perform.)

You don't need any prior knowledge to do this practice. A can-do attitude and a sense of adventure are all that is required. You will find out all about samatha by staring at the bowl. We will be here for you when questions arise."

kennethfolkdharma.wetpaint.com/page/Q+%2...ration+Meditation%29

As I mentioned above, I used colored discs made from construction paper. I have two of them - green and yellow. I agree that earth tones work best, mostly since they don't strain the eyes as much.

(continued below)

(continued from above)

I think Kenneth's instruction to sit 4' to 6' away is better than my saying 10', so go with the closer range.

And of course, lots of distractions arise. The object will do all kinds of weird stuff. Do your best not to drift.

Sitting in your usual meditation posture is best, if only to reinforce the habit of sitting.

I'd say you should give it 20-30 minutes to start. Just set a timer on your watch or cell phone and forget about it.

If you want, you can update the forum with any questions or comments either here or in a practice journal.

Is that helpful?

~Jackson

Yeah, I've got the basics. Just wondering if there were any "finer points" worth mentioning. Sounds like not.

BTW, the "distractions" I was referring to were more along the lines of other stuff in your field of view besides the kasina object. For example, if you use a kasina on your laptop (say), is it good/bad/indifferent to have a bunch of crap on your desk that you can peripherally see? My paper kasina I place on the floor in front of me. Since I am not getting all the dramatic effects, is it because I am not concentrated, or because it is on the floor too close/far/oblique? Again, just wondering if these minutia matter at all.

I used to be a fitness instructor, and I guess I just can't let go of the "do the exercise right" mindset to get maximal benefit, and in this domain, it is hard to know how "elastic" the process is before you mess up the benefits.

Gotcha.

In general, I think the fewer the distractions the better. Computer screen kasinas might work for some, but I'd rather do it the old fashioned way. If the object can be placed against a simple background (a wall of a neutral color), that's probably best.

If nothing is happening at all, you probably just have to keep your attention on the object until it does. I don't think you're doing anything wrong in that arena. It just takes time. Though, dwelling on whether or not you're doing it right is likely to derail your concentration, so just stick to watching the thing.

~Jackson

I've used your advice (particularly tomotvos advice about really really focus on the breath) and also counting. I managed to get to a state where I could watch the "entire duration" (i suspect I up to this point only watched part of the breath) of the each breath and without getting distracted. This felt totally different then anything i experienced before! It seems though like this require some kind of mental stamina because after a while (10 minutes maybe) I lost this state and was unable to get it back and had trouble even finding the breath. Only in the next sitting could I reach this state again, and once again after some time I lost the state. It feels i'm running out of energy after a while. Is this normal?

Thank you very much all of you for helping me!

Hi anaj,

Your experience sound very similar to my first experiences with access concentration. It took a bit of hard work and forcing myself to bear down on the object (breath), but after a while, it became easier and more natural to reach and it became progressively easier to reach and remain there the more I practiced.

It sounds like you're doing great! Keep doing what you're doing and let us know how it goes.