Acharya Prashant responds to a question about a wandering mind and the inability to concentrate by questioning the very intention behind seeking concentration. He uses an analogy of a butcher asking for a way to control his goats, implying that one must first examine the purpose for which concentration is sought. He suggests that it is a good thing that the mind wanders, as it is a signal that the place it is wandering from is not right. For instance, if one is in a rotten office doing rotten work, the mind running away is a good thing, as it is telling you that you should not be there. The speaker explains that the mind needs to be given something it truly desires; only then will it not wander. He argues that those whose minds cannot concentrate are better off than those who can, because the latter often concentrate on the wrong things. The world's greatest sins, he states, are committed with great concentration. He points out that many criminals have committed their crimes with great focus. It is a misfortune that people find more criminals than saints, and the criminals are the ones who are highly concentrated. Acharya Prashant distinguishes between concentration (ekagrata) and single-pointedness (eknishtha). To perform good deeds, one needs single-pointedness, not concentration. In concentration, the subject of focus is chosen by you, the ego. You decide to concentrate, like telling a child to focus on studying history. In contrast, single-pointedness is when you give up the right to choose. The mind is naturally drawn to something worthy, and that is single-pointedness. The mind wanders because it is not given the right place; it is stubborn and will run away. If forced, it will escape in dreams or moments of laxity. He further explains that concentration is driven by greed or fear. He gives the example of a gun being pointed at someone, which would cause immediate, fear-based concentration. Similarly, if there were a collage of saints with a small picture of a naked woman, the mind would concentrate on that out of lust. This is greed-based concentration. Concentration always strengthens the ego because the object of focus is chosen by the ego based on its likes and dislikes. The ego, which is like a scattered, amorphous entity, becomes a solid, crystallized lump through concentration. Spirituality, he clarifies, does not teach concentration but is about the dissolution of this ego-lump. This happens through attention or meditation (dhyan), which is a state of being present without a cause, free from fear or greed. When you are listening to him, you are not concentrated but are in a state of single-pointedness. In this state, thoughts and distractions do not arise. He advises bringing something into your life that is so worthy that concentration is not needed, as the mind will naturally be drawn to it.
