Expert: Justin Choo - 5/3/2009

Question
I have seen this Koan many times, and I believe it refers to the fact that you
should never focus on a concept, that you should always see things, not think
them.

If you don't mind, I would simply like to ask if I am 'doing it right'. For
example, a few hours ago I went to the forest and meditated on emptiness.

What I did was simply look around and see the change everywhere. I saw a
river flow by, and I saw how though it might look the same, it is always
changing, and never quite the same - there is nothing that I could point to
and call 'the river', for it was everywhere, in the mountain, in the clouds, in
the lake, even in the air as vapor.

I picked up a twig, and snapped it in half. I looked at it, and saw that while it
had changed, there was nothing really that had 'disappeared'. So to speak, it
was not the same, but not another twig. There was nothing that had disappeared, but also nothing other than it that had been passed on. It's
form was not inherent, and was changing. It only existed because of the tree
from which it came - and before the tree this twig used to be dirt, and before
that a stone. And yet through all those changes, there was nothing being
passed on.

Is this the right way to go about meditating on emptiness? Or would this be
thinking of a concept?

And is this emptiness that I am meditating on, or something else?

Thank you,
Nicolaas

Answer
Hi Nicolaas,

From what you have described, I would term it as a mental "merry-go-round".  Why go to such lengthy extent to try to interpret things , especially when you are supposed to meditate on "emptiness"?  I would say if you want to meditate on "emptiness" then you should just note whatever you see, and not try to form any idea or perception from it.

Frankly I don't know about meditating on "emptiness".  Buddhist meditation is about taming the wandering mind, and stilling it to observe and realise the true nature of existence.

Take care.

Justin Choo