Beginner's Mind

[Tangram]

“… in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.” Suzuki

When learning hold the beginner's mind. Parks commentary from Total Control, “A beginners mind can also be described as living in possibility as opposed to expectation. Reality has a way of shaping itself to your pre-conceived expectations don’t give it the opportunity to limit you learning by deciding you already know how to do something.”

Edited October 19, 2009 by Tangram

[RobMoore]

I expected something totally different as I read the quote.

Without your expansion below the quote, I would have understood it exactly opposite of the intent.

I thought it was going to mean something like...

"A beginner can find dozens of ways to do it wrong, the expert only knows a few ways to do it right".

Edited October 27, 2009 by RobMoore

[Tangram]

Sometimes we are so full we have difficulty learning.

Here is another story.

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

[DoubleDelta]

“… in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.” Suzuki

When learning hold the beginner's mind. Parks commentary from Total Control, “A beginners mind can also be described as living in possibility as opposed to expectation. Reality has a way of shaping itself to your pre-conceived expectations don’t give it the opportunity to limit you learning by deciding you already know how to do something.”

Wow, the bolded part pretty much summs up 99% of new-to-USPSA shooters I have ever met-including myself-at their first match. As for myself now, my mind is swimming in possibility, since I am a beginner at the whole practice thing.

[Bongo Boy]

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (S Suzuki) is still, to me, one of the most useful books I've ever read. Quite the eye-opener.

Again I go off with the semantics. We seldom refer to anyone as 'ignorant', especially ourselves, without conveying the meaning of unable to learn, or maybe 'knowing much that is all wrong'. If, when we hear or use the word, we instead hear 'not aware of' or 'not knowing', then we'd better understand the value of ignorance--of maintaining beginner's mind.

A couple of times, just over the past two months, I've been invited to sit in on some planning and problem-solving meetings. In both cases I was quick to tell my host that I knew little to nothing about the general topic area. He said, "That's exactly why I want you there. I'm not likely to get any new ideas from a room full of experts." Actually I'm not able to provide much of anything but a long string of 'stupid' questions, and I'm usually surprised at how few of them are well-answered. The experts seldom ask themselves questions beginning with the word 'why'.

We're all quite pleased with what we've learned and very happy to be held in esteem for our expertise, whatever area it might be in. We've worked hard to become knowledgable, and in many cases feel we're paid for that expertise. Sometimes the last thing we want is to be the beginner...the empty cup. While it's fairly easy to shut the mouth and listen when the topic area is way outside our sphere of expertise, it's can be a real test to listen first when the subject matter is where we think we're real smart.

I remember some time back I heard a comment--I think it was a stand-up comedian on TV--in the form of a question, "Why is it that people who are experts in something seem to think they're experts in everything? I've been that person many, many times--it's quite funny. They are no longer beginners--at anything!

[Sam]

The one thing I must learn each day is how to be the empty cup.

[Hartmann]

When learning hold the beginner's mind. Parks commentary from Total Control, “A beginners mind can also be described as living in possibility as opposed to expectation. Reality has a way of shaping itself to your pre-conceived expectations don’t give it the opportunity to limit you learning by deciding you already know how to do something.”

I was taught something similar, almost a corollary to this, when I started learning how to shoot. I was taught, "be task oriented, not goal oriented" when learning / doing a new procedure (such as reloading a shotgun). The point was that being goal oriented in such a procedure takes you out of the moment where you are, losing your awareness if you will, and makes you anxious to be at some point in the future...often with disastrous results.

[Bongo Boy]

When learning hold the beginner's mind. Parks commentary from Total Control, “A beginners mind can also be described as living in possibility as opposed to expectation. Reality has a way of shaping itself to your pre-conceived expectations don’t give it the opportunity to limit you learning by deciding you already know how to do something.”

I was taught something similar, almost a corollary to this, when I started learning how to shoot. I was taught, "be task oriented, not goal oriented" when learning / doing a new procedure (such as reloading a shotgun). The point was that being goal oriented in such a procedure takes you out of the moment where you are, losing your awareness if you will, and makes you anxious to be at some point in the future...often with disastrous results.

Same idea applies, but is not applied, in many aspects of a business operation. The focus is on end state or what's called end process metrics, with little attention paid to in process metrics or performance. It's the "I don't care how you get there, just get there" attitude. It's unfortunate because, for one thing, it leads to resolving the same old problems, over and over.

[Paladin]

understand that for the beginner what we really need is to control and direct his/her inherent awareness.. this will bring the enlightment that will temper expectations, anxiety, fear and stress..

after that we can only step back and allow that person to discover the 'WOW' moment..

[benos]

It might have been Suzuki who said - "It's difficult to be as careful at the end as you are at the beginnging."

The implications are huge.

be

[wide45]

Does this make sense?

At the beginning of the journey, there are many roads you can take. The nearer the end you are, the fewer choices you have.

Edited January 12, 2010 by wide45

[CenTX]

When learning hold the beginner's mind. Parks commentary from Total Control, "A beginners mind can also be described as living in possibility as opposed to expectation. Reality has a way of shaping itself to your pre-conceived expectations don't give it the opportunity to limit you learning by deciding you already know how to do something."

I was taught something similar, almost a corollary to this, when I started learning how to shoot. I was taught, "be task oriented, not goal oriented" when learning / doing a new procedure (such as reloading a shotgun). The point was that being goal oriented in such a procedure takes you out of the moment where you are, losing your awareness if you will, and makes you anxious to be at some point in the future...often with disastrous results.

Same idea applies, but is not applied, in many aspects of a business operation. The focus is on end state or what's called end process metrics, with little attention paid to in process metrics or performance. It's the "I don't care how you get there, just get there" attitude. It's unfortunate because, for one thing, it leads to resolving the same old problems, over and over.

Some businesses are their own worst enemies, among their faults they:

Don't ask, why do we do it this way? Is it the best way to do it or is it just the way we have always done it.

Fail to at least listen to someone new, from the outside, or who does not have "the credentials".

Suffer from the not invented here syndrome as well.

edit for multiple typos.

Edited January 12, 2010 by CenTX

[Sam]

It is incredibly easy to get stuck defining ourselves by our past. Then we HOPE that our future will be either the same or different in comparison to the past.

Whether we see ourselves has having been a success or having been a failure in the past, is really of no consequence. When we speak of "roads" or of "possibilities", it should be very clear that the one who clings to past for a definition of one's present does not have the beginners mind.

Expectation is a heavy burden that the beginner does not carry.

I believe this is what it means to "cast ones cares" and to "lay ones burdens down".