No-Thought Meditation - www.paulmason.info

No-Thought Meditation:
Secrets of Successful Meditation

No-Thought Meditation is an age-old message to be found in ancient texts, some from possibly more than 2000 years ago.

No-Thought Meditation is a very useful practice.

WHY?
To simplify, neutralize stress, come to terms with oneself, relax, find inner happiness and experience stillness.

WHEN?
Soon! There are no hard and fast rules - But it is best that one is not too tired, has not just eaten a meal, not be in an induced state of consciousness (through drink or drugs).

HOW?
Find somewhere that is comfortable enough for you to sit, where you are unlikely to be interrupted for at least half an hour or for as long as you wish to meditate. If you choose to sit in the traditional crossed-legged pose, sit with a thick cushion beneath the bottom, to prevent strain to the knees and spine.

Settle for a short while, then close the eyes.

Closing the eyes, perhaps you feel some stillness, some quietness, some silence?

No doubt thoughts will arise whilst you sit.

Thinking is a natural process.

Thnking occurs without effort.

Enjoy the thoughts.

Then place your attention on something other than thoughts. This can easily be achieved by placing one's attention on to airborne sounds or on to one's own breath. Or one can direct the attention to the sensation of light within, which at first might appear very faint but can become quite intense on occasion.

Gradually, gradually minimise and decrease mental activity (but do this reasonably gently). The mind seems to be active just because that is its habit. See the thoughts as just the apparently endless workings of your mind which ought to be allowed to take a break. It is time to exercise one's mental brakes, very lightly but firmly. See the thoughts for what they are - just mental activity - and realise that this would be a good time for the mind to be less active. If the mind is determined to go on being active redirect it to awareness of the breath or just listen to outer sounds, just place your attention on the sounds without involvement. Do not resist sounds you may hear whilst meditating, just listen and accept (responding to sounds only if there is some good reason).

Whilst you are sitting quietly witnessing the thoughts that come and go, the body may, from time to time, draw your attention. Both the mind and body are settling down.

Ask yourself what it would be like to sit without thoughts. Remind yourself that you are giving your mind permission to quieten and be without thoughts for a while. The mind might rebel against this idea. No problem, don't force the issue. But from time-to-time summon this idea again. At some time the mind will be curious enough to co-operate.

When the state of no-thought is arrived at, the state of alert passivity, it is often accompanied by reduced breathing. A state of no-thought is a chance for the mind (and body) to relax for a while.

When you feel the wish to resume activity again, gently open the eyes and re-adjust to your surroundings before getting up.

If you find yourself falling asleep, don't resist unless you have some prior appointment or duty. If you have fallen asleep during your meditation, once you have awoken sufficiently, open the eyes and re-engage with everyday activity.

Note - Don't be unduly frustrated if you do not readily sustain a state of no-thought. But do not be put off. Find time to sit again and again. Meditation is described as a 'circuit breaker',

No-Thought Meditation can also be called 'Yoga Meditation' or 'Raja Yoga' and can be practised by anyone regardless of his or her beliefs. No-thought Meditation is a gift to ourselves as no fee is payable for understanding or practising it and is completely natural.

It has been pointed out that this process of clearing the mind of thoughts is useful in preparing to go to sleep. It would be great if it were also adopted as a means of waking up!

It is not uncommon for practitioners of meditation to sit for two periods per day, once in the morning and once in the evening. If in doubt as to how long to sit for meditation, a widely used method is to sit for the length of time a medium length stick of incense takes to burn down, say about twenty minutes or half an hour., whatever suits you. However, it is not necessarilly beneficial to meditate for particularly long periods or to meditate more frequently. Ideally, one should balance one's life, so meditate for a while and then one gets on with one's everyday life.

It is held that the experience of meditation is extremely beneficial, both physically and mentally. It is also taught that the repeated conscious experience of the state of no-thought (sometimes referred to as Pure Consciousness) eventually gives rise to a permanent state of higher awareness.

Some people are convinced that they are too wound-up to meditate but believe that certain techniques, such as using a mantra to distract and please the mind, or dwelling on certain thoughts, or contemplating certain qualities such as love and compassion help them to settle down. So, go with your own choice, but when the mind has settled somewhat and the thought comes to let go of thought, then simply go with that. So long as you are settling down and are not straining to achieve something, the mind will find that moment to let go of the mind-chatter and be free to just indwell. It is about choice, your choice, nobody is pressurising you.

