Just as proper breathing can only arise from correct posture, the right state of mind flows quite naturally from deep concentration on posture and breathing. In zazen, the images, thoughts and mental constructs that arise from the unconscious pass by like shadows before a mirror and disappear naturally. When one does not entertain personal thoughts, the hishiryō consciousness emerges – beyond thought. This state is not one of a special kind of consciousness, but a return to the original state. Without trying to attain the truth or cut through illusions, universal consciousness manifests itself naturally. Through the practice of zazen, one can understand that all thoughts are nothing more than empty forms that come and go, devoid of any real substance. In this way, one experiences that an intuitive, original consciousness exists, radically different from the familiar consciousness of the ‘I’. By maintaining the correct posture and practising deep, calm breathing, one can sense the reality of life that permeates the entire universe.
