Season 1 · Episode 105
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shunryu Suzuki) - Book Review
June 4, 202112m 41sFull
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Show Notes
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind' by Shunryu Suzuki is a musing on Zen Buddhism, enlightenment and meditation practice. Suzuki Roshi was a populariser of Zen in America and many regard this as one of the finest books on the topic. The core themes centre on the spiritual attainment of Buddha nature and the philosophy behind the practice of Zazen.
I summarised the book as follows. "It's a succinct, simple & simultaneously confusing read. It explains the central essence of Zen without all the tradition or religiosity. There are some practical tips for meditation (Zazen) but is more heavy on the spirituality and grand concept of embodied enlightenment that Zen tries to convey. Personally I felt it became a bit repetitive at times and would also say that this book is NOT for everyone, better to have read it with some grounding in Buddhism or the other eastern religions."
As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis
(2:24) - Buddha Nature: The already attained enlightenment within all
(4:43) - Zazen: The practice of non-practice
(7:29) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(10:34) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show
I summarised the book as follows. "It's a succinct, simple & simultaneously confusing read. It explains the central essence of Zen without all the tradition or religiosity. There are some practical tips for meditation (Zazen) but is more heavy on the spirituality and grand concept of embodied enlightenment that Zen tries to convey. Personally I felt it became a bit repetitive at times and would also say that this book is NOT for everyone, better to have read it with some grounding in Buddhism or the other eastern religions."
As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis
(2:24) - Buddha Nature: The already attained enlightenment within all
(4:43) - Zazen: The practice of non-practice
(7:29) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(10:34) - Summary
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcast/Support the show