Intellect Cannot Know It
Recently, [in an OP about meditation](https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/1avhczo/linji_meditation_religions_take_ignorance_as/?sort=new), someone asked "On another note, what kind of sitting were they doing?"
A mod responded, "Thinking."
Another user said, "Thinking. That's pretty obvious. They are trying to understand WTF Zen Masters are constantly talking talking talking about."
Yet Zen Masters tell us repeatedly that intellectualization isn't the way.
From Huangbo:
>Q: If I follow this Way, and refrain from intellectual processes and conceptual thinking, shall I be certain of attaining the goal? > >A: Such non-intellection IS following the Way! Why this talk of attaining and not attaining? The matter is thus - by thinking of something you create an entity and by thinking of nothing you create another. Let such erroneous thinking perish utterly, and then nothing will remain for you to go seeking!
And...
>Those who seek the truth by means of intellect and learning only get further and further away from it.
Additionally, Foyan said:
>This reality is not susceptible to your intellectual understanding. Now those who think, attend, and reflect all have some intellectual understanding; but then when they turn back to examine their own eyes and think of the mind that thinks, at this point why do people unknowingly say, "It has never been blue, yellow, red, or white; it has no appearance, no form"? I tell you, this is what I call talk; it is not your original mind.
>How can you think of your original mind? How can you see your own eye? When you are looking inward, furthermore, there is no seeing subject. Some people swallow this in one gulp, so their eye of insight opens wide and they immediately arrive at their homeland.
If thinking won't get you there, why do these users prop it up? IMO, it's because when all you have is a hammer, everything you see is a nail.
I could be wrong.
> Haven't you seen the saying that intellect is a thief and consciousness is waves? Running off in search, you'll never have any rest... [Gushan Yan]
What's your opinion on the matter?
Relatedly, in what way is thinking useful in Zen? A few things come to mind, but we can save that for our chat below. I'd like to hear your POV. I hope your day is going well!