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Ekaggatā (Pali; Sanskrit: '' ekāgratā'', एकाग्रता, "one-pointedness") is a Pali
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
term, meaning tranquility of mind or one-pointedness, but also "unification of mind." According to the Theravada-tradition, in their reinterpretation of ''jhana'' as one-pointed concentration, this mental factor is the primary component in all jhānas and the essence of concentration or samādhi. One-pointedness temporarily inhibits sensual desire, a necessary condition for any meditative attainment. Ekaggatā exercises the function of closely contemplating the object, the salient characteristic of jhāna, but it cannot perform this function alone. It requires the joint action of the other four jhāna factors each performing its own special function: vitakka, vicāra,
pīti ''Pīti'' in Pali (Sanskrit: ''Prīti'') is a Mental factors (Buddhism), mental factor (Pali:''cetasika'', Sanskrit: ''caitasika'') associated with the development of ''Dhyāna in Buddhism, jhāna'' (Sanskrit: ''dhyāna'') in Buddhist meditation ...
, and
sukha ''Sukha'' (Pali and ) means happiness, pleasure, ease, joy or bliss. Among the early scriptures, 'sukha' is set up as a contrast to 'preya' (प्रेय) meaning a transient pleasure, whereas the pleasure of 'sukha' has an authentic state o ...
. ''Ekaggatā'' is identified within the Buddhist teachings as: * One of the seven universal mental factors within the
Theravada ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dharma (Buddhi ...
abhidharma teachings. * One of the qualities associated with the second jhāna, according to the Pali Canon. * Antidote to sensory desire (kāmacchanda) within the five hindrances.


Etymology

Ekaggatā (Pali) (Sanskrit Ekāgratā, एकाग्रता) means: * "one-pointedness", or the state (-tā) of having one (eka) point (agga or agra); * "unification of mind," in which mind becomes very still but does not merge with the object of attention.


Definition

Theravada monk
Bhikkhu Bodhi Bhikkhu Bodhi (born December 10, 1944) () born Jeffrey Block, is an American Theravada Buddhist monk ordained in Sri Lanka. He teaches in the New York and New Jersey area. He was appointed the second president of the Buddhist Publication Soci ...
states: :This is the unification of the mind on its object. Although this factor comes to prominence in the jhānas, where it functions as a jhāna factor, the Abhidhamma teaches that the germ of that capacity for mental unification is present in all types of consciousness, even the most rudimentary. It there functions as the factor which fixes the mind on its object. One-pointedness has non-wandering or non-distraction as its characteristic. Its function is to conglomerate or unite the associated states. Bhikkhu Bodhi also notes that deeper, more profound concentration (versus the subtle) concentration causes peace. This is thought to arise from and is founded in happiness. Nina van Gorkom explains: :Ekaggatā, part of mental factors, allows one to refine one's focus and to settle onto single object. This refinement occurs by separating senses into the 6 groups of auditory, visual, olfactory, kinesthetic, gustatory and thought aspects of perception. The Atthasālinī (1, Part IV, Chapter 1. 118, 119) elaborates ekaggatā (in the context of sammā-samādhi): : This concentration, known as one-pointedness of mind, has non-scattering (of itself) or non-distraction (of associated states) as characteristic, the welding together of the coexistent states as function, as water kneads bath-powder into a paste, and peace of mind or knowledge as manifestation. For it has been said: 'He who is concentrated knows, sees according to the truth.' It is distinguished by having ease (sukha) (usually) as a proximate cause. Like the steadiness of a lamp in the absence of wind, so should steadfastness of mind be understood.Gorkom (2010)
Definition of ekaggata
/ref> Ajahn Sucitto further explains: : This is the factor of absorption that arises dependent on bringing to mind, non-involvement and evaluation. It occurs in meditation when the quality of ease has calmed rapture and the mental energy; the energy of focusing and the bodily energy are in harmony. The resultant merging of mind and body is experienced as a firmness in awareness, which is hence not penetrated by sense-impressions.Ajahn Sucitto (2011). ''Meditation, A Way of Awakening''. Amaravati Publications. p. 267. (from the glossary) Yet, Richard Shankman notes that ''ekaggata'' also means "unification of mind," in which mind becomes very still but does not merge with the object of attention, and is thus able to observe and gain insight into the changing flow of experience.


See also

* Arupajhana *
Buddhist meditation Buddhist meditation is the practice of meditation in Buddhism. The closest words for meditation in the classical languages of Buddhism are ''bhavana, bhāvanā'' ("mental development") and ''Dhyāna in Buddhism, jhāna/dhyāna'' (a state of me ...
* Jhana * Five Hindrances *
Mental factors (Buddhism) Mental factors ( or ''chitta samskara'' ; ; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: སེམས་བྱུང ''sems byung''), in Buddhism, are identified within the teachings of the Abhidhamma (Buddhist psychology). They are defined as aspects of the mind ...
* Samadhi (Buddhism)


References


Sources

* * Nina van Gorkom (2010)
''Cetasikas''
Zolag //links broken *


External links


van Gorkom
{{Buddhism topics Buddhist meditation Mental factors in Buddhism