Zen stories, and non-duality teachings, prove very quickly that you are able to stop your mind whenever you want. It’s simple. Though it seems like we have to trick ourelves.
The stories, and many of the teachings, what they do is trick you into seeing nothing, or a paradox, or just straight out silliness.
But you don’t have to be tricked. You can learn to do it yourself at will. We live in a world that is completely different from the world of ancient Zen. We’ve just all been educated completely differently than the people of thousands of years ago, when these teachings first started. We’ve been educated so differently that we can do it at will, because we understand things deeper. There is so much less mystery.
So. What is the sound of one hand clapping?
This used to be a huge mystery for Spiritual teachers, for mathematicians, for accountants, for everybody, because they didn’t understand the idea of zero. It was only a brief couple hundred years ago that we started understanding zero. It’s no mystery to us now. You’re taught zero in kindergarten! To you it’s a natural concept. There is no mystery to it at all. In fact, it’s so natural we don’t really look at it.
The sound of one hand clapping. Stop for a second and look at nothing in your mind. What do you see?
We are so much closer to this than anybody has ever been, and that’s why there’s this surge of Enlightenment happening throughout the world. And it gets better… as Enlightenment teachers are starting to learn how to express this better it’s going to become a natural state for people.
What’s the sound of one hand clapping? You know the answer. You’ve known it since you were six.
It’s nothing.
Now take a look at yourself. What is actually happening in your mind at all times?
It’s nothing.
If you actually look at your thoughts. Just stop. Simply look. You’ll notice there’s nothing there. Yes, English language is always chattering away, concepts, images, all sorts of things will whizz through… just like a river running down the creek. But there’s nothing actually there. There’s nothing.
If you just stop for one second.. what is the sound of one hand clapping? It’s nothing.
Stop for a second and listen to that, then step back into it realize that is what you are. I am that. I am that nothing.