Focused attention is the introductory stage of [[a general theory of meditation|meditation]] practice. It trains the [[cognition|mind]] to maintain a steady awareness of [[the breath]] or a real or imagined object. This practice tunes out the mind’s natural tendency to wander between subjects and sets the stage for [[open monitoring]]. Meditation initially trains us to return our mind again and again to [[the breath]], or some other nonconceptual focus. The purpose of this phase is to shift our identity away from the internal narrative ("I am...") and access the part of the self that bears witness to the autonomous processes of the body. A variety of traditions have developed from techniques of the practice. #### Plum Village Tradition Plum Village is a monastery founded by Thich Nhat Hanh in France. It practices a mindfulness tradition called Engaged Buddhism that draws from Mahayana and Zen traditions. This is one of the most familiar practices in the West. Hanh's main contribution to Western mindfulness practice is the philosophy of [[interbeing]] centered around his specific formulation of conscious breathing. Every meditation begins with attending to the breath, prompted by the phrase, “Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know that I’m breathing out.” Hanh emphasizes that inner peace is available to us at every moment. Often it is a simple matter realizing the value of difficult experience, and how it relates to the wider spectrum of human experience. >[!quote] Thich Nhat Hanh >When you have a toothache, you are enlightened. You realize that not having a toothache is a wonderful thing. In the Plum Village tradition, focused attention is the doorway to [peace as a path](https://inquiringmind.com/article/0801_15_thich-nhat-hanh/). Imagery for focusing attention during meditation serve as relevant metaphors that direct awareness into deeper layers of meditative practice. %% * A flower. * A flower is both its inflorescence and compost. It relies on the nutrients release by decay to grow and it becomes nutrients itself as it decays. * This is the essence of interbeing and an entry point into non-dual awareness. * I see myself as a mountain. * I see myself as a tree in a storm. * "You are a kind of tree. Your trunk is a little below the level of your navel." * This pulls awareness down into the abdomen, away from thoughts. To think of leaves as thoughts, we realize our identity is rooted further down, and can sway with the wind. * This is a form of open monitoring. The wind and leaves are part of the noise, while the self is something stable within it. We notice the noise but not carried away from it. * I see myself as still water. * "If the pond of the mind of living beings is still, [[The moon]] will reflect itself beautifully in it." This is a tactic for tuning out noise altogether. We realize we have some agency in allowing how far our thoughts can carry us. Calming the mind allows us to see deeper thoughts and reflections clearly and undistorted. Ultimately, this represents [[Clear Knowing & Release|cessation]]. By stilling the mind altogether, we can release ourselves from the expectation of having expectations. * "These are the two aspects of Buddhist meditation practice: samadhi and vipassana. Samadhi is calming, stopping: stopping forgetfulness, calming our emotions, our agitation. Vipassana is looking deeply in order to understand the true nature of things, to have the insight that can liberate us." * I see myself as space. * "If we want to have space, we have to learn how to release our cows, the ones outside and the ones inside."