The Mysterious Pass: Advanced Dharma practice guide

Mind is unborn and marvelously illuminating. Thoughts come and go, but they do not obscure it unless you chase them.

–Bankei Yōtaku

There is a direct path to freedom, that of letting thoughts appear, play out and disappear freely.

To whatever degree this occurs, prajna (liberating wisdom) and True nature are uncovered and clearly understood.

The mysterious pass

It takes no more than the method of turning the light around and looking inward, cleaning up thoughts.

-Chen the Blank

One such method for uncovering liberating wisdom and True Nature is the mysterious pass.

This practice of the mysterious pass can be found across East Asian traditions such as Zen, Chan and Complete-Reality Taoism.

The root of the mysterious pass practice is to turn the light around and look for its source. Though the practice can be used with other senses, the process is often started with feeling for the source of thought.

Eventually this practice expands to include all that is experienced, not just thought.

Mysterious pass practice

To begin the practice of the mysterious pass, notice thoughts as they come to mind.

Continually feel:

• Where do they come from?
• Where do they go to?

To learn to practice in this fashion, we might begin by simply asking internally:

“Where does this come from?”

While asking the question, feel as the question arises and as it vanishes. Notice the same with other thoughts, whether they are created on purpose or occur not-on-purpose. Feel vividly and try to see what can be learned with each one.

The rewards of this practice do not come after solving these questions. It is the continual act of feeling for the source of each thought as well as where it goes to when it passes away that should be practiced. Just doing this, and the perspective that develops as a byproduct of the process, leads naturally into patinissagga and suchness.

Proper observation

Just how the sun shines on to this world without ever discriminating, the compassionate wisdom energy of all of the buddhas pervades everything. No matter where you are, no matter what you do, this energy is always there, it is always with you.

But just as you need to open your eyes to experience the light of the sun, you have to open your mind with unshakable trust, gratitude, and devotion to experience the blessings of the energy of the buddhas. The more that your mind opens, the greater the blessings that will energize your mind and power your practice all of the way to your enlightenment.

-Chamtrul Rinpoche

To continuously witness where thoughts come from and go to requires a certain mode of observation to develop. This type of observation is like that used to witness a shooting star or a lightning strike, to take in the whole sky at once without focusing. It does not have a focal point, the whole realm of observation is held equally, all at once.

If you have ever tried to catch the flash of a shooting star or a lightning strike in the moment that it happens, you have probably noticed how if you are looking somewhere specific you will miss it.

Instead, simply take in the whole sky or scene all at once, not looking anywhere, no anticipation, just letting the visual field happen. This way of experiencing often feels foreign or unnatural at first, but if practice continues, the artificial portions will tire and fall away, leaving something increasingly intuitive and natural. Then, the majesty of a shooting star or lighting strike in the moment that it occurs may be witnessed without the slightest bit of effort.

Working with seeing to work with thoughts

This mode of observation can also be found by training with the eyes in a specific way.

• Raise the index finger pointing towards the sky on each hand, straighten the arms in front yourself
• Wiggle the fingers slightly so that both can be seen at the same time
• While continuing to wiggle the fingers, open the arms until both fingers just barely leave the observable visual field
• Bring them back in so they are each seen at the very edges of the visual field
• Notice both fingers simultaneously. You may notice a form of tension forms while trying to do this. Let this tension relax but keep observing the wiggling fingers.
• Eventually the eyes seem to relax in a certain way and it will become possible to to see both fingers as well as everything else equally.
• Let the arms drop and just continuing observing the visual field in this way.

This same mode of observation is then applied to thoughts and the mental field just as it was with the visual field. When mental experience is observed in this fashion something amazing happens, it all comes and goes freely.

The incinerator

Patient endurance is the supreme incinerator of defilement.

-Ajahn Buddhadasa

Both Ajahn Buddhadasa and Daehaeng Sunim referred to how Dharma practice could become like an incinerator. The karma and defilements are burned and evaporate within the brilliant light of awareness.

Successful practice with the mysterious pass directly leads to just such an experience.

Whatever comes and goes freely not only manifests out of the mind ground, but also ceases back into it. Each time there is learning and over time mental behavior and perspective are changed.

The mysterious pass and the golden flower

For those that wish to work with the mysterious pass practice it is recommended that it be approached in two phases. Practicing the first phase raises the capacity and lays the groundwork for the second phase to occur naturally.

• The first phase is to raise capacity through continuously experiencing quiet and comfortable breathing.
• When the experience of quiet and comfortable breathing has passed a threshold, it is set down, and the second phase begins, that of continually feeling where thoughts come from, and go to.

Feeling where thoughts come from and go to is the entrance to the mysterious pass. As each thought happens, feel where it comes from, where it seems to occur and where it goes to. Expand the observation so that thoughts are felt just as they occur and fall away. Cast a wide net so that no thoughts seem to be missed.

As this process develops, an inner light will be released. This illuminating light aids in the process of feeling where subsequent thoughts come from, occur and go to, and this process releases even more illumination.

After this practice crosses a further threshold, let this process expand to include all of the senses, not just thoughts. Feel where it all comes from, occurs and goes to.

Let this process expand to include everything without distinction, feeling where they seem to come from, where they seem to occur, and where they seem to go to.

The light will grow, the process continues to expand and to happen more easily, with greater speed. The distinctions between self and other, inside and outside, subject and object, etc. evaporate.

As the mysterious pass is experienced the secret of the golden flower is revealed.

