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Practice Zen with a beginner's mind from "summary" of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
The most important point in our practice is to have a beginner’s mind. It is essential to maintain the original attitude toward practice and to continue in that way. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few. If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there is no thought, “I have attained something.” All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something. The beginner’s mind is the mind of compassion. When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless. Dogen-zenji, the founder of our school, always emphasized how important it is to resume our boundless original mind. In the beginner’s mind, there is no thought of good or bad. A beginner’s mind is innocent and free from preconceptions. The mind of the beginner is empty, free of the habits of the expert, ready to accept, to doubt, and to question. It is open to all possibilities. When we approach practice with a beginner’s mind, we are not limited by what we think we know. We can see things as they truly are, without the distortions of our own judgments and beliefs. To practice Zen with a beginner’s mind means to approach each moment with freshness and curiosity, as if experiencing it for the first time. It means letting go of our preconceived ideas and beliefs, and being open to whatever arises in the present moment. When we practice in this way, we can cultivate a sense of wonder and gratitude for the world around us. In Zen practice, we are encouraged to let go of our attachments to past experiences and future expectations, and to simply be present in the here and now. This is not always easy, as our minds are often filled with distractions and worries. But by returning to the beginner’s mind again and again, we can learn to let go of these distractions and focus on what is happening right now. The beginner’s mind is not something to be attained or achieved; it is always available to us, right here and right now. It is a mindset that is open, curious, and free from the limitations of our own preconceptions. When we practice Zen with a beginner’s mind, we can approach each moment with a sense of freshness and openness, ready to experience the world anew.
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