# No Mind (Wu-hsin)



## Flatlander (Jan 30, 2006)

*On Wu-hsin (No-Mindedness)*
By Bruce Lee

The phenomenon of wu-hsin, or "no-mindedness," is not a blank mind that shuts out all thoughts and emotions; nor is it simply calmness and quietness of mind.

Although quietude and calmness are necessary, it is the "non-graspingness" of thoughts that mainly constitutes the principle of no mind. A gung fu man employs his mind as a mirror - it grasps nothing and refuses nothing; it receives but does not keep. As Allen Watts puts it, the no-mindedness is:A state of wholeness in which the mind functions freely and easily, without the sensation of a mind or ego standing over it with a club. 

What he meant is: Let the mind think what it likes without interference by the separate thinker or ego within oneself. So long as it thinks what it wants, there is absolutely no effort in letting it go; and the disappearance of the effort to let go is precisely the disappearance of the separate thinker. There is nothing to try to do, for whatever comes up moment by moment is accepted, including non-acceptance. No-mindedness is, then, not being without emotion or feeling, but being one in whom feeling is not sticky or blocked. It is a mind immune to emotional influences.

_Like a river, everything is flowing on ceaselessly without cessation or standing still._ 

No-mindedness is to employ the whole mind as we use the eyes when we rest them upon various objects but make no special effort to take anything in. Chuang-tzu, the disciple of Lao-tzu, stated:


> The baby looks at things at things all day without winking, that is because his eyes are not focused on any particular object. He goes without knowing where he is going, and stops without knowing what he is doing, He merges himself with the surroundings and moves along with it. These are the principles of mental hygiene.


Therefore, concentration in gung fu does not have the usual sense of restricting the attention to a single sense object, but is simply a quiet awareness of whatever happens to be here and now. Such concentration can be illustrated by an audience at a football game; instead of a concentrated attention on the player that has the ball, they have an awareness of the whole football field. In a similar way, a gung fu man's mind is concentrated by not dwelling on any particular part of the opponent. This is especially true when dealing with many opponents. For instance, suppose ten men are attacking him, each in succession ready to strike him down. As soon as one is disposed of, he will move on to another without permitting the mind to stop with any. However rapidly one blow  may follow another, he leaves no time to intervene between the two. Every one of the ten will thus be successively and successfully dealt with. This is possible only when the mind moves from one object to another without being stopped or arrested by anything. If the mind is unable to move on in this fashion, it is sure to lose the combat somewhere between two encounters.

His mind is present everywhere because it is nowhere attached to any particular object. And it can remain present because even when related to this particular object, it does not cling to it. The flow of thought is like water filling up a pond, which is always ready to flow off again. It can work its inexhaustible power because it is free, and be open to everything because it is empty. This can be compared with what Chang Chen Chi called "serene reflection." He wrote:


> Serene means tranquillity of no thought, and reflection means vivid and clear awareness. Therefore, serene reflection is clear awareness of no-thought.


As stated earlier, a gung fu man aims at harmony with himself and his opponent. It also stated that harmony with one's opponent is possible not through force, which provokes conflicts and reactions, but through a yielding to his force. In other words, a gung fu man promotes the spontaneous development of his opponent and does not venture to interfere by his own action. He loses himself by giving up all subjective feelings and individuality, and becomes one with his opponent. Inside his mind oppositions have become mutually cooperative instead of mutually exclusive. When his private ego and conscious efforts yield to a power not his own he then achieves the supreme action, non-action (wu wei).
​*Excerpted from Commentaries on the Martial Way by Bruce Lee*
​


----------



## Flatlander (Jan 31, 2006)

I read this as being a very Buddhist concept.  Removal of the ego, experiencing the present moment;  these are parallel with things that I've drawn from the Teaching of Buddha.

I think that "no mind" is the mental state wherein we are to apply the tactile sensitivity we have developed.  With good "energy" feeling skills, and Wu-hsin, we can be truly responsive to the opponent.

Thoughts, opinions?  How do we develop this thing called Wu-hsin?  Is this an attribute that is built into your curriculum?


----------



## Flatlander (Feb 23, 2006)

To find Wu-hsin, one needs to have an unattached awareness.  One should have the sensitivity, and the confidence, to utilize the knowledge gained from trapping drills, flow drills, and chi sao.  One needs to be mobile, and free in one's movement. Completely unrestrained.  Having the mind not be a witness to the event, rather, merely as a conduit to reveal to the body how to respond.
Awareness
Confidence
Trapping drills
Flow drills
Chi sao
Tactile sensitivity
Freedom


----------



## Laoshi77 (Feb 24, 2006)

The most imortant thing is to breathe properly, as this controls every thing we do. If one can breathe natural and calm, instead of erratic and forced then the techniques should flow with the opponent.


