Title: Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind Informal talks on Zen meditation and pratice
Author: Shunryu Suzuki
Genre: Spirituality, Philosophy, Meditation
Book Jacket Summary:
A 50th Anniversary edition of the bestselling Zen classic on meditation, maintaining a curious and open mind, and living with simplicity.
“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. It is an instant teaching on the first page–and that’s just the beginning.
In the fifty 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.
Why I Chose This Book:
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind was referenced multiple times in my Phil Jackson books, so reading this was the next step in completing my Phil Jackson research journey 😉 Phil practices mediation regularly and values focus and presence of the moment. I read this book to get more information to practice lifestyle myself!
My Review:
A very good book! It wasn’t the smoothest read at first, I wasn’t really quite sure what to expect, but once I got with the flow of the writing style I was able to knock it out. Choosing to be focused on the moment, being totally present and approaching the day as a clean slate has really helped me with my shifts at work. I notice I get much less stressed and overwhelmed when I take on each day with a totally fresh start. I’m definitely not a Zen Guru 100% but I would like to be! 🙂
