Book SummaryOn Having No Head, by D.E. Harding

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of On Having No Head

The writer's first encounter with the concept of headlessness profoundly influenced him.

The author describes the profound transformation he underwent when he discovered that his authentic self did not include the presence of a head, set against the backdrop of a turbulent era amidst the grandeur of the Himalayan mountains.

The author's prolonged journey of self-discovery culminated in the realization that in place of his head, there was an absence.

Harding found himself deeply absorbed in contemplation regarding the essence of his existence. He strove to grasp the fundamental nature of his being. While in the mountainous region of the Himalayas, he had a profound realization stemming from deep self-reflection. His relentless self-examination culminated not in a random discovery but in a profound insight.

The writer's epiphany of lacking a head profoundly transformed his previous beliefs about his self-identity.

While wandering through the mountains of the Himalayas, Harding described an experience where he talks about "ceasing to think." The stilling of the mind's habitual noise, which includes rational thought, imaginative endeavors, and diverse types of inner conversation, did not mean that thought processes came to a complete halt. He "forgot his name, his humanness, his thingness... and was liberated from the constraints associated with the temporal and historical context." In this serene state of mind, he discovered that he was completely absorbed by the present moment. Looking down, he noticed his legs, arms, and body, but where his head should have been, there seemed to be nothing. This, however, signified more than merely an absence of physical form. He describes the vast void as a paradox of fullness, a void that, despite its...

On Having No Head Summary The connection between the idea of lacking a head and Zen Buddhist spiritual disciplines.

The author came to understand that his personal revelation regarding the absence of a head resonated with the experiences of mystics and sages from Zen Buddhism and various Asian spiritual traditions.

Harding found resonance and validation for his experience in the teachings of Zen Buddhism and other Eastern spiritual traditions. He was drawn to Zen for its emphasis on direct, intuitive insight, the employment of paradoxical statements, and its commitment to acknowledging the inherent nature present in all individuals, free from the limitations associated with personal identity. He was therefore prepared with a mental framework to understand and integrate his profound realization that he lacked a head.

Zen philosophy underscores the importance of acknowledging our intrinsic "original face," which symbolizes our authentic nature stripped of ego, a principle highlighted by figures like the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.

Harding recognized that many Zen instructors emphasize the importance of understanding one's intrinsic essence, which exists before any self-identity or the concept of "I" emerges, a concept first put forth by Hui-neng, the sixth patriarch in the Zen...

On Having No Head Summary Investigating techniques to identify and sustain a condition where one perceives themselves without a head.

The author outlines a method referred to as the Headless Way, charting the progression from an innate lack of self-recognition in early childhood to the ultimate realization and articulation of one's intrinsic selflessness.

Harding's method outlines an eight-step journey that continuously advances one's understanding and integration of the concept of having no head. In the boundless, open consciousness of infancy, a time lacking self-awareness, the path unfolds through a myriad of challenges and experiences associated with growing up and engaging with the world. Our objective is to reclaim the boundless consciousness we had as infants, now enriched by a conscious understanding of the experience.

The author depicts the transition from the unadulterated, intuitive period of childhood to an era of maturity characterized by self-consciousness, a transformation that may obscure our inherent state of being without a head and possibly lead to psychological discomfort.

This evolution entails moving from an innate state in which infants do not possess self-awareness to progressively associating themselves more with the concept of a personal identity. The child (Stage 2)...

On Having No Head Summary Insights of a profound metaphysical and existential nature arise when one perceives oneself as headless.

The author's profound insights into the nature of existence and the origins of all things were ignited by his recognition of the absence of a head.

The writer grapples with the deep mystery of the transition from non-being into being.

Harding explored the mysterious aspects of being by examining the process through which one's sense of self is formed, particularly by observing the phenomenon where one's own head is not visible. He questioned how anything could possibly arise from nothing, how being could emerge from non-being. Philosophers and mystics have long been perplexed by the question of how something could emerge from nothing. Harding considered the idea that an individual has the capacity to self-create to be fundamentally misguided. To create oneself, one would have to exist prior to existing, to be both cause and effect simultaneously.

The author starts to recognize his headless state of awareness as the essential source and...