----------



## rutherford (Feb 24, 2006)

I think everybody who performs a sport at a high level understands this concept and would put it into their own words.  It is a universal principle.

Stray thoughts or being too focused on a particular idea always limits performance.  

Being in this state naturally, without the need for performance, is one of the key components of what I would call situational awareness.


----------



## James Kovacich (Feb 24, 2006)

Mushin (has differant spellings) "can" be interpeted in relation to execution of techniques without thinking, just doing. I've used that "comparison" quite often when descirbing where a student is headed with their technique. But that is what it is, a "comparison." It is more accurately defined as the meditative state of mind when one has no thought (without falling asleep).


----------



## rutherford (Feb 24, 2006)

And yet the article says that isn't the case.  Do you disagree?

I don't think having thoughts is really the problem.  It's the random noise thinking that's a real problem.  The often incessant chatter of the mind.  It's over-identification and attachment to thoughts that's a real problem.

The mind is a tool, like any other.  It has things at which it performs wonderfully, and there are times when it just gets in the way.


----------



## Bigshadow (Feb 24, 2006)

I think it is the abscence of conscious logical/analytical thought process and the body moves and acts based on the 6 senses.  In respect hand to hand, if the mind has to stop and analyze, your dead.  The body should just move or DO gaining it's input from the 6 senses, but without analytical conscious thought process.

I realize this is the JKD forum, but I thought you all wouldn't mind me chiming in with my thoughts.


----------



## Flatlander (Feb 24, 2006)

Of course not!  The door is always open.  Grab a beer, they're in the fridge.


----------



## James Kovacich (Feb 24, 2006)

I posted on how I was taught early on when we used meditation but this article seems to back up all the your posts.
http://www.eurekaville.com/thinking/archives/nothing.html


----------



## MA-Caver (Feb 24, 2006)

I've experienced this state of mind/no-mind several times but only once in actual combat against multiple opponents and that was a very long time ago. 
But now-a-days when I do experience it, it is a rather neat sensation to be aware of whenever I catch myself doing it. 
Like when I am drawing, I shut my mind off and let the image flow from my hand through my pencil and onto the paper. Some of my best work comes out this way. 
With all that; in combat this is a very important step I feel, for all martial artist, even when facing a single opponent. Having the clarity of an empty mind to react freely to whatever they may put against you is one path to victory. 
The concept is very appliciable to all of us through out all our endeavors.

Thanks for posting that Flatlander!


----------



## Bigshadow (Feb 25, 2006)

MA-Caver said:
			
		

> Like when I am drawing, I shut my mind off and let the image flow from my hand through my pencil and onto the paper. Some of my best work comes out this way.



I like the way you pointed out art. I agree that this naturalness should flow through everything we do.


----------



## Flatlander (Mar 16, 2006)

Bigshadow said:
			
		

> I like the way you pointed out art. I agree that this naturalness should flow through everything we do.


Indeed.  Once the foundation of understanding is there, the rest becomes learning how to express ourselves through the medium.


----------



## still learning (Mar 18, 2006)

Hello, Just a guess here?  In a fight...If you have to think about what  you are going to do? ....you will lose....but if you just DO IT! ....you will have more success!

Providing you have imprint your sub-conscious mind for fighting back techiques.

Is this it?  ....when you say NO MIND? .............Just wondering? .....Aloha


----------



## Bigshadow (Mar 18, 2006)

still learning said:
			
		

> Hello, Just a guess here?  In a fight...If you have to think about what  you are going to do? ....you will lose....but if you just DO IT! ....you will have more success!
> 
> Providing you have imprint your sub-conscious mind for fighting back techiques.
> 
> Is this it?  ....when you say NO MIND? .............Just wondering? .....Aloha


I believe that is part of it.  I think that no mind is responding to each and every action without thought or analysis. Much like a person drives their car down the road and navigates through traffic without much conscious thought as to the details (There is a light ahead, there is an opening here, I need to pass, etc), for a seasoned driver, driving takes on a natural flow.  I believe this is what No Mind is but with everything, not just driving.


----------



## Calm Intention (May 20, 2006)

Collapse duality,  put aside ego,  be at 'zen' with the universal force and spirit.


----------



## Robert Lee (May 21, 2006)

If you look  at just walking you are of No mind doing that, You are not have to use the think motion you are just walking. No mind to me is to just do what you do. For M/a to work it has to flow means it has to happen. in thought there is resistance in motion there is.  remmember Bruce said about his fist I do not hit they hit all by there self.  In concept to look at the mountion and see its beaty never mind to see how and what made it form. That part is to think it out but miss its natural beauty. You train to that you can just do what you do. It is now you not the art doing that. Check your steps as you walk left then right. how the knee bends the ankle arching up and down ect you now restrict your walking trying to under stand the motion of it. Same with any thing you do dont think do.


----------

