Concentration And Meditation
A manual of mind development
By CHRISTMAS HUMPHREYS
President of the Buddhist society
PUBLISH NOTE
In 1943, the name of the Buddhist Lodge, the original publishers of this book, was changed to the Buddhist Society, London. As howerer, this present edition is a photographic reprint of the 1st edition, all stock of which were destroyed by fire during the war, no attempt has been made to change the ‘Lodge’ in the body of the work to ‘Society’. In the same way, any references to the Magazine, ‘Buddhism in England’ should now read ‘The Middle Way’.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
The importance of right motive
Self-development or service
Meditation and prayer
The nature of self
The power of thought
PART ONE
CONCENTRATION
CHAPTER ONE
Preliminary observations
Definition of terms
Dangers and safeguards
Further preliminary observations
CHAPTER TWO
Concentration
Concentration : general
The value of self-recollectedness
Concentration : particular exercises
Time and times
Place
Posture
Relaxation
Breathing
Begin
An object or an idea
Difficulties
Intruding thoughts
CHAPTER THREE
Exercises in concentration
On a physical object
On counting the breaths
On watching thoughts
On visualisation
On colour
Summary of part one
PART TWO
LOWER MEDITATION
CHAPTER FOUR
Lower meditation
Concentration and meditation
The purpose of meditation
The results of meditation
Meditation : general and particular
Choice of method
New difficulties
Meditation with and without seed
Preparation for meditation
The power of stilness
The power of the ideal
CHAPTER FIVE
Objects of meditation
The meditation on the bodies
The meditation on things as they are
The meditation on dispassion
The meditation on motive
The meditation on particular doctrines
The meditation on the self
The meditation on Analogy
The four Brahma Viharas
CHAPTER SIX
Character building
Dana
Sila
Asceticism
Desire
The elimination of Vice
CHAPTER SEVEN
The culture of the emotions
The nature of emotion
The dangers of emotion
The culture of the emotions
INTERLUDE
The law of health
PART THREE
HIGHER MEDITATION
CHAPTER EIGHT
Higher meditation
The abandonment of intellect
Subjects of higher meditation
Loosening the fetters of form
CHAPTER NENE
The raising of consciousness
The meditation on the higher third
The search for the impersonal
The three Gunas
The voice of mysticism
The fulness and the void
CHAPTER TEN
The doctrine of the act
An action motiveless
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Jhanas
The formless Jhanas
Meditation with and without seed
The pause in the silence
CHAPTER TWELVE
Zen meditation
Zen technique
The Koan and Mondo
The use of a Koan
Satori
The effects of Satori
PART FOUR
CONTEMPLATION
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Cpntemplation
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ways to the One
Must one choose?
The principal terms
Theism
Ceremonial
Magic
Ethics
Meditation
Taoism and effort
Occultism
Mysticism
Mysticism and Occultism
Theosophy
The noble eightfold path
Yoga
Zen
The basic trinity
Synthesis
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Conclusion
The duty to teach
APPENDIX ONE
Notes on group meditation
The leader
The choice of members
The choice of subject
Meetings
APPENDIX TWO
Subjects for meditation
BIBLIOGRAPHY
GLOSSARY
INDEX