One approach to descending into emptiness/silent illumination that I have employed for quite a while has gone by many names. Some include: emptying out, letting go, setting it all down, and letting the silt settle. In this post I propose one more entry and name that, while initially seeming humorous may click with some.
“Don’t“
This expedient means is partially based off of one way I have worked with the Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra in the past.
In this and related Prajna Paramita Sutras, there is a long list of phenomena tied to the words “no” and “neither”.
Shariputra! All dharmas are empty in character; neither arising nor ceasing, neither impure nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form; there is no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas; no realm of vision, and so forth, up to no realm of mind-consciousness; no ignorance or ending of ignorance, and so forth, up to no aging and death or ending of aging and death. There is no suffering, no cause, no extinction, no path.
The Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra hosted at Middleland.org
The other Prajna Paramita Sutras are often much longer, and similary contain long lists of “no” and “neither” in relation to phenomena. These Sutras can serve as a powerful pointer to the experience of emptiness and non-duality, but they can also be used to point the mind directly at this type of experience as well.
One way to do so is to simply cease all action until all that is left is what is happening without any trying or doing.
- If the desire to move the body arises…don’t
- If an impulse to try to do anything with the senses arises…don’t
- If thoughts about something want to be fed…don’t
- If the mind wants to put a label or language on some part of experience…don’t
More formal
This process can be presented more formally in relation to the 3 forms of fabrication.
- Leave the body and sense as they are. If any impulse to do anything in relation to them arises…don’t
- Leave words and language alone, including thoughts and concepts that occur in words and language. If the impulse to do anything in relation to them arises…don’t
- Leave mental activity of all sorts alone, simply noticing what is left when nothing is added. If the impulse to do anything arises…don’t
A more explicit example of how to practice this way
- Set the body in a safe, comfortable, stable, relaxed, and alert position
- Surrender the body, leaving it alone as if it had fallen asleep. If any impulse or thoughts about moving or trying to do anything with the body arise…don’t do anything
- After the body experience grows more still and it is mostly being left alone, surrender narrative, words, concepts and language of all kinds. Simply let this part of mental activity rest, feeding it nothing. If any impulse or thoughts about these activities arise…don’t do anything
- After the body and language have grown more still, surrender any other activity of any kind. Simply be, directly experiencing without any doing. If any impulse or thoughts occur surrounding anything…don’t do anything
On the more humorous end of things, take the format of this movie trailer and simply apply it to practice. Whatever shows up in experience…Don’t!