The Thread of Mindfulness
April 13, 2015
The Buddha speaks of concentration as a perception-attainment through all the levels from the first jhana up through the dimension of nothingness. In each case, the perception you hold in mind keeps you in concentration, which means that as we’re concentrating, we’re fighting against the passage we chanted just now about perceptions being inconstant. Concentration itself, of course, is inconstant, but that doesn’t mean you just give it up and throw it away. It’s a fabrication, but it’s a path-fabrication, just like all the other factors of the path. It’s something you’ve got to foster, something you’ve got to develop. You’re mindful to give rise to it and you’re mindful to keep it going.