An old article from my other page.
DHANANJAYA, CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS
Concentration, focus, and dedication are most important in our lifetime. There may be distractions from time to time, but never forget your target in life. This is what I have indirectly learned through reading an excerpt from KMG's translation. You cannot run away from duty and responsibility as it comes knocking on your door. Nor show a lack of focus.
As for the story, Drona has set up a wooden bird atop of a tree across the stream. His disciples, the Kurus and Pandus, have been tested to strike that bird's eye with a bow and arrow. The royal guru first asked the second eldest son of Kunti to go first.
On asking him what he saw, Yamaputra's observation was insufficient. Yudhishthira answered,
"I see the tree, myself, my brothers, and the bird." Drona repeated his question, but was answered as often in the same words. Drona then, vexed with Yudhishthira, reproachingly said,
"Stand apart. It is not for thee to strike the aim.' Then Drona repeated the experiment with Duryodhana and the other sons of Dhritarashtra, one after another, as also with his other pupils, Bhima and the rest, including the princes that had come unto him from other lands. But the answer in every case was the same as Yudhishthira's viz.,
"We behold the tree, thyself, our fellow-pupils, and the bird." And reproached by their preceptor, they were all ordered, one after another, to stand apart.
However, when Arjuna came into the spotlight, everything changed. Drona asked him the same question, but Pritha's son responded differently. When everyone had failed, Drona smilingly called Arjuna and said unto him,
"By you, the aim must be shot; therefore, turn you eyes to it. Thou must let fly the arrow as soon as I give the order. Therefore, O son, stand here with bow and arrow for an instant.' Thus addressed, Arjuna stood aiming at the bird as desired by his preceptor, with his bow bent. An instant after Drona asked him as in the case of others,
"Seest you, O Arjuna, the bird there, the tree, and myself?" Arjuna replied,
"I see the bird only, but nor the tree, or thyself.' Then the irrepressible Drona, well-pleased with Arjuna, the instant after, again said unto that mighty car-warrior amongst the Pandavas,
"If you seest the vulture, then describe it to me." Arjuna said,
"I see only the head of the vulture, not its body." At these words of Arjuna, the hair (on Drona's body) stood on end from delight. Bharadwaja's son was pleased and looked at everyone else standing amongst him. They all nodded in comprehension of the lesson. He then said to Partha,
"Shoot." And the latter instantly let fly (his arrow) and with his sharp shaft speedily struck off the head of the vulture on the tree and brought it down to the ground. No sooner was the deed done than Drona clasped Phalguna to his bosom and thought Drupada with his friends had already been vanquished in battle.
This story on its own goes to show how important concentration is and how that can affect how we perform. Concentration is one of them. One needs to organize and consolidate one's thoughts and focus one's attention on the immediate task at hand in order to perform well in one's chosen field. Failure to concentrate well can not only dent one's performance but also damage one's reputation. Your mind will wander, but you bring it back to the object of focus. The effort of bringing it back is analogous to the effort of lifting a weight. Each time you bring your mind back to the object of focus, your concentration gets a tiny bit stronger, and over a long period, it gets a lot more powerful. Eventually, your concentration is extremely focused and unwavering. Drona told the others not to shoot because they were too distracted or they were not weary of their target. But unbeknownst to them, there was a criterion in play. This should lead us to conclude that we should always be weary of our goals in life. If you have been lead astray from your goals (or our attention has been diverted), there will be less hope of it being accomplished. Under Drona’s tutelage, the other boys learned to focus like Arjuna could, and all became great archers and warriors who fought by his side. By daily practice of meditation, your concentration too can develop to heroic proportions. After all, Drona is the Kuru royal guru for a reason.
DHANANJAYA, CONCENTRATION AND FOCUS
Concentration, focus, and dedication are most important in our lifetime. There may be distractions from time to time, but never forget your target in life. This is what I have indirectly learned through reading an excerpt from KMG's translation. You cannot run away from duty and responsibility as it comes knocking on your door. Nor show a lack of focus.
As for the story, Drona has set up a wooden bird atop of a tree across the stream. His disciples, the Kurus and Pandus, have been tested to strike that bird's eye with a bow and arrow. The royal guru first asked the second eldest son of Kunti to go first.
On asking him what he saw, Yamaputra's observation was insufficient. Yudhishthira answered,
"I see the tree, myself, my brothers, and the bird." Drona repeated his question, but was answered as often in the same words. Drona then, vexed with Yudhishthira, reproachingly said,
"Stand apart. It is not for thee to strike the aim.' Then Drona repeated the experiment with Duryodhana and the other sons of Dhritarashtra, one after another, as also with his other pupils, Bhima and the rest, including the princes that had come unto him from other lands. But the answer in every case was the same as Yudhishthira's viz.,
"We behold the tree, thyself, our fellow-pupils, and the bird." And reproached by their preceptor, they were all ordered, one after another, to stand apart.
However, when Arjuna came into the spotlight, everything changed. Drona asked him the same question, but Pritha's son responded differently. When everyone had failed, Drona smilingly called Arjuna and said unto him,
"By you, the aim must be shot; therefore, turn you eyes to it. Thou must let fly the arrow as soon as I give the order. Therefore, O son, stand here with bow and arrow for an instant.' Thus addressed, Arjuna stood aiming at the bird as desired by his preceptor, with his bow bent. An instant after Drona asked him as in the case of others,
"Seest you, O Arjuna, the bird there, the tree, and myself?" Arjuna replied,
"I see the bird only, but nor the tree, or thyself.' Then the irrepressible Drona, well-pleased with Arjuna, the instant after, again said unto that mighty car-warrior amongst the Pandavas,
"If you seest the vulture, then describe it to me." Arjuna said,
"I see only the head of the vulture, not its body." At these words of Arjuna, the hair (on Drona's body) stood on end from delight. Bharadwaja's son was pleased and looked at everyone else standing amongst him. They all nodded in comprehension of the lesson. He then said to Partha,
"Shoot." And the latter instantly let fly (his arrow) and with his sharp shaft speedily struck off the head of the vulture on the tree and brought it down to the ground. No sooner was the deed done than Drona clasped Phalguna to his bosom and thought Drupada with his friends had already been vanquished in battle.
This story on its own goes to show how important concentration is and how that can affect how we perform. Concentration is one of them. One needs to organize and consolidate one's thoughts and focus one's attention on the immediate task at hand in order to perform well in one's chosen field. Failure to concentrate well can not only dent one's performance but also damage one's reputation. Your mind will wander, but you bring it back to the object of focus. The effort of bringing it back is analogous to the effort of lifting a weight. Each time you bring your mind back to the object of focus, your concentration gets a tiny bit stronger, and over a long period, it gets a lot more powerful. Eventually, your concentration is extremely focused and unwavering. Drona told the others not to shoot because they were too distracted or they were not weary of their target. But unbeknownst to them, there was a criterion in play. This should lead us to conclude that we should always be weary of our goals in life. If you have been lead astray from your goals (or our attention has been diverted), there will be less hope of it being accomplished. Under Drona’s tutelage, the other boys learned to focus like Arjuna could, and all became great archers and warriors who fought by his side. By daily practice of meditation, your concentration too can develop to heroic proportions. After all, Drona is the Kuru royal guru for a reason.
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