Insight Meditation
As the mind is trained to concentrate/balance correctly, that is neither focused nor wandering, it will be able to transition into a state of near-thoughtless investigation. The better the mind is trained, the easier it is to transition into this state consistently, stay longer and more stable.
In this state, the mind becomes as if a still concentrated point surrounded by a blank limitless space from which various objects appear, like visitors coming into the room, allowing themselves to be observed and investigated. Even the subtlest phenomena, such as a thought, matter, or time can appear to be investigated. But also there will come simple insights regarding one’s life, like memories from the far past, different perspectives on your past deeds or future plans. You may even suddenly remember where you have put your car keys that you could not find for days, or the name of your classmate you barely knew, whom you could not remember for decades. It is practical to have a notebook besides you, so after the meditation you could make notes of your insights. The Buddhist tradition emphasizes inquiry into the three properties of all mental and physical things: impermanence, suffering, and non-self.
The moment the mind tries to grasp the appeared object, tries to interrupt the visitor in the room – the near-thoughtless state falls apart. The image above somewhat resembles the subtlety and fragility of this state. When you become advanced in this meditation, you will be able to have some capacity to return the mind back into right concentration/balance, even if it looses it for a moment, and to steer slightly the direction of the investigation.
It could be also compared to the observation of an extremely spooky wild bird who does his natural thing while coming ever closer to you, without noticing your presence, but as soon as you move, even slightly – he flies away.
The fruit of this investigation is the true insight which accrues knowing of things as they are. This knowing alters the view of the knower, and consequently the whole personality.
Eventually, the mode of investigation spills over from being limited to meditation practice into a natural mode of being.
Nevertheless, this state is not the Enlightenment, but a stepping stone, for inquirer himself is still not inquired. Is he? Who?