On No Mind Tells You: True Energy Never Depletes "I'm exhausted," "That drained me," "I need to recharge"—these are phrases we often use. We tend to believe that work, socializing, and chores "deplete" our precious life energy, while rest and entertainment "replenish" it. Section 3.2 of Chapter 3 in On No Mind presents a completely different energy model: In the state of No Mind, energy is not "used up" but "flows through." Nothing is inherently "depleting." The feeling of being drained arises because "mind at work" creates friction in the process. Part 1: Resetting the Energy Model: From "Battery" to "Ocean" We usually see ourselves as a "battery" that needs constant recharging, with limited energy that diminishes with use. This perception makes us fearful of giving, calculative of gains and losses, living in a deep-seated sense of scarcity. But Self-Nature is like the sun—shining on all things without losing its light; like the ocean—churning for eons without losing a drop. Your essence is the boundless "Deep Sea," not the fleeting "wave" on the surface. When you identify as the limited, isolated "wave" (the ego), any action feels like depleting yourself. But when you recognize yourself as the infinite "ocean" (Self-Nature), all action becomes the natural undulation and expression of the ocean's energy. Part 2: The Real Source of "Feeling Drained": Inner Friction Feeling "tired" is often not caused by the action itself, but by the immense inner friction created by "mind at work" during the process: Resistance: "I don't want to do this, but I have to." Fragmentation: The body acts, but the mind is elsewhere…
Are You Still "Practicing"? You Might Be Missing the Perfection of Now
Chapter 3 of On No Mind, I Threw Away My Spiritual To-Do List We are always seeking—seeking enlightenment, seeking peace, seeking a better self. We divide life into "practice time" and "mundane time," pursuing stillness on the cushion, only to find agitation as soon as we rise. Chapter 3 of On No Mind presents a earth-shattering perspective: True perfection is not achieved through practice—it is recognized. True liberation is not far away—it is beneath your feet. The greatest trap on the spiritual path is the very thought of "practice." Part 1: Seeking Is the Greatest Misstep The moment you believe liberation lies in the future, with a certain master, or in a deep retreat, you have already turned away from your Self-Nature. You use "mind at work" to create a concept called "enlightenment," and then embark on an endless chase. This is like air being all around you, while you wear an oxygen mask desperately searching for "fresh air." Self-Nature is the air before your eyes—so near, so omnipresent, that you overlook it. Reflective Practice: Ask yourself: Do I believe that after I meditate for 1000 hours, after I read a certain scripture, or after I reach a certain state, I will then be truly liberated? If the answer is yes, then please see: That very thought of "waiting for a better state" is the root of your present unease. Part 2: Practice Without Practicing: Abiding in the Marketplace Many ask: "After seeing my true nature, do I still need to sit in meditation?" On No Mind answers: Before realization, meditation is seeking; after realization, meditation is simply Self-Nature resting—the natural abiding of No Mind.…
The Secret of Flow: It's Not That "I" Am More Focused, But That "I" Disappear
Title: Stop Struggling for "Flow." You're Aiming at the Wrong Target. Modern psychology describes "flow" as peak concentration, a state where the "I" is highly engaged and in control. This sounds right, but it describes the appearance, not the essence. Chapter 4 of On No Mind points to a deeper truth: The essence of flow is not that the "I" becomes stronger or more focused, but恰恰相反, that the obstructive "I" temporarily withdraws. When the "I"—that complex of thoughts with its worries, expectations, and self-evaluations—exits the stage, the energy of life is no longer blocked or distorted by it. Action begins to synchronize perfectly with the natural energy current of the universe. What You Think It Is: I am completely focused, I am highly skilled, I am in control. What On No Mind Reveals It Is: The pen writes itself, the ball finds the hoop, the music flows out on its own. The "I" is absent, leaving only the action itself, united with the vast background. Top athletes and artists experience this wondrous sense of "non-doing" at their peak moments. This is not a loss of control, but merging with a greater order. How to Let It Happen? Not by trying harder to concentrate, but by: Before acting, take a deep breath and gently release your sense of self from the role of the "doer." Silently intend: "Let the energy of Self-Nature manifest through me." Then, simply trust and follow the subtlest intuition and bodily sensation into action. You will discover that true creation and excellence are the miracles that occur in the absence of "you." From On…
