Shoshin: Beginner’s Mind

At the opening of Upaya’s Young Adult retreat, Sensei Shinzan speaks on the practice of beginner’s mind. In our culture, we are deeply conditioned to know, to think linearly, and to expect progress. Zen unravels this conditioning. How much do we expect to gain from our practice? Rather than seeking to advance in our practice, Shinzan reminds us that the basic instructions of Zen meditation is all we really need on our path. “The practice is a loop, it’s the circle of the way” – there is no linear progression. Our conventional goals for practice – to have better relationships, to know oneself, to cultivate peace – are really side effects of awakening. Shinzan draws from Dogen who taught that each moment contains aspiration, practice, enlightenment, and nirvana. “Enlightenment, often regarded as the goal, is itself the path. The path is none other than the goal.”  So we cultivate beginner’s mind to see that nothing is missing from this moment. “We want the practice to work for us, but it’s the opposite.”