Zen Mind - Beginner’s Mind

I have been aware of the concept of Zen (禅) for many years, but only recently I started to deliberately learn it when using Headspace for meditation. With 6+ months of meditation practice, I think it is time to start learn it in a more systematical way. And this is why I read this book.

“Zen Mind, beginner’s mind” is written based on the oral record of Shunryu Suzuki, one of the most influential spiritual teacher and the founding father of Zen in the US. If I have to use just one sentence to summarize this book, it would be: Just do it.

This is a book that emphasizes on the practice of Zen — Zazen (坐禅), also known as meditation. To help the people learn Zazen correctly and progressively, this book summarizes the practice of Zazen from three perspectives: 1) The right practice; 2) The right attitude; and 3) The right understanding.

Right practice

The guidelines of right practice help people on practicing Zazen from the physical or body perspective.

This includes the posture, the breath, and the control of mind. Lotus position is recommended but not mandatory. What are more important are keeping the spine straight and pressing the diaphragm down. These can help maintain the physical and mental balance. The right posture is recommended not just during Zazen, but for all the activities that requires sitting.

Breathing is another important aspect to be aware. When practice Zazen, all that exists is the movement of the breathing instead of air comes IN or goes OUT. The focus of breathing is needed throughout Zazen and try to approach oneness by forgetting about the concept of “I” and world.

Bowing is a good practice as well. When we are bowing, we are giving up ourselves and giving up our dualistic ideas.

Right attitude

The goal of Zen is to achieve mindfulness, both internally and externally. Paradoxically, in order to achieve the goal we should forget about the goal during our Zazen practice. When we do something in the spirit of non-achievement, there is a good quality in our practice.

The practice of Zazen should be conducted in a calmness, single-minded way. Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine. On the other hand, also don’t feel bad if we cannot achieve calmness or single-mind. When we practice Zazen, just practice Zazen. Nothing good, nothing bad.

When we can sit with our whole body and mind, and with the oneness of our mind and body under the control of the universal mind. Our everyday life will be renewed without being attached to an old erroneous interpretation of life.

Right understanding

Zen spirit enable us to view the world as a beginner’s mind, with an open minded view.

For example, when we listen to someone or some point of view, we would not have any idea or preference of ourselves. We should just listen. When we have the naturalness in our mind, we will understand what people really want to convey.

The important thing in our understanding is to have a smooth, free-thinking way of observation. Practice Zazen can help us accept things as they are without difficulty. Help our mind to be soft and open enough to understand things as they are. And achieve mindfulness.

You may find some of my descriptions to be abstruse. It is also the writing style of this book. Probably the philosophy of Zen is indescribable with language, and it requires years of practices to experience its true meaning.