ashe

just wanted to drop in an add something here, since this is a very important subject in the art i train;

my Sifu often says "if you know you don't think, if you think you don't know".

no mind is simply a state of recognition and realization, a state that reflect back like a mirror (i.e. a "formless" state of mind that flows with the conditions.)

like the analogy of water. where there is an opening you just flow in, and where there is an obstacle you flow around.

my Sifu often says "you invite me in". in other words, i am flowing WITH you. if you have defense on the point i flow and change to find a point i can perform an application on, if you have no defense then i just act on that because the condition is already there.

so no mind is a state of just recognizing the conditions and acting on that.

so i have to disagree with some of the examples given here to describe "no mind". (dropping and catching of the glass, etc.) as those are really just examples of reflexive habit, which many people confuse with "acting naturally" or "no mind".

the thing to remember about "no mind" (which we break down into three qualities; present, formless and neutral), is that if you are truly in that state then you are 100% fully AWARE of whats going on or else how could you be in the state of recognition?