On 初心 (shoshin).

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.

Shunryu Suzuki

“Shoshin” can be roughly translated to the beginner’s mind. What does it mean to have a beginner’s mind? And why are there many possibilities?

One of my pet peeves when I was teaching Kendo was when someone, who was brand new to Kendo, wanted to tell me what they knew. I would show, demonstrate a move, or explain a concept and they would be quick to interject with what they knew and will begin to teach me on whatever style it is that they had experience in. Their cup was too full to receive anything. That’s not a beginner’s mind.

I think what Suzuki-roshi meant is that we should keep that wonder, that enthusiasm we had as a beginner even after we’ve become intermediate or knowledgeable. Think of a child and how they look at the world with total wonder. They are open to receiving anything, open to believing anything, but more importantly open to learning without any type of preconception, bias, or prejudice. That is the beginner’s mind: a mind that is open to many possibilities.

Shoshin can be applied to conversations as well. Have you ever spoken with someone more interested in preparing their response than listening to what you had to say? Someone who has an explanation or an anecdote for everything? They are quick to reply without really listening.

Shoshin means to take every encounter as if it were the first encounter and without any judgment or bias. This can be applied to life but in martial arts, it means learning from everyone. A black belt can learn just as much from a white belt as a white belt can learn from a black belt. It’s a symbiotic relationship, one of harmony.

The expert’s mind is blinded by his/her “expertise” in whatever it is they claim to be an expert in. A case in point can be a kickboxer who dismisses the effectiveness of jiu-jitsu, because in his mind, if your opponent is on the ground, you can just kick him in the head, and there’s no reason to fight lying down on the ground. This kickboxer is so caught up in his style and blinded by his expertness that he’s missing the point of jiu-jitsu. No one wants to fight on the ground. No one wants to be in a position where he is mounted by a heavier human being. But the question is what do you do when you find yourself in that situation. Jiu-jitsu offers many solutions, whereas the kickboxer has none to offer besides not being on the ground in the first place.

Keep the beginner’s mind. Be open to new ideas. Absorb what is useful and discard what is useless.