III. The Mechanism of Entering Samādhi

In previous reflections[1], I have clearly and thoroughly described the techniques for entering samādhi—that is, bringing oneself into a state of blissful absorption and one-pointed concentration. This time, I’ve come up with a way to formalize the relationship among key elements that lead to samādhi. What I will present here is the “Samādhi Equation,” supported by insights previously explored.

For me, the ultimate purpose of meditation is liberation. Achieving this requires a combination of internal cultivation (samādhi through meditative concentration) and external alignment (through ethical conduct and a lifestyle that supports spiritual ascent). Regarding the internal work, we can use attention as a central axis to represent temporary concentration with the following equation:

Focus = A*Object + (1 – A)*Mind_Monkeys

where:

+ Focus refers to mental stability and concentration—the quality of our attention[2].

+ Mind_Monkeys symbolize the restless, disruptive thoughts that jump around when we’re trying to meditate. There can be many monkeys or just a few, and they might jump from place to place or linger restlessly in one spot. The intensity of this mental chatter also matters. When both the number and strength of these mental monkeys are high, it becomes extremely difficult to direct sustained attention toward the meditation object.

+ Object refers to the chosen meditation object—such as the moon, a marble, a flame, a red dot, etc.—used as the focus for entering samādhi. Compared to the mind monkeys, the meditation object may seem rather dull or uneventful. And this very dullness often causes the attention to lose interest, leading it back toward the mental monkeys, which ultimately results in mental distraction. Instead of entering absorption, we end up... thinking about worldly matters.

So how can we help ourselves in this situation? Perhaps we need to better understand the nature of these mind monkeys, the meditation object, the role of attention, and the interactions among them.

A. Mind monkeys

As mentioned above, the number and activity level of the mind monkeys are major obstacles to concentration. Ethical conduct and simplifying one’s lifestyle—living more kindly, gently, with less competition and fewer sensual distractions—can significantly reduce their appearance. Of course, achieving this requires a great deal of time, personal effort, support from one’s family, and a clear, practical plan. As an immediate step, it helps to minimize external stimulation before sitting to meditate, reduce interaction, avoid distracting or sensational news, and choose a quiet, warm, and peaceful place to practice.

No matter what we do, the mind monkeys will show up as soon as we begin to meditate. You cannot simply ignore them—they will only become more disruptive. Instead, find out where they live and destroy their dwelling space, so they’ll have no place to stay and simply disappear. According to Sigmund Freud’s model of consciousness, the conscious mind[3] —the part above the surface of the iceberg—is where these restless thoughts jump about. This surface includes our direct awareness: our thoughts, perceptions, and the recognition of inner and outer phenomena. Just below the surface lies the subconscious, which stores accumulated memories and knowledge. While we can’t directly perceive the subconscious unless we intentionally activate it, it still influences our psychological behavior in indirect ways. Deeper still is the unconscious and the ego/self, where the core mechanisms of our psychology operate. This region houses our primal instincts—survival instincts, sexual drives, aggression, fear, insecurity, inferiority complexes, and our darkest and most irrational desires. This may well be the karmic force that invisibly governs our entire life.

With this psychological structure in mind, it becomes clear that eliminating the mind monkeys completely is no easy task. They are not merely the product of our daily lifestyle—they are deeply embedded expressions of karmic patterns, accumulated over countless lifetimes. They spring forth unexpectedly, without warning. Still, we must try our best to reduce them as much as possible. But how do we do that?

B. The meditating object

First, it’s important to emphasize that the meditation object is merely a tool to help us enter samādhi. In both The Buddha and His Teachings and the Abhidhamma (Higher Teachings), the Buddha Shakyamuni introduced a wide range of meditation objects suitable for contemplation and reflection, depending on the temperament of the practitioner. My previous meditation object was the moon, as it carries a neutral energy that seemed well-suited to temper my hot-headed nature. However, when I tried to contemplate the moon, I found that my attention was weak and unsustainable. Perhaps the limitation of the moon[4] —and other static objects —is that they are simply too still, lacking certain features needed to attract and retain attention long enough to stabilize the mind. When meditating on such a monotonous object, boredom and negligence soon arise, and attention quickly wanders off to play with the mind monkeys again. As a result, I would spend an entire session just floundering. Without mental stability, samādhi is impossible, and without samādhi, the inner work of transforming the mind cannot be truly effective. This is a dilemma that many meditation practitioners find themselves trapped in—often without knowing how to resolve it.

So, what’s the solution? Change the object. Look for a type of meditation object that can compete with the restlessness of the mind and win back attention. It’s like choosing our mode of transport to get to Saigon: car, bus, boat, or airplane—it doesn’t matter, as long as it gets us there safely. Unless we're bound by a lack of options or feel that our current meditation object is sacred or untouchable, there’s no reason not to switch to something more suitable and effective.[5] Of course, that doesn’t mean we can just pick any object we like—say, an image of an attractive woman to capture our attention . . Don’t be foolish. That only leads to sensual desire, which belongs to the sensual realm (kāma-dhātu) and clearly doesn’t lead upward toward spiritual liberation. The goal is to select a neutral neutral object that possesses features the mind naturally gravitates toward—something that attracts and holds attention. But then the real question becomes: what exactly draws attention?

End of Part 2/5

Notes:

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[1] For prior reflections on the practice of samādhi, see my earlier writings: Samādhi Made in Vietnam, Scientific Meditation, and Quantum Mind.

[2] https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-attention-and-vs-concentration/. On the distinction between attention and concentration: One can direct attention toward one or multiple objects without achieving concentration. However, it is impossible to concentrate without first having attention. See: Castle, H., & Buckler, S. (2009). Attention and concentration.

[3] Wilhelm Wundt (German), William James (American), và Sigmund Freud (Austrian) are often regarded as founding figures of modern psychology. For more on Sigmund Freud’s theory of consciousness and the unconscious mind, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud;

https://www.maxreading.com/sach-hay/danh-nhan-triet-hoc/sigmund-freud-nguoi-khai-pha-nhung-mien-sau-cua-cam-xuc-con-nguoi-33672.html; https://www.simplypsychology.org/Sigmund-Freud.html; http://bvtt-tphcm.org.vn/vo-thuc-va-suc-manh-cua-no/.

[4] Or perhaps… I’m just not good enough .

[5] It should be noted that I only switched from the moon—my original meditation object given by Master Tibu—to a dynamic object; I never abandoned my teacher. In fact, it was Master Tibu himself who encouraged me to meet Brother Alpha and to practice in this new way. That’s what a true teacher does !