Book 114 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title: Absolute Ignorance!

Book – Zen Mind, Beginners Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki

Book Description: "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." So begins this most beloved of all American Zen books. Seldom has such a small handful of words provided a teaching as rich as has this famous opening line. In a single stroke, the simple sentence cuts through the pervasive tendency students have of getting so close to Zen as to completely miss what it's all about. An instant teaching on the first page. And that's just the beginning. In the forty years since its original publication, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind has become one of the great modern spiritual classics, much beloved, much reread, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen. Suzuki Roshi presents the basics—from the details of posture and breathing in zazen to the perception of nonduality—in a way that is not only remarkably clear, but that also resonates with the joy of insight from the first to the last page.

Reflection:

I used to be terrified of the thought of “meditating”.

For reference, I’m usually hyperactive, a ball of energy, and a blur of activity. I talk fast, work fast, and I move at a thousand miles an hour with just about everything I do in life. The thought of having to sit in one spot for an extended period of time while cross-legged, listening to weird music, and chanting om scared the crap out of me.

This traditional form of Meditation was, and still is, intimidating for me. It is all I’ve ever known of “meditation” , and I assumed this was the only way. Clearly there are benefits to this type of intentional practice as it seemed to work for so many people throughout history…just not me. I’ve tried many a times, dedicated one of my 30-day monthly challenges to it, read many different books, etc and none of it worked. If felt like I was broken or something and just didn’t have the magic to unlock the mystical power of meditation. Sadly, I’m sure I’m not alone in this feeling as this traditional form of meditation is hard and takes a lot of practice.

Taking the journey of Zen Mind, Beginners Mind was extremely useful at helping me toward my goal of better understanding and unlocking the power of meditation. It broke down and reminded me what the point of meditation is in the first place, which is to connect your mind and body together through intentional thought. It reminded me that, just like in all things in life, there are no rules or process required for something as abstract as is meditation. It gave me the freedom to stop trying to be an expert and apply my own solutions to my unique journey.

So, I did what I do best, and I got creative and began to use my imagination. I started to think about what meditation really is, and how I could accomplish the main objective of ‘meditation” through other means in my life. I thought, “All I needed to do was to find a way to lock in for a concentrated period of time on one intentional thought in a way that makes sense for me and is uniquely Chris.” To find this unique outlet to connect my mind and body together I turned to what I knew best which was writing and tennis. It sounds weird, but I started to think of these areas of my life that I seemed to naturally lock in on what I was doing and all distractions fade away. When I’m writing, I’m fully sucked into my own world of extreme concentrated thought on whatever I’m working through. It is my way of getting my thoughts out and into the world through my fingers as the hack away on the keyboard. When I’m on a tennis court, I’m the same way but this time it is more physical in nature. I’m locked in on the ball, my next shot, the next point, battling my inner doubt, and nothing else matters.

When I’m finished with either of these activities, I have a feeling of rejuvenation, accomplishment, and connection between my mind and body every single time. I feel like I know myself better, can work through my problems, and can reconnect with my values with ease. I feel ready to take on the world.

I don’t know if others would call this meditation, but I don’t care. It is meditation to me and that is all that matters.

As the book says, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." I like to remind myself of this concept with the saying “Absolute Ignorance”. I wrote this at the top of my journal each morning to remind myself that I don’t know anything, and that’s okay. Don’t be afraid to be stupid, question, and challenge yourself to look at this world in new and unique ways. There are no rules of life, find your own path that works for you.

Question: What would you discover if you approached your life and actions every day with a beginner’s mind?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - Zen Mind, Beginners Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki