Table of Contents

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Shinzen Young

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Table of Contents

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING ....................................................... 1

HOW TO NOTE VANISHINGS ........................................................ 5
HOW TO DO NOTHING .............................................................. 7

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

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Something From Nothing

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Shinzen Young

SOMETHING FROM NOTHING

For millennia the number One was thought of as the first and simplest number and the basis of all others.
In modern mathematics that role has been taken over by Zero. Zero is defined as the number of things in
the set that contains no things. In spirituality Zero may be used to describe a special kind of no-thing-ness
The rich and fulfilling nothing from which each something arises and to which it returns Nihil per
excellentiam The Source of Consciousness.
Since there are 6 Basic Spaces, there a
r
ei
nt
he
o
r
y

6 possible ways to pick just one of them the Basic Spaces themselves.
15 possible ways to pick exactly two.
We typically use about half of those possibilities (i.e., the subjective dyads, modality dyads,
Image-Touch Space (where restfulness is readily available), etc.)
20 possible ways of picking three of them at once.
We typically use only two of those possibilities (i.e., the Objective Triad and Subjective Triad).
15 ways of picking four of them at once.
We typically use only one of these possibilities, Bodymind Space, aka Touch + FIT Space,
although covering Sight + FIT Space or Sound + FIT Space can also be instructive.
6 ways of picking exactly 5 of them.
You might sometimes use one of these, Bodymind + Sound Space, which is a sort of closed-eyes
version of working in the All Senses. (Note that picking 5 out of 6 for inclusion is equivalent to
picking 1 out of 6 for exclusion, so the number of ways of picking 5 = one of the ways of picking
1. By same principle the picking 4 out of 6 for inclusion is equivalent to picking 2 out of 6 for
exclusion, so the number of ways to pick 4 = the number of ways to pick 2, i.e., 15.)
1 way of choose all 6 of them at once.
Now
6 + 15 + 20 + 15 + 6 + 1 = 63 = 64 1=26 1
Some
t
hi
ngs
e
e
msa
mi
s
she
r
e
.Thi
ng
swou
l
dbes
i
mpl
e
r(
Oc
c
a
m
sr
a
z
or
)a
ndmor
ebe
a
ut
i
f
ul(
Ei
n
s
t
e
i
n

s
criterion) if the total number of possible choices could be made equal to 26 = 64, i.e., 2 (the simplest
number after 0 and 1) raised to the number of Basic Spaces. Moreover, the pattern of possibilities would
become perfectly symmetrical if we added a 1 at the beginning of the sequence:
1 + 6 + 15 + 20 + 15 + 6 + 1 = 64
The 1 at the beginning stands for the possibility of choosing nothing whatsoever as your focus space, i.e.,
focusing on a state of consciousness that has no sensory content at all! This would represent contentless
consciousness, or mathematically speaking, the empty set.
One might be tempted to defined contentless consciousness as the state of dreamless sleep, but it turns out
to be much more productive to work with what in ancient India was referred to as t
ur

y
a, meaning
l
i
t
e
r
a
l
l
y
t
h
eFour
t
h.
TheFour
t
hi
sas
t
a
t
eo
fc
on
s
c
i
o
us
ne
s
swi
t
hou
ts
pe
c
i
f
i
c content and hence different
from ordinary waking consciousness (the First) and dreaming consciousness (the Second). But it is not
utterly embedded in unconsciousness the way dreamless sleep (the Third) is.

