Even after seeing our nature, habits dissolve slowly.

No-mind is not a numb state with no mind at all. It is the place where the original mind reveals itself as it is, freed from the force of discriminating thought and delusion that cling to us and shake us. It is the clear place before thoughts of good and bad, gain and loss, arise.

If we have completely seen that place, we can say there are no separate steps left to climb. If we have clearly seen our nature, what else would we struggle to gain? This is why Seon speaks of seeing at once and finishing at once.

But understanding this in words is different from actually having delusive thoughts disappear in life. Even if we turn back one thought and see our nature, long-standing habits and karma can rise again through the body, speech, and relationships. What is needed then is not to deny awakening, but to mature what has been seen within daily life.

A door can open once. But the dust inside the room does not all disappear overnight. If we know the door has opened, we now let in the light, see the dust that has gathered, and quietly sweep it away. Practice is not the work of forcing something unknown into shape. It is the daily confirmation that the mind already seen does not become clouded.

So there is no need to become impatient when speaking of no-mind. If we see that delusive thoughts remain, that very seeing is the place of practice. When attachment rises, we see attachment. When discrimination rises, we see discrimination, and return to the clear light of original nature. Not pretending to be complete, but honestly dissolving the remaining habits, is the attitude of practice.