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Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice

Shunryu Suzuki,

Trudy Dixon (Editor),

Huston Smith (Preface),

Richard Baker (Introduction)

4.20 · Rating details · 38,335 ratings · 1,422 reviews

“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 compl ...more

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Paperback, 138 pages

Published April 1st 1973 by Weatherhill (first published June 1st 1970)

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May 30, 2008 Keleigh rated it it was amazing

Shelves: truth, alwaysinthebackofmymind

This book was recommended to me by various persons in different phases of my life, but I clearly wasn't ready to read it till now. Suzuki's talks on zazen are spare and direct, demystifying Buddhism as a religion or philosophy and continually bringing the focus back to the simple and perfect practice of sitting--cleaning out your mind through meditation. Though we all choose different paths according to our culture and temperament, the ultimate desire is the same: for the soul or "big I" to free ...more

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Nov 19, 2018 Fergus rated it it was amazing

YOU’VE GOT TO PICK UP EVERY STITCH.
MUST BE THE SEASON OF THE WITCH...
- DONOVAN

In this age of rabid misinformation, it’s best to pay attention. An ancient Zen teacher said we’ve got to scrutinize it ALL - ‘Attention means ATTENTION!’

Another old Zen Master used to shout at his young students, “You’ve got to climb to the top of a thousand-foot wooden pole!“

Yeah, well, we all know such poles aren’t made that high.

So what gives?

The point of the story is simple: when you run out of pole, just keep cl ...more

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Dec 10, 2016 Sean Barrs rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-star-reads, spirituality-buddhism, non-fiction

“In the zazen posture, your mind and body have the great power to accept things as they are, whether agreeable or disagreeable.”

description

How do I put this into words? This does actually work. Simple Zen meditation on a nightly basis does help to put things into perspective. It helps clear the mind and get rid of those false delusions and expectations; it helps you move away from dangerous attachment and recognise the impermanence of everything. Not to mention its benefits in reducing stress and actu ...more

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Feb 04, 2010 Heather rated it it was ok

I know this is supposed to be THE zen book for beginners, by one of the most influential western zen masters, etc. But it didn't set a fire under me at all. I found myself trying to mine a few words of relevant wisdom from chapter after chapter of semi-opaque discourse. It's not that the book is difficult to read, but that the insights offered by Suzuki Roshi (undeniably a great zen master) are the insights of an old man who has been practicing zen for a long time and talking to serious zen stud ...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Riku Sayuj rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: r-r-rs, spiritual

If and when you meet The Buddha,
Kill him.
Then come back
And sit.
Sit
In Zazen.
Be.
Enlightenment is there,
Before it arrives.

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Mar 24, 2011 William2 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: japan, zen, nonfiction, 20-ce, buddhism

This book is balm. My second reading. It contains its own instructions for reading too. If some metaphor or anecdote seems too dense, just let it pass. There is no need to read the text as closely as I just have; that’s me. Suzuki-roshi explains it all. Toward the end it gets a little bit repetitious; that’s because these are in fact transcripts—elegantly edited—of talks given at Tassajarra Zen Mountain Monastery, Los Altos, California in 1969 or so. Really worthwhile if you seek big Mind.

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Feb 07, 2013 Jan-Maat added it

Shelves: religion, thinking, 20th-century, buddhism

The most important things in our practice are our physical posture and our way of breathing. We are not so concerned about a deep understanding of Buddhism. p99

To cook is not just to prepare for someone or for yourself; it is to express your sincerity. So when you cook you should express yourself in the activity in the kitchen. You should allow plenty of time; you should work on it with nothing in your mind, and without expecting anything. You should just cook! That is also an expression of our

The most important things in our practice are our physical posture and our way of breathing. We are not so concerned about a deep understanding of Buddhism. p99

To cook is not just to prepare for someone or for yourself; it is to express your sincerity. So when you cook you should express yourself in the activity in the kitchen. You should allow plenty of time; you should work on it with nothing in your mind, and without expecting anything. You should just cook! That is also an expression of our sincerity, a part of our practice. It is necessary to sit in zazen, in this way, but sitting is not our only way. Whatever you do, it should be an expression of the same deep activity. We should appreciate what we are doing. There is no preparation for something else. pp53-54

This is one of those curious books like the The Muqaddimah that did not start out as a book but rather as lectures or in this case brief talks. The author's talks were taped, transcribed and then put into the order they have in the book. Reading it from cover to cover then is as arbitrary as reading it in any order. Each piece is free-standing. Each can be reread. In my experience it is even better to reread pieces and not to try and read too many at one time. The murderer is not revealed on the last page, there is no shocking denouement. It is what it is. A series of commentaries on the practise of Zen. I imagine that someone familiar with some other form of Buddhism might find this book rather curious.