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

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Something From Nothing

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Shinzen Young

This experience has been known and cultivated in all ages and in all cultures inside and outside of all
religious traditions. Hence, there are many synonyms for it, some of which seem to contradict each other!
The following partial list of synonyms will give you an idea of the ubiquity and importance of this
experience.
Pure Consciousness (Purusha in Yoga)
Cessation (Cittavrittinirodha in Yoga, Nirodha in Buddhism, Ces in St. John of the Cross)
The Source (Ha Makom in Kabbalah, Kongen in Sasaki Roshi)
The Witness (Drashtri in Yoga)
True Self (Atma in Hinduism)
No self (Anatma in Buddhism)
The Unborn (Ajata in Buddhism and Hinduism)
The Undying (Amrita in Buddhism and Hinduism)
Emptiness (Shunyata in Buddhism)
Fullness (Purna in Hinduism)
Nothingness (Nihil in Christianity, Ayn in Judaism, kicaa in Buddhism)
Ground (Grund in Christianity, Gzhi in Tibetan practice)
Peace of Heaven (Shalom bimromav in Judaism)
Void (Shunya in Buddhism, Xin Daoism)
True Love (Shinjitsu no ai in Sasaki Roshi)
Now a person might reasonably object that focusing on
not
h
i
ngwha
t
s
oe
v
e
r
i
si
mpos
s
i
bl
e
, both
practically and logically.
Ont
hep
r
a
c
t
i
c
a
ls
i
de
,
i
no
r
d
e
rt
oe
xp
e
r
i
e
nc
e
no
t
h
i
ng
i
twoul
ds
e
e
mt
ha
tonewoul
dha
v
et
opush down
all sensory activity. But to push down all sensory activity is 1) not feasible and 2) not desirable.
On the logical side, nothing is in some ways like a dimensionless point without extension in space or
duration through time. It contains no room for experiencer, experienced, or even experience. To speak of

e
xpe
r
i
e
nc
i
ng
s
uc
hathing would seem to be a contradiction in terms.
Le
t

sa
dd
r
e
s
se
a
c
ho
ft
h
e
s
eob
j
e
c
t
i
onsi
nt
ur
n.

The Practical Objection

Instead of trying to turn off experience, consider instead simply noticing whenever an experience
vanishes, i.e., goes from being somet
hi
ngt
obe
i
n
gno
t
h
i
ng
.Ea
c
ht
i
mey
ounot
e
Gone,
f
orj
us
taf
r
a
c
t
i
on
of a second your attention is averted (turned toward) nothing-whatsoever-ness.
Re
me
mbe
rt
ha
twhe
ny
oud
e
f
i
n
eac
e
r
t
a
i
n
Xt
ob
ey
o
urfocus space,i
ti
se
x
pe
c
t
e
dt
ha
t
n
o
nXwi
l
l
occur. All you are asked to do is highlight X and let non X be in the background. So if you define

nothingnesst
obey
ourfocus space,
i
t

sf
i
nei
ft
he
r
ei
ss
t
i
l
lal
o
tofs
ome
t
hi
ng
ne
s
si
ny
ou
ra
wa
r
e
ne
s
s
.
All you have to do is get fascinated with the periodic s
e
que
nc
eofv
a
ni
s
h
i
ng
sa
ndl
e
ta
l
lt
hea
r
i
s
i
ng
s
do
t
he
i
rt
hi
ng
i
nt
h
eba
c
k
g
r
ound.
Somuc
hf
ort
hep
r
a
c
t
i
c
a
ld
i
f
f
i
c
ul
t
y
.Nowl
e
t

sa
dd
r
e
s
st
hede
e
pe
r
,
l
og
i
c
a
ld
i
f
f
i
c
ul
t
y
.

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

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Something From Nothing

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Shinzen Young

The Logical Objection

Logically, how can anyone experience something that is not ane
x
pe
r
i
e
n
c
e
?We
l
l
,
ofc
ou
r
s
ey
ouc
a
n
t
!
But what you can e
xp
e
r
i
e
n
c
ei
sac
ont
i
nuou
ss
e
que
n
c
eof
mome
nt
a
r
ya
dv
e
r
t
i
ng
sofa
wa
r
e
ne
s
st
oward
n
ot
h
i
ng
ne
s
s
.
Af
t
e
rawhi
l
e
,t
hi
ss
t
r
i
ngofa
c
k
nowl
e
dg
e
dv
a
ni
s
hi
ng
ss
umt
oade
l
i
c
i
ous
l
yf
u
l
f
i
l
l
i
ngs
e
n
s
e
of nothingness.
Tha
t
de
l
i
c
i
ous
l
yf
ul
f
i
l
l
i
ngs
e
ns
eofn
ot
h
i
ng
ne
s
s
i
sno
tnot
hi
ng
ne
s
si
t
s
e
l
f
.
I
ti
sah
uma
ns
e
ns
o
r
y
eventthe closest experience a human can have to direct contact with the non-human nothing of the
Source. The only closer thing is t
he
s
i
ng
ul
a
r
i
t
y
o
fdirect contact itself; but in that instant there is no
knower, known or knowing; there is just the One Zero.

