The meaning of Sitting in Forgetting in Taoism 什么是坐忘

The realm of emptiness where nothing remains unforgotten.

The term originates from Zhuangzi's "Great Master" chapter: "Slough off the limbs, discard cleverness, separate from form and depart from knowledge, become identical with the great thoroughfare—this is called sitting in forgetfulness." Guo Xiang annotated: "As for sitting in forgetfulness, what is there that is not forgotten! Having forgotten the traces, and also forgotten that which produces the traces—internally not perceiving one's own body, externally not recognizing that there is heaven and earth—then one becomes vast and identical with transformation itself, and nothing is blocked." Sitting in forgetfulness means forgetting everything, reaching the realm of emptiness in thought. Daoism developed this into a theory and method of cultivation.

The meaning of Sitting in Forgetting in Taoism

 Sima Chengzhen's Tianyinzi states: "Self and things mutually forgotten, completely without illumination—this is sitting in forgetfulness." He also specifically wrote the Essay on Sitting in Forgetfulness, considering it an essential path to cultivating immortality and becoming true. He said that sitting in forgetfulness reaches the state where "internally one does not perceive one's own body, externally one does not know the universe, merged in one with the Dao, and all thoughts are dispelled." He divided the practice of sitting in forgetfulness into seven stages: reverence and faith, severing conditions, gathering the mind, simplifying affairs, true observation, great stability, and attaining the Dao. Reaching the stage of great stability is when "form is like withered wood, mind is like dead ashes." Because when the mind is "empty and still to the extreme, then the Dao dwells and wisdom is born." After wisdom emerges, one should still maintain great stability, "not making much of much knowledge"—the two mutually promote each other, and finally one can attain the Dao.