In Zen, this state is referred to as “beginner’s mind.” When you are a beginner in any activity, accomplishing it takes all your concentration, and your mind is empty of chatter. As you become more adept at the activity, concentrating solely on performing it actually becomes harder. Remember when you first started learning to drive a car? You were totally absorbed in the process of learning to drive the car. You had a beginner’s mind. Now when you drive, you have lost that beginner’s mind.
