Niz discovered the truth in only three years by spending all of his free time focused on the thought/or sense of "I AM." By contrast, most of us take a lackadaisical approach to shifting attention away from thoughts. A typical Zen student may spend an hour each day attending the breath, and a hard-core Zen student may spend two hours per day doing shikantaza (pure non-conceptual awareness without content). Meanwhile, the house is burning down.
The question that any seeker might find worthwhile considering is, "What is the body/mind doing 16/7?" How much time is spent lost in needless thought versus how much time is spent attending isness?" How much time is spent repeating old tape loops, story-telling, and/or thinking self-referentially? Is the body/mind spending most of its time in an action-oriented mode or reflection-oriented mode?
For anyone who is serious about discovering the truth (not just fooling around) Niz's example is worth considering. He was a simple man and trusted his teacher, so he adopted a fanatical attitude toward attentiveness. He later told a seeker, in essence, "Yes, the mind rebelled at first, but then it settled down, and attentiveness became easier. Eventually, attentiveness dominated every waking moment."
This same story is repeated by many people who found the truth fast. Watch what's going on, and be aware that if attention stays focused upon thoughts, philosophical analysis, judgments about other peoples' views, arguments about rightness or wrongness, and other forms of useless reflectiveness, the truth will remain an elusive pipedream.
The more insane one's level of attentiveness and focus upon isness becomes, the faster illusions will fall away and the truth will appear.
What can be seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled this moment? What is happening HERE and NOW? Where is attention focused?
Leave TMT to other people. If finding the truth is important, become insane in the pursuit of it.
The question that any seeker might find worthwhile considering is, "What is the body/mind doing 16/7?" How much time is spent lost in needless thought versus how much time is spent attending isness?" How much time is spent repeating old tape loops, story-telling, and/or thinking self-referentially? Is the body/mind spending most of its time in an action-oriented mode or reflection-oriented mode?
For anyone who is serious about discovering the truth (not just fooling around) Niz's example is worth considering. He was a simple man and trusted his teacher, so he adopted a fanatical attitude toward attentiveness. He later told a seeker, in essence, "Yes, the mind rebelled at first, but then it settled down, and attentiveness became easier. Eventually, attentiveness dominated every waking moment."
This same story is repeated by many people who found the truth fast. Watch what's going on, and be aware that if attention stays focused upon thoughts, philosophical analysis, judgments about other peoples' views, arguments about rightness or wrongness, and other forms of useless reflectiveness, the truth will remain an elusive pipedream.
The more insane one's level of attentiveness and focus upon isness becomes, the faster illusions will fall away and the truth will appear.
What can be seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled this moment? What is happening HERE and NOW? Where is attention focused?
Leave TMT to other people. If finding the truth is important, become insane in the pursuit of it.
