The stateof no-mind is pure consciousness. Your thoughts will disappear as your awareness becomes stronger and deeper. Nothingness will restore your inner peace. Harmony will resurface through stillness. Consciousness will lead to pure bliss. In this state, no information seems to reach the brain. The mind is dull and listless. A person might be holding her key yet still ask, “Where is the key?” Viksipta. Here the mind receives information but seems unable to process it. It is clear that this swing from ultimate despair to ultimatebliss not only pertains to Maximilian but also to Monte Cristo, who has finally found ultimate happiness in Haydée’s love, decades after theultimate despair of his days in prison. The mind and body are not separate entities; they are intricately connected and influence each other in profound ways. Our thoughts and emotions play a crucial role in determining our physical health and well-being. And, further, the number of distinguishable statesofmind converging on infinity could exceed some now unknown threshold and a novel emergent complexity could arise from cognition itself. This would not only constitute another distinguishable stateofmind, but also a new faculty ofmind. The permanent, changeless bliss of ultimate reality united with ever-changing worldly bliss is called Great Bliss (Mahāsukha).Buddhist teachings are not meant to be accepted on faith alone, but tested within you.
