There Is No Mountain

There are two possibilities for spiritual practice: starting with appearances, which means starting as a finite mind or separate self, engaging in practices to approach the One; or starting with reality, which means starting with the One, the infinite, and just staying there. The Pathless Path exposes and dissolves all energies of seeking and longing, emphasises feeling the tension of seeking and allowing it to subside. The Progressive and Direct paths give the seemingly finite self something to do – practices and methods, which are valid. But the aim of these practices is to end eventually. The Pathless Path makes no such concession. It says: don’t meditate, don’t practise, don’t do anything. You are already the One, the infinite. Just be. On the Progressive Path, we start at the bottom of the mountain. On the Direct Path, we start at the top. On the Pathless Path, there is no mountain.

There are two possibilities for spiritual practice: starting with appearances, which means starting as a finite mind or separate self, engaging in practices to approach the One; or starting with reality, which means starting with the One, the infinite, and just staying there. The Pathless Path exposes and dissolves all energies of seeking and longing, emphasises feeling the tension of seeking and allowing it to subside. The Progressive and Direct paths give the seemingly finite self something to do – practices and methods, which are valid. But the aim of these practices is to end eventually. The Pathless Path makes no such concession. It says: don’t meditate, don’t practise, don’t do anything. You are already the One, the infinite. Just be. On the Progressive Path, we start at the bottom of the mountain. On the Direct Path, we start at the top. On the Pathless Path, there is no mountain.