- First establish a state of tranquility using calm-abiding practice.
- Then try to look directly at the nature of that mind which is generating that tranquility or stillness
Ask yourself these questions:
When you look at that which is still or at rest (e.g., gaps in between thoughts), does it have a form or not? That is to say, does it have some kind of shape? If it has a shape, what shape does it have? If it does not have a form and therefore has no shape, what characteristics does it have?
How do thoughts arise? Do they arise somewhere? And what do they arise from? And then while thoughts are present, while they abide, where do they abide? How do they abide? What does it mean that they abide? When thoughts disappear, do they actually end or cease? If so, where and how? What exactly does this disappearance of thoughts consist of?
When thoughts arise, do they arise inside your body and, if so, where? Or do they arise outside your body and, if so, where, and exactly what is it that arises when we say, thoughts arise? - Then work with a variety or succession of thoughts, rather than one thought, allowing or causing a series of thoughts to arise, and looking at their nature in sequence
- Having recognized that a thought has arisen, simply look directly at its essence or its nature
- This is different from following the thought – that is, allowing that thought to produce a further thought – or analyzing the thought by examining its content
- Simply look directly at the thought itself, rather than at the content of the thought
When you are looking at the nature of mind, that which is looking at the nature and that nature that is being viewed should not be experienced as separate.
Sample Solution