In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

- Shunryu Suzuki (1905-1971)

 

Beginner's Mind

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities,
but in the expert's there are few."

People say that practicing Zen is difficult, but there is a misunderstanding as to why. It is not difficult because it is hard to sit in the cross-legged position, or to attain enlightenment. It is difficult because it is hard to keep our mind pure and our practice pure in its fundamental sense.

In Japan we have the phrase shoshin, which means "beginner's mind." The goal of practice is always to keep our beginner's mind. Suppose you recite the Prajna Paramita Sutra only once. It might be a very good recitation. But what would happen to you if you recited it twice, three times, four times or more? You might easily lose your original attitude towards it.

The same thing will happen in your other Zen practices. For a while you will keep your beginner's mind, but if you continue to practice one, two, three years or more, although you may improve some, you are liable to lose the limitless meaning of original mind.

For Zen students the most important thing is not to be dualistic. Our "original mind" includes everything within itself. It is always rich and sufficient within itself. You should not lose your self-sufficient state of mind. This doesn't mean a closed mind, but actually an empty mind and a ready mind. If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

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. Then we are always true to ourselves, in sympathy with all beings, and can actually practice.

So the most difficult thing is always to keep your beginner's mind. There is no need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even though you read much Zen literature, you must read each sentence with a fresh mind. You should not say "I know what Zen is," or "I have attained enlightenment."

This is also a real secret of the arts: always be a beginner. Be very, very careful about this point. If you start to practice zazen, you will begin to appreciate your beginner's mind. It is the secret of Zen practice.

 

 

www.dailyzen.com 

Lífspekifélagið um helgina - Steinhringur við Hjörleifshöfða

 

Föstudaginn 13. feb. kl. 20:00

Haraldur Erlendsson:
Steinhringur við Hjörleifshöfða
og landnám Ingólfs og Hjörleifs.

Laugardaginn 14. feb. kl. 15:30

Þórarinn Þórarinsson ræðir skyld og
ekki skyld málefni gærkvöldsins.

 

 

www.lifspekifelagid.is 

Friðsæll febrúar - Viðburðir

 

 

 

Sjá viðburði í Friðsælum febrúar:

http://ibn.is/vidburdir/

Lífspekifélagið um helgina - Tilraunir með vatn og hugleiðing

 

Föstudaginn 6. feb. kl. 20:00

Þórir Sigurbjörnsson:

Tilraunir með vatnið.

Sagt frá tilraunum og rannsóknum

Masaru Emoto sem tekur

smásjármyndir af vatni undir ýmsum áhrifum.

 

 

Laugardaginn 7. feb. kl. 15:30

Birgir Bjarnason með hugleiðingu 15:30.

Þórarinn Stefánsson talar um íslensk þjóðlög

með tóndæmum eftir kaffið.

Að viðhalda ávana - Fyrirlestur

 

 

Á laugardaginn kemur, 7. febrúar kl. 09:15, verður Helga Kimyo Jóakimsdóttir með fyrirlestur um Zen, sem ber yfirskriftina Að viðhalda ávana - eða ekki?  Helga Kimyo er forstöðumaður Zen á Íslandi og annar tveggja aðstoðarkennara trúfélagsins.

Að venju hefst dagskrá laugardagsins með hugleiðslu kl.08:00. Fyrirlestrargestir eru velkomnir í hugleiðsluna.

Aðgangur er ókeypis og allir eru velkomnir.

 

www.zen.is 

There is a silence ...

 

There is a silence that is totally impersonal.

It is not the fruit of anybody’s work.

Peace is there, but there is no peacekeeper.

This Peace is only known when the noise of the person is not present.

Without the "person" all that remains is the ever Pure.

The Ultimate is nobody’s achievement at all.

 

~ Mooji

Ný dharma-ræða frá Jakusho Kwong-roshi

 

 

 

Með því að fara á slóðina hér fyrir neðan er hægt að hlusta á eða hlaða niður nýlegri Dharma ræðu Jakusho Kwong-Roshi, sem hann hélt seint á síðasta ári.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a7x7bg3i1ovxli6/Roshi_121314.mp3?dl=0

Sri Chakra

 

 

Eilítið um Sri Chakra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Yantra 

Lífspekifélagið (Guðspekifélagið) um helgina- Qigong og hugleiðsla

 

Föstudagur 30. jan. kl 20:20

Þóra Halldórsdóttir: Orkan og ég — Á Qigong erindi við mig?

Laugardaginn 31. jan. kl. 15:30
Þóra Halldórsdóttir leiðir hugleiðslu og umræður eftir kaffið.

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