The more you understand our thinking the more you feel it difficult to talk about it (p90) by which measure it seems that I apparently have an excellent understanding of it, but I can say that there are two themes that crop up in a lot of the talks. The difficultly of talking about Zen or Buddhism - one dialogue of about four sentences ends with 'lets have some tea'. This at least is a philosophy that I can understand, although naturally can't explain easily. He's keen to avoid doctrine, this is a book about being engaged in the practice of Zen, it is not a book about Zen.

The other main theme is the ordinariness of Zen. It is very domestic in this book. Nothing special. Simply being true to ones own nature. This reminds me of hearing how Buddhism was transformed in China from having a tendency to be difficult and hard to achieve, requiring particular effort, to being something that people could do at home, without families having to be broken up by people running off to monasteries, caves or mountain tops. I would write further about what this means in terms of the domestic and the every day, but it seems that I understand it too well.

I have had this book on my shelves for a long time. One of the good bad things about my austerity reading programme - the difficultly of talking about duality and non-duality is also important - is reading the dusty as well as the new books. Reading this from cover to cover works and does not work. It is best perhaps to read a piece after practising Zen. I can't tell you how to practise Zen - you sit, preferably cross-legged, and become aware of your breathing but don't think 'I am practising Zen!'. Perhaps you bow, or read Sutras which you can't understand but strive to. All of this is hard easy to talk about, but which makes more less sense if you do it I imagine.

The beginner's mind is good because it is free from pre-conceptions. It has not learnt what is impossible. It has not learnt to constrain itself.

I wonder about what is unwritten here. Sitting and observing your breathing does not strike me as a particular remunerative activity (although it would be nice to be wrong about this). How did he afford to establish himself in the USA? Does he have an intention to bring Zen to the USA - how does this effect his teaching? It is interesting to think of this book as the missionary lure, dangling to catch the convert. ...more

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Feb 15, 2015 Francisco rated it it was amazing

One of the classic introductions of Buddhist Zen practice in America. So many books on Zen written since this small jewel first came out forty-five years ago. Is there really more to say than shikan taza - just sitting: "When you bow, you should just bow; when you sit you should just sit; when you eat you should just eat. When you do this, the universal nature is there." We are achievers, us westerners. Goal oriented. Forever striving. But what if what your heart most wants (even if you don't kn One of the classic introductions of Buddhist Zen practice in America. So many books on Zen written since this small jewel first came out forty-five years ago. Is there really more to say than shikan taza - just sitting: "When you bow, you should just bow; when you sit you should just sit; when you eat you should just eat. When you do this, the universal nature is there." We are achievers, us westerners. Goal oriented. Forever striving. But what if what your heart most wants (even if you don't know it) is already there in you. The effort needed to get there is one more of return than of advancement, more of letting go than of attaining. There's so much wisdom in this little book. Even if you have a hard time undertaking a practice of meditation. Let's not call it meditation. Let's call it calming your mind by letting things be as they are. Don't fight and struggle against your problems. For a few moments just sit and let everything in your mind and your life be as it is.Take a few minutes now and then to be a beginner in whatever you do. "When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self we are true beginners." Isn't this also the secret of the great artists: to always be a beginner? You begin to write because of a need to express something in you. There's no pulitzer prize in your mind. There is just the writing. "If you do something in the spirit of non-achievement, there is a good quality in it." "So try not to achieve anything special. You already have everything in your own pure quality. If you understand this ultimate fact, there is no fear. There may be some difficulty, of course, but there is no fear."

I'm pretty sure that Shunryu Suzuki would not mind if you incorporate the wisdom in his book to wherever you are in life, whatever religious beliefs you have (or not have). "Whether or not you make yourself peaceful is the point, and whether or not you stick to it." Stick to it, as in taking some of that peacefulness into your daily life. I like this book (which I re-read periodically) for the insights and the inspiration it gives me. It helps me to see where creativity comes from and to where I must return to find it again. You can call it "God" or "Buddha Nature" or "Emptiness" or the "Self" with a capital s, or simply the unknown subconscious, but there is a reality, a mysterious reality, that exists behind your thoughts. Shunryu Suzuki sometimes calls it big mind, sometimes he calls it our true nature. Whatever name you give it, once you know it is there, you will realize it to be the source of all true creativity (and also of all true compassion). "You must put confidence in the big mind which is always with you, you should be able to express things as an expression of big mind. This is more than faith. This is the ultimate truth which we cannot reject." ...more

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Feb 07, 2009 Erik Graff rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Erik by: Paul Schaich

Shelves: religion

This is the best non-academic introduction to Zen Buddhism that I've come upon. What caught me especially was a moment in the introduction when an interview with Suzuki was interrupted by his wife. She was serving tea, overheard part of his discourse and remarked to the interviewer that, in essence, he was full of shit, having never attained satori--all given and taken in good humor. ...more

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Jan 12, 2018 Gabrielle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy, own-a-copy, mandatory-reading, buddhism, zen, read-in-2018, reviewed, non-fiction, to-read-again

This book had been on my radar for a while, and then in his bibliography of "Don't Be A Jerk" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), Brad Warner basically says "You need this book!!". Who am I to argue with Brad?

