When you contrive to eradicate all thought in your mind, this is no-thought. However, a mind cannot be empty of thought, for thought always flows through it.
Thus, the practice of no-thought is all in vain, since each thought you eradicate only leads to more thoughts to eradicate. It is like trying to find the needle in the haystack.
Indeed, it is impossible to remove all thought from the mind, just as it is impossible to stop the flow of a stream with your hands. It is this impossible task that vexes the mind, producing even more thoughts.
How vain is it then to even attempt to stop all thought in the mind!
Thus the act of emptying your mind is in vain. For your mind is already empty. It has Buddha Nature, which is emptiness itself, and is capable of achieving Bodhi Mind, which is the motivation to achieve Enlightenment with the determination to achieve Buddhahood and the aspiration to rescue all sentient beings.
Even though your mind is full of thoughts, it is empty of clinging to these thoughts.
By attempting to empty your mind of thoughts, this is clinging. By clinging, the ego arises.
For what is ego but a kind of insanity, grasping in ignorance, and always craving?
Showing posts with label thought. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thought. Show all posts
20130121
20130120
Meditation is not Empty of Thought
Meditating until your mind is empty of thought is foolish and dangerous because you could go insane from practicing no-thought in such a manner.
Since no-thought is thought; and thought, no-thought, it stands to reason to allow your thoughts to flow, and on realizing this, tell yourself "Thinking".
Then go back to counting your breath.
If, during Nembutsu practice, you forget to chant the name of Amida, then go back to counting your breath.
When you desire to burn evil karma and accumulate the merit of good karma, return to chanting the Nembutsu.
Meditation is all about mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is Buddha Remembrance. For when you chant the name of Amida, your mind is full of the Buddha. This is what Buddha Remembrance means.
Buddha Remembrance consists of chanting the name of Amida (Nembutsu). Even the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism practiced it.
Therefore Zen Buddhists who decry Pure Land practice within their tradition, calling it a cheat and promoting attachment of reward i.e. rebirth in the Pure Land of Bliss, are ignorant of the Sixth Patriarch's endorsement of Buddha Remembrance.
Since no-thought is thought; and thought, no-thought, it stands to reason to allow your thoughts to flow, and on realizing this, tell yourself "Thinking".
Then go back to counting your breath.
If, during Nembutsu practice, you forget to chant the name of Amida, then go back to counting your breath.
When you desire to burn evil karma and accumulate the merit of good karma, return to chanting the Nembutsu.
Meditation is all about mindfulness. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is Buddha Remembrance. For when you chant the name of Amida, your mind is full of the Buddha. This is what Buddha Remembrance means.
Buddha Remembrance consists of chanting the name of Amida (Nembutsu). Even the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism practiced it.
Therefore Zen Buddhists who decry Pure Land practice within their tradition, calling it a cheat and promoting attachment of reward i.e. rebirth in the Pure Land of Bliss, are ignorant of the Sixth Patriarch's endorsement of Buddha Remembrance.
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