Date: 08/16/2025 08/17/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
No-Thought: Awareness Before Thought Arises
“No-thought” does not mean the absence of thoughts.It means not being carried away by them.Before a thought fully forms, awareness is already present —this is the essence of true no-thought and a hallmark of deep meditation.
1.What Is No-Thought?
1.Not suppressing thoughts but not following them
The mind remains aware before thoughts gain momentum,so they cannot dominate your experience.
2.Thoughts are like waves; awareness is the ocean
Waves appear and disappear,but the ocean remains unmoved.
3.No-thought is clarity, not blankness
It is bright, awake, and open —not dull or shut down.
2.How Does No-Thought Arise?
1.Calm concentration reveals natural awareness
When the mind settles, awareness becomes vivid.
2.Mature mindfulness exposes thoughts immediately
Thoughts lose their ability to pull the mind away.
3.Letting go of the ego’s grip
Less “me,” more space.
4.Neither grasping nor resisting
Non-interference allows no-thought to unfold.
3.The Experience of No-Thought
1.Thoughts become transparent
They arise lightly, without impact.
2.Awareness remains in front
Attention stabilizes in pure knowing,not in objects.
3.Quiet yet luminous mind
Soft, spacious clarity without tension.
4.Weakening of the sense of self
The center loosens and dissolves.
4.The Significance of No-Thought
1.Freedom from mental entanglement
Thoughts lose their power to bind.
2.Insight grows naturally
A mind not pulled by thinking can see reality clearly.
3.Emotional reactivity decreases
With no “self” grasping thoughts,emotions weaken and dissolve more quickly.
4.A gateway to understanding non-self and emptiness
Thoughts are not “me,”and awareness stands free.
5.Common Misunderstandings
1.Mistaking no-thought for thoughtlessness
Blankness is not awakening.
2.Chasing the state of no-thought
Seeking is itself a thought.
3.Treating it as something mysterious
No-thought is deeply natural,like a calm sky.
6.How to Cultivate No-Thought
1.Practice “seeing the thought as it arises”
Not suppression — recognition.
2.Return to direct awareness of the present
Breath, body, space.
3.Relax deeply and stop forcing
Effort strengthens thinking.
4.Strengthen awareness until it becomes primary
When awareness outweighs thoughts,no-thought arises effortlessly.
Conclusion
No-thought is awareness preceding thought.Thoughts arise, but awareness does not move with them.In this freedom, clarity and peace naturally expand.No-thought cannot be forced — it unfolds when grasping ends.