Standard Procedures for Returning to the Source

In Basic Mindfulness the standard way of working involves choosing a focus space and then applying one
of two standard focus methods to that space: Noting States or Even Coverage.

Focus Method 1: Note Vanishings

The categories you can note are classified into active states, (i.e., Touch, Feel), restful states (i.e.,
Relaxation, Peace), and Impermanence states (i.e., Flow, Vanishing).
Fora
l
lc
a
t
e
g
or
i
e
sot
he
rt
ha
nv
a
ni
s
hi
ng
,
t
ono
t
e
i
sde
s
c
r
i
be
di
nt
e
r
msof
:

Ac
k
nowl
e
dg
e
,
s
oa
ki
na
ndope
nup.
Forv
a
ni
s
h
i
ng
,
t
onot
e
t
a
k
e
sas
i
mpl
e
rf
or
m,
j
us
t
:

Ac
k
nowl
e
dg
e
.
Tha
t

sbe
c
a
us
ei
f you take Nothingness to be your focus space and Noting States to be your focus method,
then t
heo
nl
ys
t
a
t
ey
ouc
a
nnot
ei
s
Va
ni
s
hi
ng
.
Th
er
e
l
e
v
a
nti
ns
t
r
u
c
t
i
onswou
l
dt
h
e
nbe
:
1. Youdon
tne
e
dt
oposition your attention in any particular way.
2. Every time you are aware that somethingha
sv
a
ni
s
he
d
,not
e
Gone.

3. The thing that vanishes could be simple or complex, intense or subtle, well-defined or illdefined. Th
ev
a
ni
s
h
i
ngma
ybedr
a
ma
t
i
co
rs
ub
t
l
e
.Ei
t
h
e
rc
a
s
ei
sf
i
n
e
.
Al
lno
t
h
i
ng
sa
r
e
unc
r
e
a
t
e
de
qu
a
l
.

4. It is not particularly important that you have a clear sense of what has vanished. Your interest
i
si
nt
h
e
g
o
i
ng
r
a
t
he
rt
ha
tt
he
wh
a
t
.

5. After each note, just hang out until something else vanishes. The wait for the next vanishing
may be short or long. Any pattern is fine.
Thus, it i
spo
s
s
i
bl
et
oi
nc
o
r
por
a
t
e
not
i
ngnot
h
i
ng
ne
s
s
i
n
t
oou
rs
t
a
nd
a
r
drepertoire of procedures by
following the above instructions.

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

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Something From Nothing

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Shinzen Young

Focus Method 2: Do Nothing

Howa
bout
e
v
e
nc
ov
e
rage of no
t
hi
ng
ne
s
s

?Thi
scertainly would seem to be impossible! How can you
cov
e
rs
ome
t
hi
ngwi
t
ha
wa
r
e
ne
s
si
fi
ti
sno
te
x
t
e
nd
e
di
ns
pa
c
ea
ndd
oe
snotl
a
s
tt
hr
oug
ht
i
me
?We
l
l
,
l
e
t

s
look a little more carefully at the exact wording in t
hede
f
i
ni
t
i
o
nof
e
v
e
nc
ov
e
r
a
g
e
.

1. Spread your attention over as much of the focus space as possible without straining.
2. Beyond that, do nothing intentionally.
Clearly part 1 is not relevant to experience nothingness, but part 2 is very relevant!
If your focus space is Nothingness, then
c
ov
e
ra
nddonothing intentionallyi
sr
e
duc
e
dt
o
do nothing
intent
i
ona
l
l
y
.
The relevant instructions would then be:
1. Youdon
tne
e
dt
oposition your attention in any particular way.
2. Let whatever happens happen, but as soon as you notice that you are doing anything
intentionally, stop.
We

l
lr
e
f
e
rt
ot
h
i
sp
r
oc
e
s
sa
s
Doi
ngNot
h
i
ng
.

