Zen Mind, Beginner’s mind Reaction

Zen Mind, Beginner’s mind is really a book about how to handle every day life. Although the ideas are very abstract, they can be applied to everything we do. Thorough out the book there are several repeated themes such as an emphasis on neutrality and not attaching; and the notion that we are already enlightened, we simply need to wake up to this fact. In addition, 'nether nor'/'either or' concepts dominate the book. The idea of small mind and big mind also play a key role. The book is a reflection of talks given by Shunryu Suzuki about Zazen zen practice. Other than the pre and post sections, the book is divided in to three major sections reflecting Buddhist philosophy: right practice, right attitude and right understanding.

The introduction and prolog present key concepts to understanding the rest of the book. The Introduction expresses that the purpose of all Zen teaching is to make you go beyond yourself, to think beyond words and discover what your own mind and beings are. This is something I do not see enough people around me doing. Perhaps it is because "English is thoroughly dualistic in its basic assumptions and has not had the opportunity over centuries to develop a way of expressing non dualistic Buddhist id

. . .

View the whole essay, without interruption

The next chapter is about change or 'Transience'. As a

Result the only thing that can make the mind ‘wavy’ is yourself. I have found in my life when I do things selflessly and for the sake of itself, is when things turn out the best; and ironically I gain the most. Next, Zen and excitement, explains that a good Zen practitioner will remain calm and joyful in any situation. But the next chapter, Control, explains that the best way to control the mind is to let the mind roam free. This explains why it feels so good to give as opposed to taking, when you give you feel at one with what you are giving, at one with your 'big I'. This is a profound statement to make in today's world of rational prophet oriented thinking. Because we strive to attain a goal we are putting effort that is not a part of Zazen practice and the result is we go in the wrong direction. Their should be no idea of time or space. This chapter explains that the mind is self contained; it includes everything rather than being in relation to anything. "When you give up, when you no longer want something, or when you do not try to do anything special, they you do something. But it is an inevitable truth that we can only live now and now is always changing. The next chapter follows through on this explaining that when one becomes idealistic, they become greedy and their practice suffers accordingly. things are all around us and we have senses to pick them up with so logically something we sense will effect us, but this Buddhist thought explains that it only seems like something out side our mind effects us, when really it is our own mind effecting itself.

Approximate Word count = 1636
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)

Simply subscribe to view this paper, and 100,000 others.