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Beginners Mind

Starting Place

The wonder and awestruck quality emanating from this child's face is a state of openness we would like you to acquire. This is a very nice place to begin.

Since we want you to proceed  innocently, we suggest you open with:

a beginner’s mind

and temporarily drop your preconceived notions and ideas about what you are about to consider. 

Understanding what Zen Buddhists call the "beginners mind" recognizes the value of fresh insight unfettered by experience (1).

Innocence Returned

How many times have you suggested to someone that you wish you return to a simpler time? Childhood usually comes to mind for most people because we wish we could drop all the responsibilities of the day and go back to the spot we remember most. Below are two examples of why we can do that without the need to return to childhood. These references are books that have been included in the book An American Guide to Success.

• In the introduction to Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki, Baker Roshi, the American Zen Master, wrote:

“The mind of the beginner is empty, free of habits of the experts, ready to accept, to doubt, and open to all the possibilities…”

• In The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics part one, “Nonsense”, chapter one, Gary Zukav tells a compelling story of Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity. He suggests that Einstein’s break-through theory was possible because he started with a beginner’s mind.

You may not be Shunryu Suzuki or Albert Einstein, but they can be your inspiration and your mentors. The information you’re about to consider can and will be the catalyst for new adventures and understanding in your life -- if you just let it happen.

 (1) Bennis W. Tichy N. , Judgment Trumps Experience, The Wall Street Journal, Manager's Journal of the Opinion Section, 200 Liberty Street, New York, N.Y. 10281