The second part of the instruction requires some clarification. We will define
i
nt
e
nt
i
o
na
l
t
ome
a
n
something you can voluntarily control, meaning you have total control over initiating and stopping the
action like raising or dropping your arm. Therefore, by definition, you can always stop an intentional
act. So if you cannot stop doing something, it is not really intentional and you do
n
tneed to stop. The
instructions are very clear; only stop doing what you easily can stop doing. Let anything else happen as it
will.
Examples of things that you can stop doing are:

Intentionally thinking (as opposed to thinking that just happens to you)

Trying to focus on a certain thing
Trying to have equanimity
Trying to keep track of what
sgoing on
Trying to meditate

Thus, amazingly, it is actually possible to explore Nothingness using the two standard focus methods as
long as you realize that in this special case:

Note St
a
t
e
sr
e
duc
e
st
o
j
us
ta
c
k
nowl
e
dg
ee
a
c
hv
a
ni
s
h
i
ng
and
Even Cove
r
a
g
er
e
duc
e
st
o
donot
h
i
ngi
n
t
e
n
t
i
on
a
l
.

Al
t
houg
h
j
us
ta
c
k
nowl
e
dg
ee
a
c
hv
a
ni
s
h
i
ng
a
nd
donot
h
i
ngi
nt
e
nt
i
ona
l
ma
ys
e
e
mt
obev
e
r
ydi
f
f
e
r
e
n
t
procedures, they lead to similar experiences.
Two other methods that will lead you in the same direction are the method of
Nott
hi
s
,No
tt
h
i
s
(
neti
neti) and the practice of Self Inquiry (constantly asking who is experiencing). If you find either of those
approaches useful, you can consider them to be
special exercisesto be used in addition to or instead of
the standard two methods described above when your focus space i
s
Not
h
i
ng
ne
s
s
(
Tr
ueSe
l
f
,NoSe
l
f
,
Source of Thought, etc.)

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

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How to Note Vanishings

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Shinzen Young

HOW TO NOTE VANISHINGS

Basic Instructions
I
fy
ourf
oc
u
ss
pa
c
ei
sNot
hi
ng
ne
s
st
he
n
Noting Statesr
e
duc
e
st
o
Noting Vanishing.This is
because vanishing is the only state that points to contentless consciousness. He
r
e

showt
oNot
e
Vanishings:
Youdon
tne
e
dt
opos
i
t
i
ony
oura
t
t
e
nt
i
oni
na
nypa
r
t
i
c
ul
a
rwa
y
.
Eve
r
yt
i
mey
oua
r
ea
wa
r
et
h
a
ts
ome
t
hi
ngha
sva
ni
s
he
d,not
e
Gone.

The thing that vanishes could be simple or complex, intense or subtle, well-defined or
ill-defined. The vanishing may be dramatic or subtle. Either case is fine
Al
l
nothings are unc
r
e
a
t
e
de
qua
l
.
It is not particularly important that you have a clear
sense of what has vanished. Youri
nt
e
r
e
s
ti
si
nt
he
g
oi
ngr
a
t
he
rt
ha
tt
he
wha
t
.

After each note, just hang out until something else vanishes. The wait for the next
vanishing may be short or long. Any pattern is fine.

Guidelines
Guessing
This procedure often involves a good deal of gue
s
s
i
nga
ndg
r
opi
ng
.I
t

soka
yi
fy
ou
r
enot
entirely sure how accurate your noting is.
Let go of ordinary ordering
As you Note Vanishings, try to let go of the need to find meaning or get comfortable. If this
brings about a state of chaos, confusion or disorientation, note whenever a piece of that chaos
vanishes
You
renott
ryi
ng t
ogett
hi
ngst
o vani
sh
You
r
enott
r
y
i
ngt
og
e
tt
hi
ng
st
ova
ni
s
horpr
e
ve
ntt
hi
ng
sf
r
om ha
ppe
ni
ng
.J
us
tha
ngout
until something vanishes, however tiny that may be. The vanishings may occur frequently or
just occasionally. Any pattern is fine.
You don
tneed t
of
i
xat
eon i
nt
ensi
t
i
es
I
fs
ome
t
hi
ngi
nt
e
ns
ea
r
i
s
e
s
,y
oudon
tha
vet
of
i
xa
t
eoni
tunt
i
li
tall disappears. Even very
intense arisings usually have some parts that disappear instantly. Moreover, an intense
arising in one part of consciousness almost always causes many small vanishings elsewhere.
If you can, become fascinated with those micro-vanishings rather than fixated on the macrointensity.

