| Translations of Ekaggata | |
|---|---|
| English | one-pointedness, concentration, unification, unification of mind |
| Sanskrit | ekāgratā |
| Pali | ekaggata |
| Chinese | 一境性 |
| Thai | เอกัคคตา (RTGS: ekakkhata) |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
| Part of Theravāda Abhidhamma |
| 52 Cetasikas |
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| Theravāda Buddhism |
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Ekaggatā (Pali; Sanskrit: ekāgratā, एकाग्रता, "one-pointedness") is a Pali Buddhist term, meaning tranquility of mind or one-pointedness,[1] but also "unification of mind."[2]
According to the Theravada-tradition, in their reinterpretation of jhana as one-pointed concentration, this mental factor is the primary component in all jhānas and the essence of concentration or samādhi. One-pointedness temporarily inhibits sensual desire, a necessary condition for any meditative attainment. Ekaggatā exercises the function of closely contemplating the object, the salient characteristic of jhāna, but it cannot perform this function alone. It requires the joint action of the other four jhāna factors each performing its own special function: vitakka, vicāra, pīti, and sukha.
Ekaggatā is identified within the Buddhist teachings as:
- One of the seven universal mental factors within the Theravada abhidharma teachings.
- One of the qualities associated with the second jhāna, according to the Pali Canon.[3][4]
- Antidote to sensory desire (kāmacchanda) within the five hindrances.
- ^ BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary
- ^ Shankman 2008, p. 4.
- ^ Henepola Gunaratana, The Path of Serenity and Insight: An Explanation of the Buddhist Jhānas, p.87
- ^ Roderick S. Bucknell (1993), Reinterpreting the Jhanas. p.375