Date: 03/29/2025 03/30/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
How to Contemplate “A Mind That Clings to Nothing”
The phrase “a mind that clings to nothing” comes from the Diamond Sutra. It does not mean stopping thoughts or suppressing feelings; rather, it means not grasping, not fixing, and not dwelling on anything. This contemplation leads to inner freedom, clarity, and wisdom.
1.What Does “A Mind That Clings to Nothing” Mean?
1.The mind does not chase thoughts
Thoughts come and go without interference.
2.The mind does not stick to emotions
Emotions arise but are not taken as “me.”
3.The mind does not fixate on any state
Neither attached to calm nor afraid of restlessness.
4.The mind is like the sky
Clouds (experiences) pass, but the sky remains open.
Essence: The mind has no landing point.
2.Why Practice This Contemplation?
1.Prevents attachment to meditative states
Calmness becomes a tool, not a prison.
2.Prevents emotional entanglement
Anger, fear, and sadness lose their grip.
3.Prevents treating thoughts as truth
Thoughts become known as passing mental events.
4.Cultivates effortless awareness
Freedom arises when the mind does not cling.
3.Practical Methods to Contemplate “Non-abiding Mind”
Method One: Watch Thoughts Arise and Fade
Steps
See a thought arise
Acknowledge it
Do not follow it
Watch it dissolve
Purpose
To see clearly:
Thoughts cannot be held.
Method Two: Feel Emotions Without Grasping
Steps
Notice the emotion
Sense how it feels in the body
Do not say “I am this emotion”
Watch it change and fade
Purpose
Emotions can be felt without becoming your identity.
Method Three: Observe Constant Change in the Present Moment
Steps
Watch breath change
Watch sensations shift
Watch mental states move
Purpose
When everything is changing, the mind naturally stops clinging.
Method Four: Let Go of Attachment to Calmness
Pointers
No need to hold peace
No need to reject restlessness
No need to chase experiences
Non-abiding means letting the mind act naturally without grasping.
Method Five: Rest in Awareness Itself
Steps
Notice breath, sensations, thoughts
Recognize awareness as the background
Rest in awareness, not in objects
Eventually, let go even of “resting”
This reveals the highest meaning of non-abiding.
4.The Benefits of This Practice
1.Thoughts lose power
2.Emotions lose ownership
3.Mind becomes spacious and light
4.Calmness arises naturally
5.Clarity and wisdom deepen
6.Daily life becomes easier and freer
Conclusion
To contemplate “a mind that clings to nothing” is to let thoughts, emotions, and states arise without grasping.By observing change and resting in open awareness,the mind becomes free, light, and unobstructed—revealing its natural clarity.
