A Process for Having a Clear Mind, Free of Unnecessary Thoughts

(Minghui.org) I would like to share with fellow practitioners the process that helped me to become better in obtaining the state of having fewer human thoughts and notions. I still have a long way to go, but by consciously working on getting rid of thoughts that are not beneficial to myself or others, the door opens to recognizing my attachments and upgrading my xinxing.

How I Started the Process

When I get anxious, I get out of balance, and it's easy for negative thoughts to start “brewing” in my mind. I have been working diligently to not give negative thoughts any energy. The first step is recognizing that they are trying to form. When I sense that these negative concepts are trying to form, I immediately demand that they leave, and I see them dissolve right before my eyes, and then they disappear. I've come to realize that, by not paying any attention to them and not giving them any energy, or “feeding them,” they cannot exist, and disintegrate.

At first this takes some willpower and concentration. I remember when I was anxious about learning a Dafa project that was intensive. For two weeks these negative concepts tried to form. I knew that once they did form, the old forces would take advantage and I would create a loophole if I kept thinking about them. I would have thoughts trying to form about not being good enough, that it is just too much work, or that it would disrupt my family situation too much, etc.

However, in spite of this negativity trying to take hold, I kept up my Fa study and exercises. I believe this helped me to remain steady in eliminating the negative elements. It took two weeks to eliminate them completely to the point where they wouldn't come back. I believe the cleaner and purer the mind, the more you can stay in line with the Fa. Abandoning human notions and having a clear mind is what I have been diligently working on for a long time. In doing so it has helped me become better at not judging others or situations, and it has helped me to see things more clearly from the Fa's perspective. It has also helped me to become an “observer” instead of judging, or having opinions or emotions about a situation.

Master said,

“Whatever happens, only by keeping up your Fa-study can you get rid of your human thoughts, can you get rid of your attachments, and can you thus be unaffected by any human things.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Washington D.C. Fa Conference” on July 22, 2002)

I first made sure that if any negative thoughts came into my mind, that I watched them dissolve right before me, or put an X in them, and they went away. If they were really strong, I replaced the thought with “Falun Dafa is good,” or other simple verses from the Fa. In time I came to the point where the negative thoughts quit forming. This took constant effort, but in time I let go of that human part of me. I then focused on working on getting rid of human thoughts that weren't necessarily negative, but that really had no substance or were unnecessary. This is also a process and takes a lot of effort. We are so ingrained with unnecessary thoughts that were formed by our notions.

Now when I witness something, I try not to judge or analyze, but just observe. If I'm not thinking of anything at the moment and a bad thought comes to mind, I understand it as not being me... it is thought-karma interfering with me. I also look inside to see what deeper attachments this is targeting.

Master said,

“When you cultivate at a very high level there’s no thought direction at all. The reason is, a set of foundational things was already laid when you were at the ordinary person foundation-building level, and when your cultivation reaches a high level, cultivation is totally automatic, and that’s especially true in our practice.” (Zhuan Falun)

Master also said,

Question: What's the ultimate meaning of a being's existence:

“Do you realize the effect of the mixture of your notions formed after birth, your notions formed over different time periods, and your thought karma that comes into play when you speak? Human thoughts will never be pure. Some such thoughts can be revealed to you, so you know; some aren’t, so you don’t know. Some people don’t even realize when these thoughts have manifested. So the factors in what you say include too many complicated things. The words of gods, to humans, are absolutely pure. You say you’re merciful (cibei), but in fact your mercy has many factors of human notions formed during different time periods mixed in. Your thinking is human thinking, and it contains everything. The thoughts emitted by your mind contain anything and everything. It is precisely to eliminate everything that’s impure and deficient that a person cultivates himself.” (“Teaching the Fa at the Eastern U.S. Fa Conference” March 27-28, 1999)

Benefits Received from Clearing Away Human Thoughts

I no longer have so many random thoughts arise while meditating, and it has become more tranquil. Human thoughts still surface, just not as many.

I am able to focus better and longer when I send forth righteous thoughts. I still have to make a conscious effort, but human thoughts are fewer.

My mind feels like it has become cleaner and clearer, and my Fa study has greatly improved. I am not very good at memorizing. I have tried a different technique that works better for me. I read Zhuan Falun very, very slowly. In fact I read only about three pages in an hour. I read each paragraph over and over again until it reaches many levels of my being. This really helps it to penetrate deeply into my mind. Since starting this, my insights and understandings have improved. I felt I was not making much progress before, but I have subsequently had much better improvement.

It seems that by eliminating human thoughts, the door is opened for the Fa principles to enter and take hold. Being an observer and not forming opinions from notions helps to lessen them, so as to focus more on acting and speaking from the principles of the Fa. I feel like my heart has expanded and my compassion has deepened. It is all because of Master.

Master mentions in his latest lecture, “But in fact, all human thoughts are attachments.” (“Fa Teaching on World Falun Dafa Day”)

I thank Master from the bottom of my heart for his guidance and patience. I feel this is a serious aspect of cultivation.

I would like to close with a passage I like reciting, from “Abiding in the Dao” (Hong Yin)

“Present, but the heart elsewhere—Perfectly reconciled with the world.Looking, but caring not to see—Free of delusion and doubt.Listening, but caring not to hear—A mind so hard to disturb.Eating, but caring not to taste—The palate’s attachments severed.Doing, but without pursuit—So constant, abiding in the Dao.Calm, but without strain of thought—The truly wondrous can be seen.”