What disappears when you become "mushin" - Beyond concentration, meditation, and the "zone" in sports

「To clear one's mindThe expression " " is deeply rooted in the Japanese language.

Athletes say they "played without thinking." Martial artists aim for a "state of no-mind." Reaching a "state of no-mind" through meditation is often spoken of as a goal.

However, this "mushin" Accurate structure is surprisingly not discussed.

What becomes "nothing"? Is it the act of "losing" something, or a different kind of situation?

Not stopping thinking, quite the opposite.

To understand "mushin" as simply "a state of not thinking anything" is a mistake.

For example, a dazed state with an empty mind is not an absence of thought. It is merely a cessation of thinking, where reactivity to external stimuli has decreased.

Conversely, the state that martial arts masters call "mushin" is an extremely Highly reactiveThe response arises before the opponent's move. The optimal move appears without conscious thought. This is the opposite of stopping thought.

In other words, "no-mind" is not a state of "having no thoughts."

The separation between "the thinking subject" and "the object being thought about" disappears. It is in that state.

Action without subject intervention

Usually, when we do something, the structure is like this.

"I" recognize the "target," "I" judge, and "I" decide.

In all actions, the subject of "self" is involved.

This intervention by the subject is what delays, distorts, and causes hesitation in the action.

What is "mushin" (no-mind), it's this Without the self intervening This refers to a state. The judging self, deciding self, and evaluating self recede into the background, and only the action directly emerges.

The saying in Kendo, "The moment you think of striking, you are struck," refers to this. At the very moment the intention to strike arises, "you who strike" are present. The moment you are present, your movement is delayed.

In true emptiness of mind, one is already hitting before they think to hit.

Tetsuro Nishida's Pure Experience

The philosopher Kitaro Nishida referred to this as "Pure experiencecalled.

When we are born, we are in direct experience where the subject and object are not separated. As we grow, "self" and "world" become separated, and this separation becomes fixed.

However, this separation It's not absoluteMoments of immersion in art, moments of gazing at a loved one, moments of responding to a crisis—the separation of subject and object often dissolves naturally.

"No-mind" can be described as a state where the "separation of subject and object" is consciously and continuously resolved.

The paradox of "being carefree"

Here's another important distinction.

It is structurally impossible to "become selfless by trying to become selfless."

Because the moment you try to "clear your mind," the subject of "wanting to clear one's mind" arises. As long as the subject has arisen, it is not no-mind.

The true meaning of this paradox is often misunderstood.

It's not that "I can't become mindless."

The model "clearing one's mind" itself is mistaken.That's what it is.

Effortlessness is not something to be achieved.

That is,A structure that naturally rises when it weakens. That's right.

The structure that rises beyond the thinning.

Mindfulness is not a technique for "losing" something.

That is,A situation where the boundary between "self" and "world" structurally blurs. refers to

As that boundary blurs, the action rises without hesitation, aligning the flow of the world with one's own movement. Whether in sports, martial arts, or arts, peak performance almost invariably occurs within this structure.

And now, once again, vocabulary is needed to describe this structure one level deeper.

↓For more details, check out Theta Corridor III "Origin and Transparency" now↓

↓Murakami's Third Thesis, "Pure and Unblemished Mediation: The Pinnacle of Prayer," is here↓

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