不思善不思悪
ふしぜんふしあく / Fushizen Fushiaku
Fushizen Fushiaku (不思善不思悪) Meaning
Meaning
"Think neither good nor evil" invites you to look at yourself as you are in the moment before you start judging. It is not a call to abandon ethics or excuse anything. Rather, it asks you to pause the reflex that instantly sorts everything into good and bad, and notice what is there before that sorting begins.
Origin
The phrase comes from Case 23 of the Gateless Gate (Wumenguan), a 13th-century Chinese collection of Zen teaching stories. It tells how Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan (Zen), was chased to a mountain pass by a monk named Huiming, who wanted to seize the robe and bowl symbolizing the succession. When Huiming instead asked for teaching, Huineng is said to have replied: "Think neither good nor evil. At this very moment, what is your original face?" The same episode also appears in some versions of the Platform Sutra.
How it helps with everyday worries
When a coworker makes a remark or a performance review comes in, the mind often rules on it in a split second: great, terrible, unfair. Then that verdict follows us around all day. But before the verdict, there was simply something heard and a tightening in the chest. Pausing there, even briefly, helps you separate what actually happened from the label you attached to it. The same goes for harsh self-criticism. Before replaying "that was a mistake" for the hundredth time, you can return to the plain fact that you are here, breathing. Setting aside good and bad for a moment is not about refusing to learn from things. It is about creating a little space, so that your next choice comes from a steadier place rather than from the judgment itself.
A small practice for today
The next time something stirs you up, set aside whatever "good" or "bad" word comes to mind, take three slow breaths, and simply notice how your body feels.