Quotations relating to Yoga Meditation

atha yogaanushaasanam YS 1:1
yogash chitta-vR^itti-nirodhaH YS 1:2
tadaa drashhTuH svaruupe.avasthaanam YS 1:3
vR^itti-saaruupyam-itaratra YS 1:4

'Now, the teaching of yoga... YS 1:1
Yoga is the state of consciousness brought about by halting the activity of the mind, YS 1:2
then the seer rests in the self. YS 1:3
At other times one is identified with the activities of the mind.' YS 1:4

- YogaDarshanam of Patanjali
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

'Raja Yoga is the king of Yogas. It concerns directly with the mind. In this Yoga there is no struggling with Prana or physical body. There are no Hatha Yogic Kriyas. The Yogi sits at ease, watches his mind and silences the bubbling thoughts. He stills the mind, restrains the thought-waves and enters into the thoughtless state or Asamprajnata Samadhi, Hence the name Raja Yoga.'

'ASAMPRAJNATA: Highest superconscious state where the mind is completely annihilated and Reality experienced.'

- Sivananda

Sanskrit 'dhyan' = 'meditation'
Chinese 'ch'an' = 'meditation'
Japanese 'zen' = 'meditation'
Tibetan 'sgom' = 'meditation'

'Think the unthinkable.
How to think the unthinkable?
Be without thoughts - this is the secret of meditation.'

- Fukan Zazen-Gi of Dōgen Zenji
Japanese Zen Buddhist (12^th c.)

'mi mno (don't recall),
mi bsam (don't imagine),
mi shes (don't think),
mi dpyod (don't examine),
mi sgom (don't control),
rang sar bzhag (gather oneself anew).'

- Tilopa
Tibetan Buddhist (988-1069)

यदा पञ्चावतिष्ठन्ते ज्ञानानि मनसा सह
बुद्धिश्च न विचेष्टति तामाहुः परमां गतिम्‌

yadaa paJNchaavatishhThante GYaanaani manasaa saha
buddhishcha na vicheshhTati taamaahuH paramaaM gatim.h 2-III-10

'When the five senses are settled
and the mind has ceased to think
and the intellect does not stir
That is the highest state, they say.' Katha 2-III-10

- Katha Upanishad

'In a clean spot, having set a firm seat (cushion) of his own, neither too high nor too low, made of cloth, a deerskin and kusha-grass, one upon the other. Gita 6:11
'There, having made the mind one-pointed, with the activities of the mind and the senses controlled, let him seated on the seat, practise Yoga for self-purification. Gita 6:12
'Let him steadily hold his body, keeping head and neck erect and still, directing the gaze towards the tip of the nose, without looking in any direction. Gita 6:13

'Abandoning without reserve all desires born of thought and imagination and completely restraining the whole group of senses by the mind from all sides. Gita 6:24
'Gradually, gradually let him attain to quietude by firmly holding the intellect; establishing the mind in the Self; let him not think even of anything. Gita 6:25
'From whatever cause the restless and unsteady mind wanders away, from that let him restrain it and bring it under the control of the Self alone. Gita 6:26
'For supreme happiness comes to the yogi whose mind is quite peaceful, whose passion is quieted...' Gita 6:27

- BhagavadGita

zazen

'When no thought arises in the mind it is called za (sitting) and to look at one's own nature inwardly is called zen (meditation).'

wu nien

[about zen (meditation) & wu nien (no thought)]
'Have your mind like unto space and yet entertain in it no thought of emptiness.'

- Platform Sutra of Hui-Neng
Chinese Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist (638-713)

'Question: A little while ago you spoke of refraining from thinking, but you did not finish your explanation.

Answer: It means not fixing your mind upon anything, anywhere, but totally withdrawing it from the phenomena surrounding you, so that even the thought of seeking for something does not remain; it means that your mind, confronted by all the forms composing your environment, remains placid and motionless. This abstaining from all thought whatever is called real thought.... ' IA 36.1

- Zen Teaching of Instant Awakening
Hui Hai 'the Great Pearl'
Chinese Ch'an Buddhist (9^th c.)

'.. by self-effort and self-knowledge make the mind no-mind. Let the infinite consciousness swallow, as it were, the finite mind and then go beyond everything. With your intelligence united with the supreme, hold on to the self which is imperishable.' YV 3.111

'If you give up all thoughts you will here and now attain to the realisation of oneness with all.' YV 3.17

- Yoga Vasistha Maharamayana
(trans. Venkatesananda - SUNY, 1993)

'When I went beyond myself,
the pathway finally opened.'

- Mahsati Ganja'i
Sufi (12^th c.)

'But seek ye first the kingdom of heaven of God and all these things will be added unto you.' Matt 6:33

'.. the kingdom of God is within you.' Luke 17:21

- Bible (New Testament)

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'Empty yourself of everything.
Let the mind rest at peace.' Tao 16

- Tao Te Ching

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