As the subtitle "Informal talks on Zen meditation and practice" implies, the essays in this book are transcripts of lectures Shunryu Suzuki gave to students, arranged by topics. Suzuki is often described as a "founding father" of Zen in America, as he was one of the first to bring t ...more

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Jun 16, 2013 Mike W rated it liked it

This book is frustrating to read. There is some wisdom here, and in Zen Buddhism generally, but the delight Suzuki takes in paradoxes and contradictions serves to obscure his meaning, rather than illuminating it, eg 'we prepare by being unprepared'.

The book gets its title from his contention that wisdom consists in being open to the present moment, with the eagerness of the beginner, rather than closing oneself off like the self-styled expert.

A closely related concept is that of zazen, which, t ...more

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Sep 01, 2013 mark monday rated it it was amazing

Shelves: alpha-team, guidebooks

I read this book, learned a lot, and decided to do the exact opposite. what is the opposite of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind exactly? I dunno. Crazy Expert Mind? ...more

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Apr 02, 2016 Vaishali rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: self-improvement, yogis

Exceptional, and highly surprising. Really helpful in clearing up obstacles to motivation, and why we sometimes cannot practice/complete tasks.

Notes :
------------

“Keep your practice pure.”

“In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind, there are few.”

“When our mind is compassionate, it is boundless.”

“The most important point is to own your own physical body… when we have our body and mind in order, everything will exist in the right place, in the right way.”

“When my ...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Jokoloyo rated it really liked it

This is the first book about Zen that I read, found it in a library. At that time I read it before I had any experience of meditation. For me, this was a very enlightening read. And even without remember much of the contents, I rated this book as a solid 5 star when I was inputting my reads in Goodreads.

Fast forward decades later (and more experience in meditation practice), I re-read this book, and I found new understandings. This book is not only good as an introduction for people who want to ...more

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Aug 13, 2008 Kim rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: seekers

Recommended to Kim by: Meido Moore

Shelves: non-fiction, must-read-again

As a music performance major who is burned out and bitter going into her last year of her undergraduate career, this book was invaluable for its ability to have the notion of practicing zazen also be equal to practicing her instrument.

I have taken a bit of a break from meditation and music for 3-4 months now, and these informal talks are exactly the kind of thing I need to get myself to head in the right direction. It's a book that I recommend re-visiting often, for it provides a perfect impetus ...more

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Feb 06, 2017 Gergana rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: spirituality, non-fiction

Short and to the point. What I like about books about Buddhism, Taoism and so on, is that they make you feel really relaxed and accepting of yourself. Although self-improvement books on how to get rich, find love, loose weight etc. are great, it's nice to hear that life can be uneventful and boring, yet completely satisfying if you just stop and relax.

PS: On a personal note: People who have been the happiest in their lives, who lived the longest and didn't get ill as often, were not the ones th ...more

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Sep 02, 2014 rahul rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, aatm-saath

गम और खुशी में फर्क ना महसूस हो जहा
मैं दिल को उस मकाम पे लाता चला गया

Gham aur khushi mein fark
na mehsoos ho jahaan
Main dil ko us makaam pe
lata chala gaya

Where there is no difference felt
between Joy and pain,
I kept bringing my heart to that realm,
again and again...

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Movie : Hum Dono Lyricist: Sahir Ludhiyanvi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCUUgy...
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It is practic ...more

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Aug 06, 2015 Sara Alaee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, philosophy, spirituality

"When you become you, Zen becomes Zen. When you are you, you see things as they are, and you become one with your surroundings." ...more

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Feb 18, 2008 David rated it it was amazing

This book was put together from a series of lectures by Shunyru Suzuki who was one of the first Zen Buddhist teachers to share Buddhism with Americans in the middle to late 20th century. I met Suzuki when I was a teenager, and was influenced by him a great deal. Because of him I found that I was very attracted to meditation practice and to his particular style of teaching. He was a good spiritual friend. In this book Shunryu expresses the heart of Zen in the simplest but most profound ways. His ...more

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Feb 14, 2019 Abhimanu rated it it was amazing

This is, I feel, one of those books that one wouldn't be able to get into unless one has some past encounters with zen, or meditation in general. It is a short book but is also quite complex and takes time for mental digestion---and that's why some background is needed. It gave me feelings of intense calm while reading the book. I will definitely revisit this books many times in future. For the uninitiated, get Dan Harris' book---10% happier---and then go for this one, imo. ...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Ankur Banerjee rated it liked it

As an introductory book to Zen Buddhism, this is quite daunting or useless. The publishing industry seems to have cashed into the misconception that this this is a book for beginners because it has "Beginner's Mind" in the title. This book is really not where you should be starting as the first point for any sort of reading on Buddhism - Zen or not. I'd recommend reading something else first, actually attending a zazen session somewhere and *then* reading this book to get the full impact.

