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Let thoughts free themselves, like writing on water

The third of Garab Dorje’s statements: neither suppress nor follow a thought, and recognise it so that it leaves no trace.

Why it works

The third statement is confidence directly in the liberation of rising thoughts. Patrul Rinpoche says the difference between a Dzogchen practitioner and anyone else is not that different thoughts arise but how they are freed: the ordinary response is to suppress or indulge, which keeps the pattern going, while here a thought is recognised as the expression of awareness itself and dissolves as it arises, the way writing on water vanishes as it is written. He describes three stages — at first like meeting an old friend, then like a snake uncoiling its own knots, finally like a thief entering an empty house, where nothing is gained or lost. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche uses the image of clouds that cannot be pushed away but disperse by themselves in sunlit space.

How to do it

  1. In a settled sitting, when a thought or feeling arises, do not push it away and do not follow its story.
  2. Notice it as it is, as clearly as you can, without commenting on it.
  3. See whether it stays when it is simply seen, or fades on its own.
  4. If you get carried away, notice that too, and come back without starting a fight with yourself.
  5. Try the same with a strong emotion in daily life: feel it fully, without acting on it or arguing with it, and watch what it does.

Evidence

The statement is the third line of Garab Dorje’s instruction as set out in Patrul Rinpoche’s root text, and Dudjom Rinpoche’s gloss describes the arising and dissolution of thoughts, gross or subtle, as simultaneous. The writing-on-water image, the three stages of liberation and the warning against mere quiescence are in Patrul’s commentary. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s cloud image is in an excerpt from his Rainbow Painting. (anecdotal)

In the texts, self-liberation depends on having recognised rigpa first; without that recognition, what a beginner can practise is the simpler step of neither suppressing nor following a thought. That is close to ordinary non-reactive mindfulness, and it should not be mistaken for the Dzogchen practice itself. It has not been studied in this form.

Sources

Common mistake

Turning “let thoughts free themselves” into a subtle way of getting rid of them — watching each thought impatiently, waiting for it to vanish. That is still suppression; Patrul’s instruction is to neither accept nor reject.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you let thoughts free themselves, like writing on water?

The third statement is confidence directly in the liberation of rising thoughts. Patrul Rinpoche says the difference between a Dzogchen practitioner and anyone else is not that different thoughts arise but how they are freed: the ordinary response is to suppress or indulge, which keeps the pattern going, while here a thought is recognised as the expression of awareness itself and dissolves as it arises, the way writing on water vanishes as it is written. He describes three stages — at first like meeting an old friend, then like a snake uncoiling its own knots, finally like a thief entering an empty house, where nothing is gained or lost. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche uses the image of clouds that cannot be pushed away but disperse by themselves in sunlit space.

What is the most common mistake with let thoughts free themselves, like writing on water?

Turning “let thoughts free themselves” into a subtle way of getting rid of them — watching each thought impatiently, waiting for it to vanish. That is still suppression; Patrul’s instruction is to neither accept nor reject.

More practices for Dzogchen: Rigpa, the Great Perfection and How It Is Practised

Related concepts

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