Balancing the Five Powers

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I think it is more accurate to refer to "wrong concentration" rather than "too much concentration" because right concentration is a factor of the path. Wrong concentration is pushing the mind with too much effort/craving. Where as right concentration is lead by right understanding (per MN 117).

Is like have some rocks near a cliff that need to be disposed of. Wrong concentration & wrong effort are taking a hammer & smashing up the rocks. Its hard work. Where as right effort is simply pushing the rocks off the cliff and right concentration is watching the rocks fall off the cliff.

Right effort is the effort to let go, which arises from right understanding of & faith in the four noble truths, which explain letting go is the way to end suffering. Right concentration is the clear stable aware mind arising from letting go. Of course, there must be the constant mindfulness (non-forgetfulness) to engage this path of letting go.

This is how the five faculties interact in noble path meditation. SN 48.10 states:

The noble practitioner develops concentration & attains jhana by making letting go (vossagga) the meditation object.

Upvote:2

It is too easy to understand, but it is very hard to done.

The example in concentration meditation:

  1. If you have too much trust to concentrate on focus, you will over hurry to sit and to meditate. That hurrying maybe make you miss to concern, smart & wisdom, the meditation's situation and environment, such as it maybe too hot temperature to develop concentration meditation. So, your meditation will not grow up.
  2. If you have too much effort, you will too much concern the meditation's situation and environment, then you loss the meditation's focus. So, your meditation will not grow up.
  3. If you have too much concentration on focus when you still being bore, you will sleepy. But you will not decide to stand up and go to do caṅkama, walk meditate, to avoid sleepy. Because you miss to concern, smart & wisdom, the meditation's situation and environment. So, your meditation will not grow up.
  4. If you have too much smart and wisdom, you will too much concern the meditation's situation and environment, then you loss the meditation's focus. So, your meditation will not grow up.

Etc.

For more information, I recommend you read whole of path of purification especially in pathavīkasiṇa-niddesa and in maggāmaggañāṇadassaṇavisuddhi-niddesa. There are many explanation and many tools for the balancing inside there such as 7 sappāya, 10 appanākosala, etc.

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