Be with yourself as you are,
but without haste,
without impatience.– Shunmyo Masuno
In our everyday lives, do any of us have time to think about nothing? I imagine most people would say, ‘I don’t have a moment to spare for that.’ We’re pressed for time, pressured by work and everything else in our lives. Modern life is busier than ever. All day, every day, we try our best just to do what has to get done. If we immerse ourselves in this kind of routine, unconsciously but inevitably we lose sight of our true selves, and of true happiness.
Any given day, a mere ten minutes is all you need. Try making time for emptiness, for not thinking about anything. Just try clearing your mind, and not being caught up in the things around you. Various thoughts will float up in your mind, but try to send them away, one by one. When you do so, you will begin to notice the present moment, the subtle shifts in nature that are keeping you alive. When you are not distracted by other things, your pure and honest self can be revealed. Making time for not thinking about anything – that is the first step towards creating a simple life.
Zen: The Art Of Simple Living
Shunmyo Masuno
[Note: The more busy we are, the more must we reflect on whether we are busy over what is crucial, or over more of what is not crucial, that distract us from the crucial. Thinking about nothing is a way to ‘reset’ our minds, while mindfulness of Buddha’s name can be directly practised to set or align our minds to our Buddha-nature (which is our true self) with Buddha’s blessings. As it is hard to empty the mind totally, it is easier to fill the mind with a pure thought, represented by the name. Other than bringing about calmness and clarity, mindfulness of Buddha creates merits and blessings too. When stray thoughts arise, just return to the name.]
