How to Achieve No-Thought?

1. “No-Thought, No-Form, No-Abiding” Are Interconnected

The concepts of “no-thought,” “no-form,” and “no-abiding” are interconnected and continuous, not independent from one another. When practicing Zen, without “form” there would be no focus, and without “thought” there would be no practitioner. Thought and form are thus interdependent: one is the intention behind the practice, and the other is the tool or object of practice. Achieving complete no-thought, no-form, and no-abiding is a unified experience, though the process of practice involves a sequence where these elements interact.

• “No-thought as the essence” implies that it is the ultimate goal or purpose we aim to achieve. In Zen, the term “essence” often refers to the objective of “seeing one’s true nature and attaining sudden enlightenment.” To achieve this, one must let go of all thoughts.
• “No-form as the foundation” indicates that we start with form to cultivate no-form. In Buddhism, terms like “emptiness” and “non-existence” refer to the true nature of all phenomena, which is inherently empty. Since their essence is emptiness, their true nature is formless.
• In the original Sanskrit, “emptiness” and “non-existence” are rendered as “śūnyatā.” When translated into Chinese, the terms “emptiness” and “non-existence” can be ambiguous and misleading, failing to capture the original meaning. Here, “no-form” does not mean the absence of all phenomena but refers to the nature of all phenomena as empty and formless.
• “No-abiding as the principle” signifies the absolute rule that the mind must not cling to any single thought—thoughts arise and pass away continuously without dwelling on any one of them. When this state is reached, “no-thought,” “no-form,” and “no-abiding” are essentially the same, although expressed differently in terms of the goal, the tool, and the principle.

These are the methods and concepts of practice. If you don’t understand these ideas, your practice will not be correct. The notions of “no-thought, no-form, no-abiding” and “simultaneous concentration and insight” are core teachings of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch, which must be explained clearly.

2. No-Thought Is Letting Go of Thought; Having Thoughts Without Attachment

“No-thought” means “letting go of thought while being aware of it.” In sequential meditation, such as the four dhyanas and eight concentrations, one must relinquish thought. Among the stages of meditation in the three realms, there is a stage called “abandoning thought and attaining purity,” where thoughts are let go until only one thought remains, without the arising and falling of other thoughts, leaving only awareness.

Awareness differs from thought; awareness is the state of knowing, while thoughts are transient and reactive. To let go of thought, one must not cling to the content or significance of thoughts—what has passed is gone, so there’s no need to revisit it.

For example, when investigating “What is nothingness?” there is indeed a thought process involved, but one should not ponder, “Who is asking this question?” or constantly assess, “Am I asking correctly?” This kind of analysis is a form of delusion. Practicing “letting go of thought while being aware” means using the method clearly without fixating on progress, condition, or success.

3. No-Abiding Means Letting Go of Every Thought

“No-abiding” is a principle where every thought flows continuously without attachment. It implies two meanings: (1) the natural transience of thoughts, and (2) non-attachment to this transience. The former signifies impermanence, as thoughts constantly arise and dissipate.

Buddhist texts state that within a single snap of the fingers, thoughts arise and vanish 16 times. Some texts describe 60 thought occurrences within the same timeframe, indicating an even finer measurement. Most people cannot perceive the rapid sequence of thoughts; they might think, “I wasn’t thinking anything just now,” though thoughts are indeed active.

Thoughts can be measured scientifically through brain waves, where a person in deep meditation exhibits very stable brain activity, while a person without meditation experiences more fluctuation. For example, during anger, brain waves display significant variation.

In reality, each thought comprises multiple “thought clusters,” involving four phases: arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing. Each thought undergoes these stages: it arises, stays momentarily, changes, and then ceases.

4. Shattering Emptiness, Sinking the Earth, Revealing the Dharma Body

Ordinary thoughts are continuous, but in Mahayana Zen practice, the goal is not to eliminate thoughts entirely; if that happens, one would enter a state of sequential concentration. Instead, one should “let go of thought while being aware.” “Letting go of thought” means recognizing that while thoughts arise, one does not cling to them.

When one uses a method of inquiry so intensely that the doubt “explodes,” this is metaphorically described as “shattering emptiness and sinking the earth,” where the mind becomes as vast as emptiness, and emptiness itself disappears. The body on the earth seems to vanish, revealing its empty nature. This state of mind, known as “unmoved mind,” remains unaffected by mental disturbances or attachments, achieving “letting go of thought” or “cessation of thought.”

In the process of practice, one learns to let go and detach from thoughts. When “emptiness shatters and the earth sinks,” and one’s true nature is revealed, there are no longer any thoughts to abandon. What remains is the functioning of wisdom.

For illustration, diligent practice is like a mirror covered in dust or with uneven surfaces, reflecting distorted images. Upon attaining enlightenment or breaking through the doubt, one discovers that the mirror is smooth and clear. It reflects accurately without moving itself. At this point, “cessation of thought” has occurred, eliminating delusions and attachments.

Each thought is continuous, indicating “abiding.” If thoughts are not continuously linked, then thoughts cease. Once this cessation occurs, there is no longer delusional or attached thinking, revealing the “Dharma Body”—the true nature or Buddha-nature within oneself.