No-thought is the End of Birth and Death – 3

April 27, 2024

Thought is the cause of karmic creation; it is the seed. If you follow one thought after another, that means you are building new karma by grasping presently manifested karma, planting seeds for reincarnation in the Six Realms. Once you attain the state of no-thought and emptiness-awareness is present, then each thought is instantly dissolved by the light of awareness so that it is subsumed by no-thought. In this manner, seeds are instantly destroyed before taking form. This is how one dissolves past karma according to conditions and stops planting new seeds. The presently manifested karma vanishes instantly so the accompanying stream of consciousness is also emptied; once emptiness-awareness is established, one gradually matures saintly fruition, which is the fruition of emptiness-awareness.

If you don’t seek liberation and true bliss, upon hearing the method I taught you will think it is nice but develop no genuine desire to use it for your own liberation. If you are one who truly wish to practice, then it will be tremendously helpful. I keep explaining and teaching this method from many different aspects because I wish you all keep listening to it and learning it until all doubts are eliminated. To commit to this method for the rest of your life is a very serious matter. If you don’t use this method, chances for liberation will be slim. This is an expedient path, a method that quickly takes you to the state of no-thought and protects and nurtures post-enlightenment practice by restraining self-attachment and habitual tendencies.

No-thought is the beginning of the end of birth and death – please keep this in mind. How can you attain no-thought? Truly turn back the light of awareness and illuminate inwardly. Assume that behind your body is the true individual without position, as spoken of by Lin Ji Chan Master. Simply use the visual power of looking outwardly and directly turn back the light of awareness and illuminate inwardly – see through the body itself. To see through the body means to transcend bodily sensation, only using the body as a reference point to redirect the visual power of the eyes backward so that one illuminates behind the body. When you turn back the light of awareness in this manner, naturally no bodily sensations will arise.

When using this method do not think to yourself: “the eyes are in the body, I want to see through the body.” This way you are only adding more false thoughts. This method does not require you to think or analyze – only directly illuminate behind you. It is like a search light being turned 180 degrees back to shine behind you. This action naturally has the effect of restraining the mind. When you illuminate towards the back, try to be focused as if you are using a flashlight to urgently look for missing things. There must be a sense of urgency about finding the primordial mind, which will naturally restrain wandering thoughts and habitual tendencies.

From the perspective of the Eighth Consciousness, there are countless seeds in the ground of the Eight Consciousness planted in the past, present, and also future due to mind functioning and thoughts. When the appropriate conditions appear, the corresponding seeds will ripen. Internally the mind has self-attachment and habitual tendencies; externally there are circumstances made of various conditions and appearances. When the inner attachments and outer situations resonate – when conditions come together – the corresponding appearances will manifest. If a person has no inner attachment or habitual tendencies, then no matter how supposedly good or bad the outer situations are, the mind will neither stir even a single thought nor create vexation or emotional afflictions. Therefore, do not take the view that external situations are going against you. If you don’t have issues internally, nothing outside can trouble you. If you know this principle – you recognize that you are a part of the problem – then you can truly let go.

To be continued. Stay tuned…

~ Miao Tsan