Zen teaches that all of daily life is practice, and that one should "simply do" something in a state of mindlessness. This state of quiet mindlessness seems to be reflected in the worldview that Dogen Zenji spoke of, like water accumulating in a bamboo tube and making a "ka-kon" sound.
The basic principle is mindlessness, but it is not truly nothing; it is a state where the intention to move the body directly moves the body.
However, it is not literally a completely mindless state; even a slight amount of extraneous thoughts may suddenly pop up, but they are almost instantly resolved and disappear. Even in such a state, it may be called mindlessness.
In my case, since the recent strong influx of "purusha" (divine spirits), the last remaining traces of trauma and some extraneous thoughts have been rapidly resolved.
About two weeks have passed, and things have become relatively stable. Now, I feel that I can continue in a state of mindlessness with less difficulty. Before the influx of purusha, I could achieve a state of mindlessness, but I often fell out of that state. Even after the influx of purusha, it was not as stable as it is now. However, recently, it has suddenly become stable, and I can now "simply do" things in daily life, or "simply relax in a state of mindlessness" during meditation.
There is often a misunderstanding about this kind of thing in meditation. The state of trance, or in other words, "losing consciousness" in meditation, is completely different from the state of mindlessness that I am talking about. When one enters a trance during meditation, one loses consciousness, and the unconscious mind takes over, and sometimes, one can spend hours without realizing it. However, this is completely different from the state of mindlessness that I am talking about.
If I were to rephrase mindlessness, it would be "no extraneous thoughts" or "very few extraneous thoughts." It is like extraneous thoughts appearing slightly at the bottom of a lake, but those thoughts do not reach the surface, or have almost no effect. It is like a small fish moving slightly below the surface of the lake, or like air bubbles occasionally rising from a spring at the bottom of the lake, and the surface of the lake remains calm. Even if there is a slight movement below the surface, it is absorbed by the lake as a whole, and the extraneous thoughts quickly disappear.
When I reach this state, I feel that the relaxation of the body and the release of energy blockages are accelerated. Tension and energy blockages in the head are often caused by thoughts and extraneous thoughts. Therefore, by meditating in a state of mindlessness, the head becomes relaxed at an accelerated rate, and the flow of energy also improves. This further accelerates relaxation.
If the word "mushin" is difficult to understand, you can replace it with "observational state." It may sound completely opposite, but "mushin" is not a state where everything disappears. It is a state where the thinking mind is resting, and at that time, "consciousness" is moving. While the mind is almost not moving, "consciousness" is moving. Therefore, this expression is not contradictory, but rather a proper explanation of the state.
Sometimes, in the meditation world, there is a debate about whether meditation is about concentration or observation. However, it is only a matter of wording and expression, and meditation is both. For the mind, it is basically concentration, but it can also be said to be observation. On the other hand, for consciousness, it can also be said to be concentration, but basically it is observation. The mind is concentrating, and consciousness is observing, but in reality, both concentration and observation exist in both.
In the case of "mushin" here, the mind is calm and slowing down its movements. Therefore, the mind is concentrating, but not exerting force. It is a state where the mind is observing slowly. On the other hand, consciousness is observing, but in terms of the focus of consciousness, it is also somewhat concentrating. Both the mind and consciousness are doing both concentration and observation, not just one.
At this time, consciousness is not gone like a trance state, and consciousness is moving. You are clearly aware of the situation. This can be said to be observation, and it can also be said to be concentration because consciousness is moving. It is only a matter of wording. When you move your body and say "just do ○○" in a state of "mushin," it is also an observation, but in terms of expression, it may feel more like concentration. Consciousness is moving even in "mushin." If consciousness moves, the body also moves. That is "mushin."
The time that I can be in a state of "mushin" has rapidly increased since the inflow of Purusha. The inflow of Purusha itself was a transformation of myself, but as a result, the state of consciousness has shifted to a higher gear, making it easier to enter a state of "mushin," and easier to maintain that state. It feels like I have climbed to a higher level, like climbing above the clouds.
Just before the inflow of Purusha, I felt like I was about to take off and fly high into the sky. Before the inflow of Purusha, I was in the clouds. With the inflow of Purusha, I finally managed to get a little above the clouds, although it is a low-altitude flight. Although the speed has not yet increased, I think that I have reached, at least, the "lowest level of enlightenment." It may sound presumptuous.
What I think when I come here is that many people have achieved a fairly high level of enlightenment. I think I need to understand my place. Even though I feel like I've reached the lowest level of enlightenment, and I don't quite understand what that even means, I feel like I've cleared a certain hurdle. In order to progress further, I think it's necessary to explore the world of "mushin," a state of mind free from the constraints of the ego, and the realm of the unconscious.