Questioner
Why meditate. My mind is already clear. I am fully awake and completely aware, possibly enlightened and my mind is mostly clear of delusions and negative thoughts?
Jonathan:
There is a story of the Cha’an teacher Joshu:
A monk asked Joshu, “Not getting stuck in the various things, what is that?”
Joshu said, “That is of course the desired state.”
The monk asked,”So that is what I should aim at?”
Joshu said, “Stuck, already stuck!”
Some clear mind!
- If you believe you are fully awake and aware, this is a thought, clouding the mind.
- If you think you may be enlightened, this is a thought, clouding the mind.
- If it seems to you that your mind is almost perfectly clear of any delusions and bad thoughts, your belief obscures reality from you.
In the clear mind, in an awakened and aware state, in the unconditioned mind, there is no difference between awake and asleep, there is no mind to be clear or cloudy, it is clear that no such thing as enlightenment was ever born, and that neither delusions, bad or good thoughts ever existed as real things.
So don’t worry about it. Just live well. That is important.