Title: You've Probably "Seen Your Nature" Many Times—And Missed It Every Time In spiritual circles, we often hear about "seeing your true nature." It sounds like a distant finish line requiring eons of practice, or a shattering mystical experience. On No Mind offers a radically different, stunningly simple perspective: Seeing your nature is not "achieving" a special, thought-free state, but "recognizing" a background you have never left. What you desperately seek is, in fact, the very starting point from which you seek. What You Think It Is: Thoughts completely cease, inner light floods in, accompanied by bliss and peace. What On No Mind Reveals It Is: Right now, as you read this, that which knows you are reading. It has no thoughts, no form, yet is as clear as a mirror. Recognizing this ever-present background of "knowing" is seeing your nature. It is not a promise that "the future will be better," but a confirmation that "the present is already whole." Before seeing, you struggle within the story. After seeing, you discover you are the silence in which the story is told. An Experiment: Right now, stop reading. Listen to the sounds around you. That awareness which knows sounds are being heard—does it itself have a sound? Does it need to be created? This undeniable "presence" is your intrinsically complete "nature." Recognize it. Abide in it. Life becomes its natural flow. From On No Mind: Spiritual practice is not about creating a thought-free state, but recognizing that you have always been the space of awareness that holds all thoughts without being moved by them.
Chapter 2 of On No Mind, the three secret gates for tempering truth in the worldly life. We suffer in relationships, often because we enter them carrying the entire script of “me.” Why didn’t he text back? What did she mean by that? I’ve given so much to this family, why is it not understood? We are like directors and lead actors on the stage of intimate, family, and professional relationships, stubbornly demanding others perform according to our script. When they don’t comply, pain, anger, and resentment inevitably arise. Chapter 2 of On No Mind points out that this is precisely the fabrication of “mind at work” in relationships. We project a “self-story” woven from memories, expectations, and judgments, demanding the world—especially significant others—to confirm its truth. Relationships thus become a collision and game between two individuals with “mind at work.” But this chapter also reveals a deeper path: Relationships are not a battlefield, but the finest whetstone for “No Mind.” It presents us with three gates we must pass through. Cross them, and vast horizons open up. Gate 1: The Gate of Emotion – The Fire That Melts “Self-Grasping” Most relational pain stems from boundaries of the “self” that are too rigid. We believe the hurt is real because a real “me” has been hurt by a real “them.” On No Mind offers a disruptive perspective: From the view of the Deep Sea of No Mind, the other is not your “better half,” but another manifestation of Self-Nature. This is not a romantic metaphor, but reality. When you feel hurt, try to see clearly: it is…
Title: You Don't Feel It Because It's Sick. It "Becomes Sick" Because You Feel It. Subtitle: Reversing the Core Misunderstanding of Healing from The Shastra of No Mind Date: 2025-12-10 Tags: healing, no mind, awareness, disease, energy For millennia, humanity has operated under a fundamental, unquestioned assumption about illness: "Because a part of my body is sick, I am then able to perceive the sickness." This seems logical, self-evident. A tumor grows, then we feel pain. A virus invades, then we get a fever. We believe we are passive reporters of a pre-existing physical reality. What if this is the root of all sustained suffering? What if we have the causality completely backwards? Chapter 7 of The Shastra of No Mind presents a radical inversion: It is not "illness exists first, then is perceived." It is "first comes the solidification by 'mind at work,' then energy manifests as the appearance of illness." Here’s the model: The Natural State: The energy of your true nature—Self-Nature—is inherently flowing, transparent, and unobstructed. Like light. Like water. The Freeze: A thought arises, unnoticed: "Hmm, a tightness here," or "What if this pain means X?" This is 'mind at work' (youxin). Your attention—which is conscious energy—gets drawn to and locked onto that mental label and its corresponding bodily location. The Manifestation: That flowing energy of life, under the sustained "spotlight" of your fixated attention, slows down, congests, and solidifies. It's like flowing water hitting a sustained cold spot and turning to ice. This solidified energy first manifests as sensation (ache, numbness), and if the focus continues, it densifies into what we call pathology: inflammation, nodules, dysfunction. Your body never actively "gets sick." It is…