CONCENTRATION OR 'EKAGRA'MIND

      In Patanjali Sutra Yoga in chapter one, we have seen different states of mind . One that is thrown outside and and one which is introvert and one which is concentrating etc. But we have often seen that we do chanting or worshiping of the God.our mind is not single pointed. We in our house pray before we start eating our meals and I have seen that everybody is not closing eyes and concentrating on the prayer.Sometimes someone is pouring water and sometimes someone is getting some other stuff and still chanting the prayer as they don't want others to wait and get delayed starting the eating. This is not the concentration. 

     So that brings me to the story of Arjuna. He was great warrior  and was the best known marksman - may be with exception of Karna in Mahabharata. As you know Pandawas were 5 and their cousins Karavas were 100. Since they were all prince, they had a teacher called DRONA. He was teaching them the archery. So one day he was trying to find out as to how far his students have progressed and so he arranged for a wooden parrot to be placed in a tree. The tree was thick with lots of leaves and flowers . He asked students one by one to come to podium and take an aim the eye of the parrot. But before they were allowed to take an aim and shoot  they had to answer a simple question. They were asked as to what do you see. Some answered they see a tree , some said they see leaves or the branches or the flowers or even the parrot. Drona would not allow them to to shoot the arrow. When Arjuna came to podium, he asked him the same question and Arjuna answered that 'I see the eye.'Drona allowed him to shoot and he hit the eye . So those who were seeing a tree, or leaves or flowers or even the parrots, their concentration was scattered and not SINGLE POINTED  and they were not able to hit the target. So when we have to do something we must have single pointed mind and then only we will be successful. 

    Next one I will tell on how one can do 2 things and still have concentration but that is not for ordinary people.