Why don't more meditators reach the "thought-free" state?

Q.  There are many meditators who have practiced for quite a while, but almost no one reports reaching the "thought-free" state that you have.  Few contemporary teachers even regard statements in the classical texts about "no thoughts" as literal.  Why don't more meditators reach the "thought-free" state?

G.  This question arose in my recent interview around the statement from Harada Roshi, a famous Japanese Zen master, "Enlightenment is capable of endless enlargement"; it has been asked by many others.

Nisargadatta Maharaj

One of the most important limitations is not knowing that a state of "no thoughts" is possible, desirable, or useful.  Having few thoughts is not  something described cryptically in obscure texts of one small sect.  The state of "no thoughts" has been described by many leading spiritual figures in many different traditions:

       Nisargadatta Maharaj:

                    "To be free from thoughts is itself meditation."

                     "You have fragmented yourself, which is why thoughts harass you."

                     "To remain without thought in the waking state is the greatest worship."

                     
      Ramana Maharshi:

                   "In samadhi, there is only the feeling 'I am' and no thoughts.  

                   "See to whom the trouble is.  It is to the 'I-thought'.  Hold it.  Then the other thoughts vanish."

                  "When these thoughts are dispelled, you remain in the state of meditation, free from thoughts."

                  "The limited and multifarious thoughts having disappeared, there shines in the Heart a kind of wordless illumination of 'I-I', which is pure consciousness."

Dogen Zenji

    Dogen Zenji, 13th century Japanese Zen Buddhist founder of  Soto Zen:

                "Be without thoughts, this is the secret of meditation."

   Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, fundamental text of yoga, about 2nd century BCE:

               "Yoga happens when there is stilling of the movement of thought in the indivisible intelligence in which there is no movement."

   The Bhagavad Gita, VI, 25 :

             "With the intellect steadfast and the mind sunk in the Self, allow no thought to arise."

Bhante Gunaratana

Bhante Gunaratana (contemporary):

            "Once your mind is free from thought, it becomes clearly wakeful and at rest in an utterly simple awareness.  This awareness cannot be described adequately."

Dzogchen Master Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche (contemporary):

             "Meditation training...is a way of being free from clinging and the conceptual attitude of forming thoughts...Thought is samsara. Being free of thought is liberation."

So attaining a "thought-free" state is the goal in many spiritual practices.  A second obstacle to more success in obtaining it, is that, for whatever reasons, it is not taught in many contemporary contemplative settings, outside of Zen and Dzogchen.  

A typical anecdote was when i met 1/1 with Richard Brown, Co-Chair of the Department of Contemplative Education @ Naropa Institute.  As discussed in an earlier blog "Dr. Richard Brown, Naropa Institute", when the "thought-free state" was described, he replied "We don't do that at Naropa.  Our work has very different aims."

Similarly, when describing this state to two contemporary Tibetan Buddhist leaders recently, there was no understanding of, or familiarity with, the state, nor was there interest in discussing it.  However, they did graciously point me to Dzogchen where just such a state is described.   

A third challenge is that there is confusion over what the "thought-free" state is and how it manifests.  IME, for well over 90% of the waking state, there is a deep peaceful stillness/awareness/presence with no discernible self-talk, whether "tasking" or not.  There is no apparent effort of suppression, no practice being "done", no intense watcher; it is the "natural"/default state.  

When it is necessary to use "self-talk" to plan, frame problems or decisions, read, etc.  "thoughts" may be critical tools.  Interestingly, problem solving and planning are  unhindered, in fact enhanced, w/o the typical "bandwidth-gobbling" narrative as interference.  These "planning thoughts" are, however, different from the "blah, blah" of self-reflective narrative as they have no "emotional content w/I, me, my".  

Virtually all human languages have a "subject/doing/object" structure.  IME, the brain is able to recognize, and discriminate between problem solving or planning "thoughts" and self-reflective, narrative, emotionally-invested "thoughts".  

The Brewer, et. al. work described in the blogpost "Folk Who Meditate Decrease Mind Wandering", found a watch-and-control network which apparently presides over the "selfing" network to ensure that self-referential thought does not arise.  It also appears, and this is just speculation, that this network discriminates between the two types of thoughts described above.

Thoughts are surprisingly dependent on the body's physical condition.  Thoughts can arise when the body's blood sugar is low or when it is very tired, or first thing in the morning in what appears to be short-term memory consolidation.  The brain basically asks "Do you want to keep this?"  (The brain doesn't really say that, but you know what i mean.)   As there is no one there to take the package, it gets taken away by the UPS truck.  This early morning period is also when the often astonishing work of the "primary (sub)consciousness" in solving problems is delivered to "secondary consciousness"/conscious awareness for "handling".

There is also the matter of folk not being really engaged with awakening.  As this can be an intense process, strong motivation is important to maintain persistence.  

Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi described it as having the urgency of someone whose head is held underwater.   Others describe it as like having your hair on fire.  At our regional zendo at which i sometimes led sitting, there was a painting by one of the regulars of just that - someone with their hair on fire.

 There is the pragmatic limitation that folk can't/won't put in the effort, or time, for practice; practice does take practice, that's why they call it practice.  i woke up at 4 a.m. for years to do my practice; i had jobs with large responsibilities, two children and much travel - it is possible if it really matters to you.

Another challenge is that ultimately surrender becomes a key element.   To be free of the "I", the "thought causer", the "fear monger", one needs to be free of most/all attachments.  This is where most folk stop, or get stuck for a long time.  It is particularly difficult in the "highly-deterministic/self-made" cultures, where "surrender" is generally avoided at all cost.  

you will find, if you persist, that there is something, some relationship, possession, practice, pain, belief, or pleasure, that you will just not let go of.  you don't need to spend years hunting for it/them; they are right there when you begin to let go.  

There are some Bhagavad Gita verses that provide some insights on how difficult this awakening process can be, but there are also others that say "if you can do this, this and this, many have reached it".

Perhaps, with all of our cognitive neuroscience work and the number of folk investigating new approaches and protocols, and it gaining wider acceptance, it will become much, much easier and wide-spread.  Perhaps, it will become possible for many to spend significant amounts of their days w/o endless self-referential "blah, blah, blah".  How useful, how productive and how sweet that would be...