The PATH: Beginner’s Mind, Not Knowing, Living the Questions

sent by J.W. Bertolotti | October 4, 2021

1. Beginner's Mind

The Zen Monk Shunryu Suzuki wrote,

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

In Japan, the phrase shoshin means the beginner’s mind, and it is the goal of Zen practice. The beginner’s mind is an empty mind that is ready for and open to everything while being absent of self-centered thoughts of achievement.

The beginner’s mind is a practice of studying ourselves: “To study ourselves is to forget ourselves,” wrote the philosopher Dogen. The method of studying ourselves is an infinite path that Suzuki described in the classic Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind as a one railway track thousands of miles long. The sights may change, but there is no beginning or end to the track. No starting point, no goal, and nothing to attain.

Similarly, the martial artist and philosopher Bruce Lee believed,

Emptiness is the starting point. — In order to taste my cup of water you must first empty your cup. My friend, drop all your preconceived and fixed ideas and be neutral. Do you know why this cup is useful? Because it is empty.

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2. Not Knowing

A curious paradox of wisdom is the need to let go of the traditional idea of knowing. The philosopher Socrates famously said, "All that I know is that I know nothing."

Socrates was proclaimed to be the wisest in Athens by the Oracle at Delphi. He was surprised by the proclamation and set out to disprove it by speaking to the wisest in Athens.

Socrates ultimately concluded:

I am wiser than this man, for neither of us appears to know anything great and good; but he fancies he knows something although he knows nothing; whereas I, as I do not know anything, so I do not fancy I do.

One of the many things Socrates is remembered for today is his belief in the power of questions (e.g., Socratic Dialogue).

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3. Living the Questions

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke eloquently explained the idea of living the questions in Letters to a Young Poet:

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.

Many of us were not taught the wisdom of living the questions through formal education. Often quite the contrary, it was usually all about the answers.

Here is an exercise to try this week - think of a meaningful question to ponder. As you contemplate the questions throughout the week attempt to resist the pull towards an answer; simply live with the question. If you feel up to it - reflect or journal how your thoughts, feelings, and perspectives shifted from day to day.

What might change if you focused less on answering the meaningful questions in your life and instead started living with them?

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Thank you for reading; I hope you found something useful. If so, please consider sharing it with others.

Each week, we send a short reflection with three insights to help you live your highest good. If you are not a subscriber to The PATH you can sign up here to receive it right to your inbox.

Image credit: Zac Porter on Unsplash

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