manifest in terms of tables and chairs and people and
animals, and it seems so tangible, but the moment
you say, “Thinking,” you’re acknowledging that the
whole drama is just a thought in your mind. That’s a
recognition of shunyata, or emptiness. Maybe each
of us has had some moments of how liberating that
can be.
When the thoughts arise it might occur to you to
wonder where they come from. Where do they come
from? It seems as if they come from nowhere. You’re
just faithfully following your breath and—Wham!—
you’re in Hawaii surfing. Where did it come from?
And where does it go? Big drama, big drama’s hap-
pening, big, big, drama. And it’s 9 : 30 in the morning.
“Oooh. Wow! This is extremely heavy.” A car horn
honks, and suddenly you’re not in that drama any-
more, you’re in another drama.
I was once instructed to meditate on thoughts. I
investigated the nature of thought for two whole
months. I can tell you firsthand that you can never
find a thought. There is nothing there of substance,
but with our minds we make it Extremely Big Deal.
Another slogan says, “All activities should be done
with one intention.” Breathing in, breathing out, feel-
ing resentful, feeling happy, being able to drop it, not
being able to drop it, eating our food, brushing our
teeth, walking, sitting—whatever we’re doing could
Cutting the Solidity of Thoughts 95