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

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How to Note Vanishings

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Shinzen Young

What to do about rapid-fire vanishings

I
fva
ni
s
h
i
ngoc
c
ur
sonl
yoc
c
a
s
i
ona
l
l
y
,t
ha
t

sf
i
ne
.
Ont
heot
he
rha
nd,i
fva
ni
s
hi
ng
sa
r
es
of
r
e
que
nta
ndqui
c
kt
ha
ty
ouc
a
n
tnot
et
he
m
i
ndi
vi
dua
l
l
y
,j
us
tnot
e
Gonee
ve
r
yf
e
ws
e
c
ondst
oa
c
knowl
e
dget
ha
ty
ou
r
ede
t
e
c
t
i
ngr
a
pi
dfine vanishings. In such cases, you need not try to note each
Gone
individually.

Positive Effects
Tranquility
It can sometimes happen that Noting Vanishings creates a pervasive sense of tranquility.
Tha
t

sbe
c
a
us
ee
a
c
hmome
ntofva
ni
s
hi
ngr
e
pr
e
s
e
nt
sa moment of Absolute Rest. That
moment of Absolute Rest may spread a wave of relative rest through your body, mind and
even out to the scene around you. If that happens, enjoy that restfulness but keep focusing on
the vanishings.
Continuous nothingness
It can sometimes happen that the individual moments of vanishings start to connect together
with rather little something-ne
s
si
nbe
t
we
e
n.I
t

sa
l
mos
tl
i
key
ou
Stay Goneunt
i
lt
hene
xt

Gone.

Richness
When you focus on vanishings, you may sometimes have a paradoxical experience. The
vanishing is a kind of nothingness yet seems to deliver a deep sense of richness and
fulfillment. If anything like that happens, enjoy it. Remember, the word nirvana means both
extinction and fulfillment!
Figure-ground reversal
As you Note Vanishings, it can sometimes happen that a kind of figure-ground reversal
occurs. Instead of observing the vanishing point, you become it! You become the nothing
the groundand y
ou
un-be
c
ome
t
houg
ht
sa
ndbodys
e
ns
a
t
i
ons
, which are now like
insubstantial figures continuously rising from and returning to the TRUE YOU.
What Comes Between
You may notice a loss of interest or a loss of clarity with regard to whatever is occurring in
between the vanishings. Ordinarily a loss of interest or clarity is considered a bad thing, but
i
nt
hi
sc
a
s
ei
t

sa
c
t
ua
l
l
ygoodbe
c
a
us
ei
ti
ndi
c
a
t
e
st
ha
ty
ou
r
ei
nt
e
r
e
s
ta
ndc
l
a
r
i
t
ya
r
es
hi
f
t
i
ng
from t
he
s
ome
t
hi
ng
s
t
ot
he
not
h
i
ng
s
.
I
tc
oul
da
l
s
oha
ppe
nt
ha
tt
heonl
yt
hi
ngt
ha
ts
e
e
ms
t
ooc
c
u
rbe
t
we
e
nva
ni
s
hi
ng
si
s
pol
a
r
i
z
a
t
i
on,
i
.
e
.
, a sense of simultaneous expansion and
contraction. If so, great! I
nt
hepa
r
l
a
nc
eofmyt
e
a
c
he
rSa
s
a
kiRos
hi
,y
ou
r
enow

pa
r
t
i
c
i
pa
t
i
ngoft
hea
c
t
i
vi
t
yoft
heSour
c
e
.

