Access concentration

• Putting MCTB and Right Concentration into NotebookLM

What Daniel Ingram says in MCTB

Daniel Ingram defines access concentration in Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha (MCTB) as the ability to steady the mind on a chosen object with relative ease to the exclusion of distractions. He characterises it as a state where attention remains on the object second after second and minute after minute without wandering, yet it occurs before the onset of the more “interesting, blissful, or unusually steady” perceptual shifts associated with the jhanas. This level of concentration is considered a basic attainment that acts as a bridge, allowing a practitioner to access both the higher shamatha jhanas and the path of insight.

Ingram notes that in the first edition of MCTB, he incorrectly suggested that meditators would automatically “know it when they have it”; however, he now acknowledges that standards for access concentration vary widely and it may not be as obvious as he originally claimed. He highlights that the term is often a subject of “term wars”, where various traditions and teachers use the same name to describe states with significantly different depths of stillness, focus, and duration.

In the context of insight practice, Ingram describes access concentration as a stable mode of attention that allows for the consistent investigation of individual sensations one after the other, second after second, without being derailed by the content of thoughts. He emphasises that if the mind is spinning or lost in thought, decent concentration is basically impossible, requiring the practitioner to stay on the object “like a dog with a bone” until the mind rests on it effortlessly.

Practically, Ingram suggests that if a person can hold their attention completely on a chosen object for even one solid minute, they have demonstrated strong concentration skills, though reaching stable access concentration might require staying with an object for ten minutes or up to an hour. He advises that practitioners should tune in to anything smooth or pleasant about the object to help the mind settle, but to be wary of either too much effort, which causes tension, or too little effort, which leads to the mind sliding off the object

What Leigh Brassington says in Right Concentration

Leigh Brasington describes access concentration (upacāra-samādhi) as a level of concentration strong enough to provide entry into the jhānas. Although he notes that the specific term does not appear in the original Pali suttas (appearing later in the Visuddhimagga), he considers it a vital concept for practitioners.

According to the sources, here is what Brasington says about attaining and identifying access concentration:

Defining Characteristics

• Absence of Hindrances: Brasington defines access concentration as concentration strong enough that no hindrances arise.

• Wispy Thoughts: A key indicator is being “fully with the meditation object.” If thoughts are present, they must be “wispy and in the background” and not strong enough to pull the meditator away into distraction.

• The “Sign” of Attainment: When using the breath as an object, a sign of access concentration is that the breath becomes extremely subtle, shallow, or feels as though it has stopped entirely. Another potential sign is the appearance of a diffused white light (which he calls a sign for “Concentration-ville”).

The Method for Generating Access

• Relaxed Diligence: The general method involves placing attention on a meditation object and gently bringing it back when it wanders. Brasington emphasises “relaxed diligence”—intentionally relaxing after noticing a distraction before returning to the object.

• Avoid Forcing: He warns that forcing the mind to stay fixed creates a mind that is too tense to enter the jhānas.

• Aids: One may use aids such as counting, visualisation (like an ocean wave), or mantras to reach this state, though the aid must eventually be dropped to reach true access concentration.

Transitioning to the First Jhāna

• Sustaining the State: Brasington advises that once a meditator recognizes they have reached access concentration, they should maintain it for five to fifteen minutes.

• The Shift: The most critical step Brasington outlines is that once access is stable, the meditator must totally let go of the meditation object (such as the breath) and shift their attention to a pleasant physical sensation.

• Locating Pleasure: He suggests looking for pleasure in a faint “Buddha smile,” or in a tingly sensation in the hands. By focusing exclusively on the pleasantness of that sensation rather than its location, the meditator triggers a positive feedback loop that leads to the first jhāna.

Common Pitfalls

• Jumping Too Soon: The most common mistake Brasington observes is “jumping” to the pleasant sensation before access concentration is strong enough, which causes the sensation to disappear or the mind to wander.

• Regulated Breathing: He warns against trying to “fix” the breath when it becomes subtle in access concentration. Taking a deep breath at that point will decrease the strength of the concentration.