The Profound State of No-Thought

The Brilliance of Stillness

The brilliance of the Buddha’s teachings lies in the power of stillness—the ability to remain unmoved by external circumstances. When you develop your inner, precious true self and allow it to take command, you can face any external person, object, or situation without being disturbed. Whether it is an external thought, a glance, or the actions of body, speech, and mind, your practice ensures you remain unshakeable.

The concept of No-Thought—which encompasses the absence of thinking, the absence of rising intentions, the absence of a self-centred heart, and the absence of selfishness—is a state of deep Meditation. It is through this state that one can easily enter into the emptiness of the true self. If you lack this Meditation, it is difficult to remain unmoved by the outside world. Once a thought arises, a ripple is created. This ripple travels throughout the vastness of the Dharma Realm. Many practitioners who have attained high levels of skill can perceive these thoughts within space and immediately understand the intentions of others. This is why it is said that there are no secrets in the universe, as everything is governed by the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way.

The Burden of Rising Thoughts

For beings in this world, every thought and intention is a creation of karma; every thought is a transgression. This is the compassionate warning of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who urges us to be vigilant. Unless one has become an awakened being, every thought that arises is an act of creating karma. If you can achieve the state of No-Thought, you enter a realm of purity, free from all defilement. In this state, you naturally understand external situations at a glance, know the truth upon hearing it, and answer questions without hesitation. You remain constantly in Meditation, your heart unmoved by external factors, free from any stray thoughts. This is the ultimate expression of compassion and Wisdom.

If you wish to realise your true nature, the most direct method is to use No-Thought to empty the heart. To the practitioners of the past, the concept of giving rise to the mind without abiding in anything was known to be magnificent. Once they understood this principle, their actions and thoughts could align, leading many to attain Awakening. However, for people today, even though the importance of No-Thought and the principle of giving rise to the mind without abiding in anything are repeatedly taught by patriarchs and venerable masters in their treatises and Dharma talks, it remains difficult to achieve. This is because of the obstacles created by our karmic seeds. Even when we wish to practise, we are pulled away by delusions, messy thoughts, and our personal ego and selfishness, making it difficult to reach the goal of purification and Awakening.

The Challenge of Modern Practice

For the ancients, seeking the Dharma was a matter of supreme importance. Because their hearts were pure and sincere, they could gain the benefits of the Dharma simply by knowing the principles and putting them into practice. This is what is meant by the saying: knowing is difficult, but doing is easy. For people today, however, the situation is different. Various Dharma Jewels are widely available, and modern information is convenient. It is not difficult to hear the Dharma or to obtain the teachings of patriarchs and venerable masters from the past and present. The challenge lies in the fact that after knowing, one must actually practise. During this practice, various problems—both internal and interpersonal—inevitably arise. If one cannot receive guidance from a true spiritual friend, or even if one has such guidance but cannot subdue one's own delusions and messy thoughts, the problems persist and cannot be resolved.

Therefore, for people today, the Buddha’s teachings are often perceived as easy to know but difficult to practise. If we look at this from a deeper perspective, many people today do not truly understand the True Teachings. Instead, they follow ideas extended from their own personal ego and selfishness, lacking the support of the Universal Principle, the Truth, and the Right Way. They claim to be following the Buddha’s teachings, but they are not relying on the True Teachings. If they follow such paths, they are deviating from the righteous path, making it difficult to rediscover their true self or realise their true nature. In this sense, both knowing and doing are difficult.

The Power of the Buddha-Name

The thoughts within No-Thought can be classified as ordinary thoughts, conscious thoughts, or rising intentions. It is said that in a single snap of the fingers, there are thirty-two billion hundred thousand thoughts. These thoughts can be roughly divided into three categories: righteous thoughts, which are aligned with the Truth; evil thoughts, which create karma; and No-Thought, the state of pure, unmoving stillness. Among these, No-Thought is the most difficult to subdue and achieve. Both righteous thoughts and evil thoughts are forms of thinking, and both create ripples. Evil thoughts are easily mixed with delusions, attachment, and selfishness. Righteous thoughts are difficult to maintain consistently. If one can truly achieve the state of No-Thought—flat, calm, and without waves—one enters a realm of pure Goodness.

The Buddha, in his compassion, knows that No-Thought is difficult to achieve. Therefore, if you must have thoughts, use the method of chanting the Buddha's name. Chanting the name of Namo Amituofo is also a form of thinking, but this Buddha-name is a thought of ultimate purity and Goodness. If you can truly focus on this one thought, without any other thoughts, you can purify your confusion, delusions, and attachment, eventually reaching the state of Awakening. You can see that this Buddha-name possesses immeasurable merit and vast, majestic power. However, chanting the Buddha's name must be in accordance with the heart and the Truth for the practitioner to achieve the goal of purification and Awakening.

The Eternal Spirit

Where there is thought, there is karma; where there is no thought, karma cannot find you. True No-Thought means there is no karma. When your cells are in a state of pure Goodness, the body can cease its ageing process. A body without thought and without karma does not fall ill, and the spirit does not die. This is not a dream; it is a state that can lead to the goal of Awakening. Practitioners of old were able to maintain a cool, refreshing, and carefree demeanour because they understood this principle and practised it, allowing their natural character to manifest. This is a style of practice that people today should strive to learn and emulate.

Before you reach the state of No-Thought, you must always keep Goodness in your heart, speak kind words, and do good deeds, with the hope of achieving the goal of purification and Awakening. This is something that Practitioner Su constantly reminds everyone of. It is extremely important—remember this well, remember this well!

Recorded by the Buddha's disciple, Venerable HaiZe.