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The mind must be set free
It is essential to lose the mind [in order to free it]. --Shao Yung,
eleventh-century Chinese philosopher
The Zen master Takuan gives his interpretation of this principle in his book
Immovable Wisdom, in which he uses the secrets of Zen to explain the secrets
of swordsmanship to swordmaster Yagyu Munenori:
There is a phrase "to search for the lost mind," but there is also a saying,
"It is essential to lose [free] the mind." Confucian philosopher Meng Tzu
[Mencius] speaks of searching for the "lost" mind; looking for the mind that has
strayed in order to return it to oneself. Meng Tzu observes that should our
dog, cat, or chickens become lost, we will go to great pains to find them and
bring them back home. He rightly points out how outrageous it is, then, that when
the mind--which is the master of the body--wanders down the wrong path and
becomes lost, we make no attempt to find it and bring it back.
Conversely, Shao Yung argues that the mind needs to become lost. Shao Yung
states: "If one ties down the mind, like a cat on a leash, it will lose its
freedom of movement. Use the mind well, letting it go free wherever it will,
neither becoming attached to nor restrained by things." Beginners often keep too
tight a control over themselves. They mistrust the idea of opening their mind
and letting it run free.
But our mind should be allowed to move about freely, even if it seeks muddy
recesses. The lotus blossom is not sullied by the mud in which it grows.
Similarly, a finely polished crystal ball left in the mud is impervious to stains.
To reign in the mind tightly takes away its freedom. To keep our mind in
close confines may be a necessary beginner's habit, but doing so for our entire
life prevents us from rising to a new level, and will result in a life of
unfulfilled potential.
Therefore, when we are in training, it is best to follow Meng Tzu's
prescription in the early stages, but later to allow the mind freedom by following the
path set out by Shao Yung.
