From Shinei…
What is a thought? What is it made of? Is it true?
In Zen practice, we emphasize releasing the story and touching our experience directly, before concept.
A thought about something is like a painting of a glass of water. It is not water and will never satisfy our thirst the way water does. However the painting has its own reality, although it is not real water, it is a real painting; square, colored, shiny, flat, smooth to the touch.
The meaning of a thought or belief could never be true or really satisfying since it is a mere symbolic representation of a real appearance. Yet, it is temporarily true in its appearance just like any sound, touch, feeling, taste or smell. We can investigate the direct experience of a thought. Can we find its location? What is it made of? Where do we feel it in the body? Is it stable? Is it flexible? Optional? Is there someone that thinks thoughts or do they just appear on their own? Do we choose our thoughts? If thoughts and concepts disappear, is there any fear? Of course these are all thoughts too! Hopefully they are pointing us to direct inquiry, direct investigation of what it is we call ‘thought’. This transparent phenomenon that seems to cause us so much stress! How interesting!