Zen mind, beginner's mind
by Shunryū Suzuki · first published 1970
75% recommend24% neutral1% critical
Why HN recommends it
Short, pragmatic talks on zazen and sitting practice that stay away from intellectualizing and enlightenment talk. Suits newcomers to Zen or meditation, and rewards rereading as a practice companion.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
This is a duplicate. Please update your lists. See https://openlibrary.org/works/OL464662W.
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The wonderful book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki contains a page which is blank except for a drawing of a fly in one corner. Nowhere else in the book is it mentioned or any explanation provided. Having practiced Zen for 10 years, I…
on “What’s the strangest thing you ever found in a book?” ↗Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki I was 19 and living in a van, camping under bridge overpasses in Colorado so I could just ski all day every day. My naive uneducated mind was formulating some sort of psuedo-hippy…
on “Ask HN: What's one book that changed your life?” ↗I recommend that you pick up a copy of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. It may really resonate with you as well as deepen your insight. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0834800527/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_MK...
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on “Ask HN: Looking for new books to read” ↗…subject, the more closed off you become to new ideas and ways you can improve. Instead, shoshin encourages you to approach all things with eagerness of a beginning. If you're interested, you should read Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, which is a short book collecting some of Suzuki's teachings.
on “Much of the research around meditation and mindfulness has serious flaws” ↗Zen mind beginner’s mind: Highly recommended to anyone interested in meditation. Helped me understand the non-goal aspect of the practice. Gravity’s rainbow: Not the easiest read but immensely rewarding. For better or worse…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗See also: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind is a book of teachings by the late Shunryu Suzuki, a compilation of talks given to his satellite Zen center in Los Altos, California. Published in 1970... helping readers to steer clear from the trap…
on “We need your beginner’s mind” ↗I used to be into meditation, but then decided it's also bogus voodoo stuff. However, I did enjoy reading Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki.
on “Ask HN: What's on your summer reading list? ” ↗Grab some Alan Watts tapes and read Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0834800799)!
on “Tuning out: How brains benefit from meditation” ↗by the way, if this resonates with anyone for whom meditation is new and they want to learn more, a great book is Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki that's a great book for anyone, new to meditation or not.
on “Meditate in front of your computer with Calm” ↗…into zen buddhism. Meditation has really helped me in that department, I'm now happier, anxiety is basically gone, and live better now. If you haven't heard about this book, let me recommend it to you: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind - Shunryu Suzuki (this is how I entered myself into this buddhism thing).
on “The Relationship Between Creativity and Mental Illness” ↗…helps me to deal with this every day. I'd recommend this authors with all my heart to anyone: - Thich Nhat Hanh ("You are here") - Alan Watts - Eckhart Tolle ("Stillness Speaks") - Shunryū Suzuki ("Zen mind beginner's mind") - Ryan Holiday ("Ego is the enemy") Piano helped me quite a lot. First my teacher, I could even say my piano teacher played a more important role in helping me, more than my family ever could. Musically…
on “The Depression Thing” ↗If you like Alan Watts you might enjoy Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice from Shunryu Suzuki. https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Informal-Meditatio...
on “Ask HN: Which books have made you introspect?” ↗…- you're shaping reality, rather than shaping yourself. I happily lump the craft of software development in with physical labor here, though, as it faces the same kinds of reality-based limitations. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki. Transcribed lectures by a well-known Zen monk. The entire book is basically about learning how to sit still. If you can't even sit still, how do you expect to do anything else well?…
on “Ask HN: How to learn best practices when you have no one to teach you?” ↗Zen mind, beginner's mind - Shunryu Suzuki. I don't think it's life advice. But, it certainly had a profound impact on my life. As an entrepreneur, I found the best way to learn about life is to read biographies of successful…
on “Ask HN: What are good resources for life advice?” ↗