Yesterday's Daily Dharma:
Concentration and Mindfulness
Concentration and mindfulness are distinctly different functions. They each have their role to play in meditation, and the relationship between them is definite and delicate. Concentration is often called one-pointedness of mind. It consists of forcing the mind to remain on one static point. Please note the word force. Concentration is pretty much a forced type of activity. If can be developed by force, by sheer unremitting willpower. And once developed, it retains some of that forced flavor. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is a delicate function leading to refined sensibilities. These two are partners in the job of meditation. Mindfulness is the sensitive one…. Mindfulness picks the objects of attention, and notices when the attention has gone astray. Concentration does the actual work of holding the attention steady on that chosen object. If either of these partners is weak, your meditation goes astray.
~ Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English; from Everyday Mind, a Tricycle book edited by Jean Smith.
I think a lot of us start with mindfulness in order to develop better attention.
Today's Daily Dharma:
Higher States
The basic objection to alcoholic drinks and [hallucinogenic] drugs lies in the fact that they distort the mental vision, if only temporarily; in such case it is not possible to preserve the vigilance and alertness which Buddhists should continuously practice. Possibly the best illustration of this distortion, even though very slight, may be taken from the experience of drivers of motor vehicles who are, as a rule, averse to taking any alcoholic drinks when driving or about to drive…. In view of certain misapprehensions, it should be firmly stated that the use of hallucinogenic drugs for the purpose of attaining allegedly “higher” meditative states is highly dangerous and is a contravention of the Fifth Precept.
~ Hammalawa Saddhatissa, Buddhist Ethics; from Everyday Mind, a Tricycle book edited by Jean Smith.
This is a rather strict reading the Fifth Precept -- I undertake the precept to refrain from intoxicants which lead to heedlessness. Can include intoxicating ideas -- that I suspect few American Buddhists follow. Which isn't to say that's OK, only that I think there is a middle way between complete abstinence and heedlessness.
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