When Arjuna says, ‘O Krishna, the mind is restless, turbulent, strong, and obstinate; more difficult to control than the wind’ (6.34), he speaks for all of us. The unfocused mind is easily seduced, jumping erratically from one thing to another, unable to hold a thought for more than a moment. Never has this impediment been more apparent than today, when mental distraction is the bane of our modern digital world. However, despite the continuous bombardment of intrusive input, there are occasions when the mind withdraws from external stimuli to concentrate on something so intense that time stands still. While absorbed in a complicated surgery, the demand on a surgeon’s attention can be so great that all else is blocked out. Likewise, engrossed in a compelling novel, you may not even hear someone calling your name.
Although, as Buddhism puts it, we have ‘monkey minds’ that jump uncontrollably from one thought to another, and extending the duration of concentration is eminently possible. In the Gita, Krishna acknowledges Arjuna’s concern about mental vacillation but explains that, like an enemy, the unruly mind can be conquered through abhyas—systematic practise and vairagya—dispassion (6.35). Daniel Goleman says the same in Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence, conveying that focus can be strengthened. Describing attention as a muscle, he adds that a person’s success depends on their ability to centre their attention on something, even more than related factors such as IQ, talent, and socio-economic status.
Instances of single-mindedness are observed even in the animal kingdom. For animals, concentration is based on instinct, so they are unable to cultivate mental control to harness its benefits at will. For example, when a cheetah stalks its prey, it steadfastly focuses on its kill before embarking on the chase.
However, unlike animals, humans can deliberately develop the skill of maintaining an uninterrupted train of thought.
Worldly distractions are detrimental to concentration, as a mind chock-full of cravings is impossible to still. Focus is easily disrupted by the anticipation of the party later in the evening.
Krishna mentions that a critical factor in achieving concentration is detachment from the lure of sense pleasures. A person attains composure by mastering the mind, but it is only possible to focus one’s attention when one removes the emotional turbulence created by desires (jitatmanah 6.7).
Meditation, the yogic method of the Vedic rishis to cultivate focus, is outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and emphasized in the Gita (5.27-28, 6.11–14). Krishna explains how to meditate, highlighting the step of pranayama as a vital tool for soothing the mind. The direct connection between the breath and the brain is well-established. When stressed, the link between the mental state and the body becomes clear and our breath quickens. When the breath is erratic, so is the mind. Breath control is a powerful mechanism for managing the mind. Even the simple act of taking deep breaths is calming and relieves tension, which is why we often sigh involuntarily.
Meditation is the means to sharpen one’s attention span. Focus may last only a few seconds at first, but with daily exercise, as errant thoughts are gradually dismissed and the mind is repeatedly brought back (vasam nayet 6.26), the period of single-minded focus can extend beyond a brief moment to minutes and even hours.
Anyone who has achieved greatness can attribute a significant part of their success to their ability to focus. The Ramayana describes Rama as samadhiman, one with a concentrated mind. Developing single-minded attention is not only essential for spiritual progress but also vital to success in any venture. It sets excellence apart from mediocrity. As Swami Vivekananda aptly put, ‘The difference between a man of genius and an ordinary person is that the former can concentrate for a longer time.’
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Distinguished psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi credits yoga with being ‘one of the oldest and most systematic methods of producing’ what he calls ‘the flow experience’.
In his bestselling book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, he defines ‘flow’ as a state of intense focus resulting in heightened productivity that maximizes satisfaction. Csikszentmihalyi asserts that ‘total involvement’ creates a ‘holistic sensation’, as superior performance brings ‘optimal experience’.
He mentions the joy of a sailor ‘holding a tight course’ or the feelings of a painter when the colours on his canvas ‘set up a magnetic tension with each other’ to create a magnificent artwork.
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When the mind is focused, you do not make mistakes. Therefore, the Gita teaches that all work should be done with complete attention, a devotional attitude, and total immersion in the activity, by shutting out extraneous input and keeping the mind fixed on the Self (satatam kritayanto mam yatantasca drdhavratah 9.14). Krishna advises us to stop thinking about the outcome because it wastes precious concentration. Instead, he says, it is best to devote your entire energy to the task at hand and leave the result to take care of itself.
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The famous Indian cricketer MS Dhoni, nicknamed ‘Captain Cool’, said that the secret of his success was blocking out all thoughts of winning and concentrating solely on the
game. He said, ‘In almost all the interviews I give, I often talk about how the process is more important than the result, and the result is just a by-product of the process.’ By zeroing in on what is within one’s control and focusing on that alone, enables peak performance.
Excerpted with permission from Life is a Battlefield: Finding Peace—Insights from the Eternal Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita
by Priya Arora, published by Ebury Press