Suzuki' ...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Synthia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: philosophy-religion-psychology

Some take aways:

-Right attitude is to have strong confidence in our original nature
-Repetition
-Concentration on our usual everyday routine
-When you do something, you should burn yourself completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself.
-Study yourself and forget yourself
-When you become you, Zen becomes Zen. When you are you, you see things as they are, and you become one with your surroundings.
-Big mind is something to express, not something to figure out. Big mind is something you ...more

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Dec 18, 2007 Emanuella rated it did not like it

Shelves: spirituality, non-fiction

And the best part of the book is the quote: "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few." And I think the zen mindset can be summarized by three words: "Attention, attention, attention."

I picked up this book because I thought it would have genuine insights about being mindful and compassionate. I was disappointed; it turned out to be a lot of navel-gazing, typical of the pseudo-spiritual circle-talk that Westerners seem to think is profound, but r ...more

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May 01, 2008 John rated it it was amazing

This book is a classic to be read from time to time. At present I am not reading it but have convinced my 15 year old sn to read it hoping that it, together with long conversations and care, will immediately help him with his teenage angst. Even more, I hope the ideas in the book can be planted now to bloom later.

Those are just some thoughts about some present concerns. The main reason for the posting is to pass on something I read that as not in a book. It is this powerful Zen koan.

Count the s ...more

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Mar 10, 2018 Jay added it

Shelves: 2018, nonfiction

While I have now read all the words on all the pages, I don't think I'm actually finished with this book. And I don't mean that the thoughts will stick with me, though that is true. What I mean is that I will skim parts of this book again, maybe even soon. Or I will reread sections of it, thinking about the ideas again. For as simply as the words are written, the ideas have oceanic depth, I'm going to be swimming here for quite a while. ...more

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Apr 11, 2020 Jack rated it it was ok

Shelves: japan, 20th-century, philosophy-theory-psychoanalysis, amerika

Zen — I don’t get it.

But does that mean I truly get it?

No.

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Dec 07, 2011 T.J. Beitelman rated it it was amazing

I am not the only Westerner to be moved by this, the first Zen tract aimed specifically at an American audience. And maybe to the Zen true-believer (Western or otherwise) it’s Zen-lite, I don’t know. I’m not a Buddhist or anything, much less a Zen master. But reading Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind helped me realize that Zen is not so much about religion as it is about discipline of all kinds — it is, in fact, a discipline about discipline. Not so much the rap-your-knuckles kind. More the “fall down s ...more

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Jun 15, 2017 Hákon Gunnarsson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: buddhism, zen, non-fiction

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by the late Shunryu Suzuki is the most interesting book on Zen Buddhism I've read so far. I thought it was a pleasure to read, and unlike so often, I just took my time reading it, taking one chapter a day. There is something calming about reading it, and I think that has to do with the author voice. It is a bit like sitting somewhere, listening to a knowledgeable man talking about the subject.

Partly that is because it's not written. It is a collection of talks Shunryu S ...more

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Aug 09, 2015 MissUnderstoodGenius rated it really liked it

The title "Beginner's Mind" could/might mislead a few, as it refers to the idea of maintaining an open, childlike mind, and never acting or feeling as though one has ACHIEVED enlightenment. Beginner's mind in this case refers to the state of mind we have when first jump into any endeavour. Be always searching, always growing.

Each chapter is just the right length for a cup of tea (or coffee). "Crooked Cucumber" is a biography of Suzuki and a wonderful intro to Zen Mind.

In this world of Space and ...more

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May 14, 2017 Hamidreza rated it liked it

always stay a beginner

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About Shunryu Suzuki

Shunryu Suzuki

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Suzuki Roshi was a Sōtō Zen monk and teacher who helped popularize Zen Buddhism in the United States, and is renowned for founding the first Buddhist monastery outside Asia (Tassajara Zen Mountain Center). Suzuki founded San Francisco Zen Center, which along with its affiliate temples, comprises one of the most influential Zen organizations in the United States. A book of his teachings, Zen Mind, ...more