Dear Beloveds,
This past summer I went back to school for the first time in more than 30 years, attending the Middlebury College Language School to study Spanish. I had regular daily classes for four hours, lots of homework and study, individual and group projects, and a learning environment awash in technology, tools, and resources much different than when I was in graduate school, not to mention it was entirely in Spanish. For the first time in a very long time, I was a total beginner. I had to set aside much I have learned over the years and unlearn some things I have learned. I needed to approach Middlebury College’s Spanish School with what Zen Buddhism terms shoshin or “beginner’s mind.”
Beginner's mind is a core concept in Zen Buddhism popularized in the West by Shunryu Suzuki in his 1970 book Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. Suzuki reminds us that "in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few."
When we become experts or grow accustomed to daily routines, our brains rely on mental shortcuts. We judge situations before they unfold, filter reality through past biases, and lose the ability to see things as they truly are. An "expert's mind" can lead to rigidity, creative stagnation, and missed insights because it assumes it already knows everything.
By contrast, beginner's mind is an attitude of openness. It is the curiosity of a child asking "why?" without needing to defend a viewpoint. Practicing shoshin is not about devaluing knowledge and experience but holding that expertise loosely so we not only see things with fresh eyes but are more welcoming of input and insight from others who may not be as “expert” as we are.
Approaching life with a beginner's mind can transform how we see ourselves, others, and the world around us. By stepping back from the need to be the expert, we open ourselves up to continuous growth, richer connections, and boundless discovery. I invite you to bring a beginner’s mind to your Unitarian Universalism this fall and to our shared ministry at the UU Church in Meriden.
In faith,
Rev. Tony
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