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

Return to the Source.doc Created: 11/17/06 Modified: 7/11/2007

How to Do Nothing

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Shinzen Young

HOW TO DO NOTHING
Basic Instructions
I
fy
ourf
oc
u
ss
pa
c
ei
sNot
hi
ng
ne
s
s
,t
h
e
n
Evenly Cover t
hes
pa
c
ea
nddonot
hi
ng
r
e
duc
e
st
o

Do Nothing.He
r
e

showt
oDoNot
h
i
ng
:
Youdon
tne
e
dt
opos
i
t
i
ony
oura
t
t
e
nt
i
onin any particular way.
Let whatever happens happen, but as soon as you notice that you are doing anything
intentionally, stop.
The second part of the instruction requires some clarification. We will define
i
nt
e
nt
i
ona
l
t
o
mean something you can voluntarily control, meaning you have total control over initiating and
stopping the action like raising or dropping your arm. Therefore, by definition, you can always
stop an intentional act, because if you cannot stop doing something, it is not really intentional
and you don
tneed to stop. The instructions are very clear; only stop doing what you easily can
stop doing. Let anything else happen as it will.
Examples of things that you can stop doing are:
Intentionally thinking (as opposed to thinking that just happens to you)
Trying to focus on a certain thing
Trying to have equanimity
Trying to keep track of what is going on
Trying to meditate

More About Thinking

Some thoughts are intentional. I
t

spos
s
i
bl
ef
ory
out
omake a decision to think about
s
ome
t
hi
nga
ndi
t

sa
l
s
opos
s
i
bl
et
ode
c
i
denott
ot
hi
nka
boutt
ha
tt
hi
ng
.Ot
he
rt
hought
sa
r
e
not intentional. They just sort of happen to you. They are not under conscious control. You
may find that your thoughts are mostly intentional or mostly not under your control.
Thei
mpor
t
a
ntpoi
ntt
or
e
me
mbe
ri
st
ha
tt
he
Doing Nothinga
swe

l
lde
f
i
nei
tdoe
snot
require you to stop all thoughts. You just stop intentionally t
hi
nki
ng
.I
fy
ouc
a
n
ts
t
op
thinking about something t
he
ny
oudon
tneed to stop because y
ou
r
enot thinking
intentionally,byourde
f
i
ni
t
i
onoft
ha
twor
d.Sobyt
hi
sde
f
i
ni
t
i
on,
Doing Nothingi
s
actually a very easy-going process. It just means stop doing whatever you can stop doing and
don
twor
r
ya
boutt
her
e
s
toft
hes
t
uf
f
.

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

Return to the Source.doc Created: 11/17/06 Modified: 7/11/2007

How to Do Nothing

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Shinzen Young

Doing Nothing and the Experience of Nothing

Doing Nothing is a way of moving toward the experience of nothingness. When you Do
Nothing, you let go of the intention to go any place or achieve any goal. You even let go of
the intention to get focused or have clarity or avoid chaos. In essence you let go of the
i
nt
e
nt
i
ont
o
me
di
t
a
t
e
.

At first this may be a bit disconcerting and uncomfortable, but after a while you begin to get
the sense that something is pulling you, taking you on a journey. If you Do Nothing long and
continuously enough, nothing will begin to tug on you, taking you on a journey to Zero,
Groundless Ground, the Source of consciousness. In other wor
ds
,y
oudon
tha
vet
ot
r
yt
oge
t
to the Sourceyou just stop doing anything and wait for it to get to you!
Tos
umi
tup,whe
ny
oupr
a
c
t
i
c
e
Doing Nothingi
tdoe
s
n
tme
a
nt
ha
tt
heg
oa
li
st
oha
ve
not
hi
ngha
ppe
n.I
nf
a
c
tt
he
r
ema
ybeal
otha
ppe
ni
ng
.Tha
t

soka
y
,a
sl
onga
sy
ouke
e
pl
e
t
t
i
ng
go of the intention to do a
ny
t
hi
nga
boutwha
t

sha
ppe
ni
ng
.

2007 Shinzen Young All rights reserved.

Return to the Source.doc Created: 11/17/06 Modified: 7/11/2007