Amani Bhava – the concept of no-mind
You may have heard of the Zen concept of no-mind. The term no-mind is shortened from Mushin no shin (無心の心), a Zen expression meaning the mind without mind and is also referred to as the state of “no–mindness“. Widely used in the context of martial arts, it denotes the state of mind when you don’t have to think and judge your next move – it happens instinctively. In Kyokushin Karate, during a Kumite or combat, a knockdown happens not when you see an opening, and think of what kick to unleash – it happens when there is an opening and your roundhouse kick lands on the opponent – a subconscious move – through instinct. Much like the gut-feeling that I spoke about earlier – you don’t know where it came from, but it was always there – through your years and years of training.
In the context of meditation, this Zen concept has been influenced by amani bhava, as described by Sri Gaudapadacharya, the author of the Mandukya Upanishad Karikas.
Man – is mind, aman – is no mind, bhava – feeling. The feeling of no-mind, a thoughtless mind – the ultimate calm.
Our minds are constantly working – and recent developments in technology have aggravated this situation. We are always thinking, always ding, always trying to fill up even bit of our time.
When at work, we have two-three screens open, multiple tabs on our browsers, multiple devices screaming notifications – all leading to a sensory overload.
Coupled with our incessant thoughts – why did my boss act so nasty in the morning meeting, I need to complete this report and I don’t have time, what’s for lunch, I have to plan the upcoming vacation..in between, checking Twitter and venting on the news you just saw, replying to a WhatsApp message from your wife, checking the new photo your kid put up on Insta and making a mental note to speak to her about it when you are back home…its doesn’t take much to understand how this all leads to stress and anxiety.
Think of you in a room, running from one corner to another, again and again, while you are trying to sit on a chair in the middle of this room, and thread a needle.
Yes, that is what it is like. Your brain is very capable, but you are working against it, and expect it to perform better each day. Not possible.
The amani-bhava exercise will help you practice the art of no-mind. Of just being, without burdening yourself to keep doing something. The Dutch call it Niksen – the art of doing nothing.
It is very difficult to remain calm and not do anything even for a couple of minutes, this exercise is five-times that. But you will get there with practice. And no, you wouldn’t be wasting time. I have found my productivity multiply, but practising this everyday. More work, more focus, and less stress. And the best part is – YOU HAVE TO DO NOTHING!