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by alex_lod 2862 days ago
Have you heard of the concept “beginner’s mind?” It’s an attitude that can be developed with practice that helps you see otherwise ordinary things with awe and curiosity. Here’s a bit more about it: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshin if you’re curious I can share more references.
2 comments

I loved this! I don't think there is an English word that succinctly describes this. Thanks for sharing
I would love some more references please.
The term is most commonly associated with Suzuki Roshi, who founded the San Francisco Zen Center. He has a book, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." You can learn more about him here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunry%C5%AB_Suzuki

Here are a few blog posts:

- https://zenhabits.net/beginner/ - https://jackkornfield.com/beginners-mind/

Here are a few talks/podcasts:

- http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/68/talk/17919/ - http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/23/talk/500/ - http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/139/talk/893/

Finally, I have had the most special "beginner's mind" experiences while attending multi-day, silent meditation retreats. I live in the Bay Area, so I've attended Spirit Rock up in Marin. However, retreat centers exist all across the world. I recommend "insight" retreats, which are sometimes referred to as "mindfulness" or "Vipassana" retreats.

I hope this is helpful!

Very helpful, I'm going to pick up on these immediately. Thanks again.