Further detail on the first phase of practice

• Raise capacity through experiencing quiet, comfortable breathing.
  • Let awareness and breathing rest on each other.
  • Explore how comfortable and quiet breathing can be.
  • Let breathing soothe and be experienced vividly.
  • When the quiet and comfortable breath has come and gone at least ten times or so in a row without mind wandering, move to the second phase.

Sensing the mysterious pass

Just seek inwardly twenty-four hours a day, in the midst of all activities: what is it that speaks and keeps silent, that sees and hears?

-Li Qing-an

• Notice the two types of thoughts.
  • On-purpose and not-on-purpose thoughts.
• As each thought occurs, continuously feel:
  • “Where does it come from and where does it go to?”
    • On-purpose thoughts first.
      • Asking internally, “Where does it come from?” is excellent for watching where it on-purpose thought comes from as well as where it goes to.
      • Observe widely enough that each time this question is asked it is seen as clearly as it can be, just as it arises
    • Open observation up further to see where both on-purpose and not-on-purpose thinking comes from and goes to.
      • It may take effort at first, but keep observing how to open up observation so that it catches all types of thought without directing attention at any one place. Feel how this mode of being can become relaxed and natural.
• Within this open illumination, thoughts coming and going naturally unwind and self-liberate into internal light.
  • Refining into pure energy like sunlight.
• The light strengthens the illumination and this in turn leads to thoughts unwinding more easily and rapidly in the light, releasing even more light.
  • This process begins to speed up and broaden further, picking up momentum.
    • It all takes less and less effort.
• Open up the illumination and observation to include “the true body”.
  • This includes all mental content as well as all of the sensory experiences.
    • Where does it all come from and go to? The light gets stronger and stronger.
• The process of illuminated experiencing of where it all comes from and goes to becomes a runaway-process.
  • In the light of wisdom, self, small-mind and other ignorant assumptions naturally fall away and evaporate.
• Practice regularly, one to two hours at a time. Each time, let the process deepen naturally as far as it will go.
  • If entangled in daily life, simply feel where the problem comes from, where it seems to occur, and where it goes to. What happens?

Mysterious pass with the inner sound

What is “listening”? It is the light of the ears spontaneously listening, the ears only listening inward and not outward. Not listening outward yet being alert is inward listening

-Lu Yan

Another entry to practicing with the mysterious pass is available for those that perceive the inner sound. Practicing in this way with hearing is one entry into the Dharma-door of Kuan Yin Bodhisattva.

• Once attuned to the inner sound, continuously feel:
  • Where is it coming from?
  • Where is it going to?
• Observe widely enough that the entirety of the inner sound is heard and felt as clearly as it can be, everywhere and anywhere that is occurs.
  • It may take effort at first, but keep observing how to open up observation so that it catches all aspects of the inner sound. Feel how this mode of being can become relaxed and natural.
• With this open illumination, the stream of inner sound coming and going naturally unwinds and self-liberates into internal light.
  • Refining into pure energy like sunlight.
• The light strengthens the illumination and this in turn leads to more easily feeling where the inner sound is coming from, and going to, releasing more light.
  • This process begins to speed up and broaden further, picking up momentum.
    • It all takes less and less effort.
• Open up the illumination and observation to include “the true body”.
  • This includes all mental content as well as all of the sensory experiences.
    • Where does it all come from and go to? The light gets stronger and stronger.
• The process of illuminated experiencing of where it all comes from and goes to becomes a runaway-process.
  • In the light of wisdom, self, small-mind and other ignorant assumptions naturally fall away and evaporate.
• Practice regularly, one to two (or more) hours at a time. Each time, let the process deepen naturally as far as it will go.
  • If entangled in daily life, simply feel where the problem comes from, seems to occur, and where it goes to. What happens?

Mysterious pass as space

When not a single thought leaves the heart, this is true emptiness.

-Calling the Way, a collection by the Master of Eternal
Spring

Yet another permutation of mysterious pass practice is to feel for the space between thoughts. As each thought happens, feel for the space between when it ends and when the next thought occurs. Continue feeling the thoughts, and the space between them.

A note: as the exploration comes alive, eventually this will no longer feel like an accurate way to describe what is occurring.

• Feel the two types of thoughts.
  • On-purpose and not-on-purpose thoughts that just come to mind.
• Continuously feeling:
  • The space between each on-purpose thought.
• Observe widely enough that each time an on-purpose thought finishes, the space is felt as clearly as it can be, until the next on-purpose thought occurs.
• Open observation up further to feel the space between each thought, including both on-purpose and not-on-purpose thoughts.
  • It may take effort at first, but keep observing how to open up observation so that it catches all types of thought without directing attention at any one spot. Feel how this mode of being can become relaxed and natural.
• Within this open illuminated experience, feel thoughts coming and going as they naturally unwind and self-liberate into space and internal light.
  • Refining into pure energy like sunlight.
• The light strengthens the illumination and this in turn leads to thoughts unwinding more easily and rapidly in the light and space, releasing more light.
  • This process begins to speed up and broaden further, picking up momentum.
    • It all takes less and less effort.
• Open up the illumination and observation to include “the true body”.
  • This includes all mental content as well as all of the sensory experiences.
    • Feel the space between each phenomena, be it thought, touch, taste, smell, sight or sound. The space grows is more clearly felt, the light gets stronger and stronger.
• The process of illuminated experiencing of the space that phenomena occur within becomes a runaway-process.
  • In the light of wisdom, self, small-mind and other ignorant assumptions naturally fall away and evaporate.
• Practice regularly, one to two hours at a time. Each time, let the process deepen naturally as far as it will go.
  • If entangled in daily life, simply feel the space between thoughts. What happens?