Short story: The thought behind the thought needs to be let go of too
By emptychair
@innertalks (23746)
Australia
November 4, 2021 11:11pm CST
The Zen master, Hiromo Jerdliske, used to answer questions asked of him in the Zen Monastery newsletter.
He was asked by someone to write something about knowingness.
Here is what he wrote:
"The knowingness of anything is always related to the amount of knowingness in your mind, in the first instance, but is expanded from there, if you allow the expansion of your heart to connect to your mind, and so bring this about."
"Otherwise, you can only know what your mind will acceptively fill itself with, as it will reject other stuff, based on its own supposed knowing, if you allow it to do so."
And then, he would finish his article with a koan.
This week's one, was this one:
"When no thoughts are left stirring in our mind, what is the thought that is still there, behind the no thoughts?"
He would then give his own thoughts about his koan.
Here he said:
"What is behind the thought is the discriminator. It wants to sort thoughts, behind the thoughts, to better understand them, for you. It wants to help you think the thoughts, more thoughtfully."
"You always have this helper behind your thoughts, which is just another thought, another level of thoughts, so to get rid of all thoughts, we must get rid of these behind the thought thoughts too."
"When we do this we find the truth, as the truth cannot be thought of as a thought."
"Truth is something that you cannot fix your thoughts too. Truth is the emptiness, known only by your not filling it with your own thoughts."
Photo Credit: The photo used in this article was sourced from the free media site, pixabay.com
Thoughts bring you to the path, but then thoughts prevent you from entering the final gate on that path. The key to that gate is no-thought. It is the keyless key of love in your heart that lets you see that that gate is only open to someone who loves, and love is not a thought, it is an action.
3 people like this
3 responses
@DocAndersen (54399)
• United States
5 Nov 21
the absence of something without absence is not absence. A truly clear mind would have no thoughts. perhaps only love?
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
5 Nov 21
Yes, I agree with you there. A truly clear mind would only have love, as does God have too.
Nothing, without nothing, is still nothing, or is it?
Emptiness, without emptiness, is not emptiness though.
Love, without love, is not love.
@ihasaquestion (8273)
•
5 Nov 21
This is true, and many lack action and what's left is only words.
2 people like this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
5 Nov 21
Words can have action backing them up, as with God when he spoke the words to form the world, but yes, usually, without action, words are only full of themselves, or hot air, I agree with you there.
@Shiva49 (28406)
• Singapore
5 Nov 21
We have preconceived notions and beliefs that act as a mental block against our spiritual advancement and the spirit of inquiry.
Allow the wind of change unrestricted access to our mental equity. and acuity so that we move on energetically than getting bogged down in a morass of self-delusion.
We should be willing to enter the path and then embrace it in all earnestness,
1 person likes this
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
6 Nov 21
Yes, well put, siva.
We need a fresh breeze to blow away our cobwebbed ways of thinking, and to encourage us to adapt new approaches to life, and living.
We should not go at something just in a half-hearted way, as real love always loves fully, never miserly like that.
@innertalks (23746)
• Australia
7 Nov 21
@Shiva49 Yes, everything created, has some good and some bad aspects about it.
If we remain positive, we try to live from our good aspects, but when we do not care, or love enough, our bad aspects can come to the fore, and even take us over at times, then too.
@Shiva49 (28406)
• Singapore
6 Nov 21
@innertalks Thanks Steve, I have found we tend to prejudge people but the good and the bad are everywhere. No one is really bad or good. We are victims of circumstances and have to react to them.
I tend to look ahead than getting bogged down with the past with hurts that really make us more aware of the world around us. Staying positive always is the key to loving.
1 person likes this
