...during childhood to thoughts during adulthood, begins to shift back from thoughts to "what is." This reverse shift in attention simplifies life a great deal. One does not get caught up in many of the everyday dramas created by excessive thought. One turns away from the consensus trance and the herd mentality, and spends more time acting rather than reacting.
This kind of progress is very helpful, but the tendency is to then think "I am making progress." This thought reinforces the idea that there is someone separate from reality making progress toward an imagined goal. One thinks, "I've answered a hundered koans, so I'm getting closer to the truth." Many students also begin to exhibit pride because they've seen-through a lot of koans that other students haven't yet seen-through. Thus, ego stays in the game wearing a new disguise. This is the pitfall to which I was referring. As long as someone thinks, "I see the truth better than others do," there is not yet freedom from self-referential thinking.
This kind of progress is very helpful, but the tendency is to then think "I am making progress." This thought reinforces the idea that there is someone separate from reality making progress toward an imagined goal. One thinks, "I've answered a hundered koans, so I'm getting closer to the truth." Many students also begin to exhibit pride because they've seen-through a lot of koans that other students haven't yet seen-through. Thus, ego stays in the game wearing a new disguise. This is the pitfall to which I was referring. As long as someone thinks, "I see the truth better than others do," there is not yet freedom from self-referential thinking.
