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 true test is not on the cushion, but in life:
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If you feel peaceful while sitting, but become irritable facing a child's tantrum or a boss's pressure, then you have merely grasped a "phantom of stillness," not recognized the "unmoving essence."
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True stability is when the awareness that observes everything remains as silent as empty space, even in the noisiest subway or the most tense meeting.
An Immediate Exercise:
Right now, wherever you are, ask yourself:
"Is the background awareness that is reading, thinking, and feeling all this—disturbed by anything happening right now?"
Feel into it. You will find that regardless of external circumstances, the "knowing" background has never wavered. This "abiding in the marketplace" is the true practice of no-practice.
Part 3: Stop Seeking, Start Living
When you stop seeking, you find that life does not need to be "transcended" or "elevated"—it only needs to be fully lived.
On No Mind teaches us: Sweeping is Zen, cooking is an offering, speaking is Dharma.
It's not about turning daily life into practice, but discovering that daily life has always been the perfect manifestation of Self-Nature.
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When washing dishes, feel the temperature of water on your fingers, witness the bowl transforming from greasy to clean.
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When commuting, feel the movement of your body, listen to the surrounding sounds without getting lost in the story of "this is boring."
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When working, engage fully with the present creation, letting action shift from "I have to do this" to "the energy of life is manifesting through me."
When you cease seeing daily life as an obstacle, you realize: Every step is the dojo, every affair is a Dharma connection.
Conclusion: Peace Is Not Elsewhere
The revelation of Chapter 3 of On No Mind is simple yet profound:
The peace you desperately seek has never left the starting point from which you seek.
To stop seeking is not to give up, but to turn around completely, finally seeing the unmoving home that has always been behind you.
Right now, take a deep breath, then let go of the story of "how I need to become better."
In this very second, there is no past, no future, no practice schedule, no goal to achieve.
Perfection is in this moment when you are not pursuing perfection.
Liberation is under your feet when you stop seeking liberation.
Core ideas derived from On No Mind, Chapter 3: "No Practice — No Mind Is Perfect Living".
