There is a famous saying: “If the mind is not contrived, it is spontaneously blissful, just as water, when not agitated, is by nature transparent and clear.” Finally, slip quietly out of the noose of your habitual anxious self. The word “slip” is interesting, as it means to sneak away.
Because our afflictions will never allow our mind to be free—they always try to control our mind. Only with wisdom can we slip out of anxiety and afflictions. Let go of all attachments and enter the true nature of your mind. It is like pouring a handful of sand onto a flat surface; each grain settles of its own accord. This is how you relax into your true nature, letting all thoughts and emotions naturally subside and dissolve into the state of the nature of mind. The attitude toward thoughts and emotions should be to recognize them as waves—arising from the ocean and eventually returning to it. The awakening mind shouldn’t be attached to these thoughts and emotions, as they are impermanent and devoid of inherent nature. Quietly sitting, body still, speech silent, mind at peace—let thoughts and emotions come and go, without clinging to anything. Don’t cling to them, and don’t try to push them away; that won’t work. When thoughts and emotions arise, simply observe them—they will slip away like a thief. Emotions and thoughts will come and go. Since we still have karmic habits, they cannot be absent. Don’t be afraid of thoughts or emotions. The key is to maintain clear awareness and see their true nature. When we maintain awareness, the major afflictions, emotions, and thoughts will gradually disappear, allowing us to observe subtler ones. What does this state feel like? When we have fulfilled a day’s duties smoothly, with nothing left to worry about, and the mind feels free, content, and joyful… Then we return home exhausted and fully relax on a comfortable sofa or bed— At that moment, when a practitioner reflects the light inward, he may perceive a state of mind he has never seen before.