“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.”
~ Shunryu Suzuki, “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind”
It has been said that humans are the only creatures that feel the need to be something, while all other animals can just be. I find a great deal of truth in this; everywhere you look you can see people rushing around in a frantic symphony striving to attain this promotion, win the heart of that stunning woman, achieve the highest score in this exam or that sport. Humanity seems to have this inexplicable drive to be defined by achievement or possession – just ask the next person you meet, “Who are you?” and they will answer you with dozens of things that they do or have, all of which completely fail to answer the question.
But in the efforts to define ourselves, we seem to become increasingly narrow-minded. Each new achievement or possession, each new point of definition, becomes another brick on an ever-growing wall that encases our minds – like a picture frame that just keeps getting thicker with every year that passes. Why else do older people so often claim, “I can’t do this,” or “I don’t like to do that?” When we believe that we know who we are, we restrict ourselves from experiences that don’t fit into our perceived self-image. When we believe that we know what we most desire, we ignore open doors that lead us away from that desire and close our minds to the possibilities that lie behind those doors. When we perceive ourselves as wise or knowledgeable, we cease our search to learn more.
Compare this to the mind of the child. A child doesn’t seek after anything but is open to all experiences that life has to offer; to a child all things are new and the world is full of possibilities. A child can become anything because there is no concern about being defined or, for that matter, being anything at all. A child can simply be, innocently looking upon the world with curious eyes, taking it in without bias or judgment. There is no thought of achievement, no thought of self; the mind is empty and ready and limitless. Such a mind does not say, “I am wise,” but simply ignores the self and says, “I am ready to learn.” It does not seek after enlightenment – it is not even concerned with what enlightenment is – and thus is perhaps the most enlightened mind of all.
When my mind is focused and clear and child-like, I become open to all the myriad possibilities that fate may bring, and ready to explore them without restriction or hesitation. But it doesn’t come easy to me; it’s like walking a tightrope, and I can’t keep track of the number of times I fall – but just like the tightrope walker, I know that practice will make it easier to stay balanced. So this is the most difficult part of my search for the Truth: to maintain a child-like mind, a beginner’s mind.
