Concentration: A Guide to Mental Mastery [Paperback]

Mouni Sadhu (Author), M. Sadhu (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1980

A Guide to Mental Mastery

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Wilshire Book Company; Revised edition (December 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879800232
• ISBN-13: 978-0879800239
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #581,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

111 of 112 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Way It Is, July 14, 2001

By 

Ian Andrews (the deserts of Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Concentration: A Guide to Mental Mastery (Paperback)

In the late 1960's and early 70's there was a phrase that was made popular which went, "Tell it the way it is." It came about as a result of the falsehoods which society was being inundated with from all sides of life. People, and especially the young people of that time, were tired of being lied to. In this book, published over four decades ago, Mouni Sadhu "tells it the way it is" in regard to the art and discipline of meditation. He pulls no punches and does not try to sugar coat the cold, hard facts about the development of the ability to concentrate and its necessity in being able to meditate properly.

Mouni Sadhu is the religious name taken by a Westerner who studied with Sri Ramana Maharshi, a famous and much beloved Indian spirtual teacher who passed away at the mid-point of the twentieth century. The word "mouni" means "silent" and "sadhu" refers to a wandering holy man of the Hindu faith. Though the author had tried many paths on the route to self-realization, it wasn't until he came upon his Indian teacher Sri Ramana that he managed to successfully break through the ego's hard exterior and into the infinity of being. He is therefore a bona fide spokesman for the truths which he recollects in this book.

Written in a simple and easily understandable style, Concentration is a classic among books on the art of meditation. Published, as it was, before our fascination with things "New Agey," it dispells many of the myths and misconceptions that have arisen and been promoted out of that movement. And for this reason alone, for the preservation of the truth, it is worth its weight in gold.

First and foremost among the myths it dispells is the idea that developing concentration is really of no consequence in the practical application of the art of meditation, as some so-called New Age gurus would have people believe. This is like saying that for an automobile to function properly it doesn't need gasoline! Without the ability to concentrate, our efforts at meditation will result only in going nowhere, in spinning our wheels in an unending rut.

Concentration is the cornerstone upon which our ability to engage ourselves in true meditation is based. Without its proper development it is as though we are in a car without a steering wheel. We have no way of directing ourselves toward our ultimate goal.

A second myth that is dealt with, which has been promoted in recent years, is that it is not important to be able to develop within oneself the ability to quiet the mind of all extraneous thoughts. This is the subject of Chapter Fourteen wherein is given a method of beginning to develop this ability to quiet the mind. In his usual straightforward way, Mouni Sadhu states quite unequivocally, "The key to success in this study is just the losing of interest in uncontrolled thinking. With that key you may open the golden gate, from which you expect so much. Without the key, there is no purpose in even beginning the exercises."

Mouni Sadhu gives a powerful presentation of all the aspects leading up to the attainment of the ability to concentrate, structuring the book into four sections. The first seven chapters deal with the definition, method, use, and roll of concentration in a spiritual search. The next seven chapters cover the psychological preliminaries and the keys to successful use of the techniques (which themselves are outlined in the third section of seven chapters) for developing concentration. The last chapter, Twenty-Two, deals with what he calls "guided intuitional knowledge, also called the wisdom of the Self, which is the ultimate aim of concentration." Here, whether you are a beginner or an old hand in working with the mind, is a compendium of inspiring information in the practical experience of the higher states of consciousness, useful in helping one to corroborate one's own experience with someone who has been there.

In this slender book, Mouni Sadhu manages to cover a great deal of important ground for the person interested in developing his mental faculties. Though he states at the outset that such abilities are not easily won, he does encourage the reader to follow his own inclinations regarding the level of commitment he is willing to make. He stresses not getting ahead of oneself, but to take it one step at a time. This is all one need do to have success with these exercises.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Challenge not to be taken lightly, April 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Concentration: A Guide to Mental Mastery (Paperback)

This is a excellent book. It is not a difficult read, although it should be read carefully for understating of the subtle issues being addressed in the book. It is truly as the title says, a guide to mental mastery. But I must warn readers. Reading this book is not a assurance of mental mastery. A reader must be deligent and patient with the exercises in the book, in order to reap the long term benefits. I hope others can will gain by reading this book as well

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is excersize for the serious, only., March 19, 1998

By 

D. Branch (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Concentration: A Guide to Mental Mastery (Paperback)

I note that the listed publication date is 1986. I purchased my copy in 1966. This book DESERVES a long sales life, being the most masterful work of its kind ever done. If you want to achieve pure concentration in its highest form and are willing to expend the necessary effort, buy and use this book!