Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhanas

by Leigh Brasington

It is not helpful to force your mind to remain fixed on the meditation object. It’s not that this cannot be done; it’s that doing so will generate a mind so tense and tight that it will not have the relaxed diligence necessary for entering the jhānas. The strategy is to place your attention on the meditation object and then be diligent about recognizing when you have become distracted. Drop the distraction; it might be helpful to label the distraction with a one-word label. Labeling helps you disidentify with the thought stream and provides insight into where your mind habitually goes when it becomes distracted. Just remember that the first label that comes to mind is always correct—spend zero energy trying to find the “perfect” label. Then—very important—relax, and return your attention to your meditation object.