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Where to Locate the Mind
The
second question is: Where is
the mind to be after all?
I answer: "The thing is
not to try to localize the mind
anywhere but to let it fill
up the whole body, let it flow
throughout the totality of your
being. When this happens you
use the hands when they are
needed, you use the legs or
the eyes when they are needed,
and no time or no extra energy
will be wasted. The localization
of the mind means it's freezing.
When it ceases to flow freely
as it is needed, it is no more
the mind in its suchness."
The Mind of No-Mind
A mind unconscious of itself
is a mind that is not at all
disturbed by affects of any
kind. It is the original mind
and not the delusive one that
is chock-full of affects. It
is always flowing, it never
halts, nor does it turn into
a solid. As it has no discrimination
to make, no preference to follow,
it fills the whole body, pervading
every part of the body, and
nowhere standing still. It is
never like a stone or a piece
of wood. If it should find a
resting place anywhere, it is
not a mind of no-mind. A no-mind
keeps nothing in it. It is also
called munen, "no-thought."
When munen or mushin is attained,
the mind moves from one object
to another, flowing like a stream
of water, filling every possible
corner. For this reason the
mind fulfills every function
required of it. But when the
flowing is stopped at one point,
all the other points will get
nothing of it, and the result
will be a general stiffness
and stoppage. The wheel revolves
when it is not too tightly attached
to the axle. When it is too
tight, it will never move on.
If the mind has something in
it, it stops functioning, it
cannot hear, it cannot see,
even when a sound enters the
ears or a light flashes before
the eyes. To have something
in mind means that it is preoccupied
and has no time for anything
else. But to attempt to remove
the thought already in it is
to refill it with another something.
The task is endless. It is best,
therefore, not to harbor anything
in the mind from the start.
Takuan (1573-1645)
To supplement Takuan, the following
story is given to illustrate
the doctrine of "no-mind-ness."
A woodcutter was busily engaged
in cutting down trees in the
remote mountains. An animal
called "satori" appeared.
It was a very strange-looking
creature, not usually found
in the villages. The woodcutter
wanted to catch it alive. The
animal read his mind: "You
want to catch me alive, do you
not?"
Completely taken aback, the
woodcutter did not know what
to say, whereupon the animal
remarked, "You are evidently
astonished at my telepathic
faculty." Even more surprised,
the woodcutter then conceived
the idea of striking it with
one blow of his ax, when the
satori exclaimed, "Now
you want to kill me."
The woodcutter felt entirely
disconcerted, and fully realizing
his inability to do anything
with this mysterious animal,
he thought of resuming his business.
The satori was not charitably
disposed for he pursued him,
saying, "So at last you
have abandoned me."
The woodcutter did not know
what to do with this animal
or with himself. Altogether
resigned, he took up his ax
and, paying no attention whatever
to the presence of the animal,
vigorously and singlemindedly
resumed cutting trees.
While so engaged, the head of
the ax flew off its handle,
and struck the animal dead.
The satori, with all its mind-reading
sagacity, had failed to read
the mind of "no-mind-ness."
In the song it says:
It is the very mind itself
That
leads the mind astray;
Of the mind,
Do not be mindless.
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