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Shunryu Suzuki

Trudy Dixon

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Paperback – June 28, 2011

by Shunryu Suzuki (Author), Trudy Dixon (Editor), Huston Smith (Preface),

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

So begins this most beloved of all American Zen books. Seldom has such a small handful of words provided a teaching as rich as has this famous opening line. In a single stroke, the simple sentence cuts through the pervasive tendency students have of getting so close to Zen as to completely miss what it's all about. An instant teaching on the first page. And that's just the beginning.

In the forty years since its original publication, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind has become one of the great modern spiritual classics, much beloved, much reread, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen. Suzuki Roshi presents the basics—from the details of posture and breathing in zazen to the perception of nonduality—in a way that is not only remarkably clear, but that also resonates with the joy of insight from the first to the last page.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[This] is a different book every time I read it. Behind the simplicity, it is dense with Zen wisdom that flashes like lightning as you read and reread.”—Jon Lebkowskyl, Millennium Whole Earth Catalog

“One of the best and most succinct introductions to Zen practice.”—Library Journal

“One of the top five Buddhist books, ever.”—Elephant

About the Author

Shunryu Suzuki (1904–1971) was one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the twentieth century and is truly a founding father of Zen in America. A Japanese priest of the Soto lineage, he taught in the United States from 1959 until his death. He was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is the author of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind and Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness: Zen Talks on the Sandokai, and he is the subject of the biography Crooked Cucumber by David Chadwick.

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Shambhala; 9/19/11 edition (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781590308493
ISBN-13: 978-1590308493
ASIN: 1590308492
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 729 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,755 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2676 in Religion & Spirituality (Books)

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Starqi

This book is a bright star!

July 9, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Reading this book is like sitting with a teacher. The energy of it is clear and light, open. Its intent is to share its understanding, its observations.

On first reading, I understood very little of what it was trying to convey. Sentences in English, easy enough to read, but conveying concepts that clearly went deeply beneath the words to a place that I didn’t comprehend and couldn’t feel.

I’ve since re-read it and now, continually re-read sections of it! Its instruction cannot really be conveyed via language alone. The concepts have to be absorbed in combination with meditation, intent and an openness to different ways of looking at life. Each sentence becomes a phrase to study and meditate on. Eventually, the meaning of the words start to appear as if birds in a wood when you are looking for them. Everything quiets down and then they appear to you, though they’ve always been there.

Over time, my understanding of the book has changed from it being a lecture, a ‘this is how you should do it’ instructional to a ‘look, this is how it can work’ observation - an understanding of how it is possible to live with straight forward and simple, profound joy.

It is one of my go-to resources for spiritual guidance and calm beauty.

39 people found this helpful

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ZyPhReX

A Phenomenal Foray Into The Mindfulness & Simplicity

September 7, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki is a rather intricate but deep view into the mindscape of what the 'Zen Mind' entails.

Given that this book isn't exactly for those in the nascent stages of Zen Buddhism, it can be quite enigmatic in some spots. Still, this does not detract from the wealth of information the reader will be able to garner if they maintain an open mind.

Overall the book shows many insights individuals may follow to strengthen their core repertoire.

Some of the concepts the book discusses included mindfulness, the importance of calmness and focus in your life, proper practice, simplicity and much more.

For someone that's new in traversing the Zen realm, this book is quite appreciated. It synthesizes many complex topics in a simple to follow manner, and does so in a way that is rich in scope as well.

Reading this book will definitely help the reader become more cognizant of the mind in countless ways.

After having this book a while, and referenced it quite a bit, have a feeling that how much this book helps an individual is proportional to how much one focuses on each of the concepts. It really is an excellent book.

26 people found this helpful

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Awake Within The Dream

Best Book on Meditation and Mindfulness

August 16, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have been practicing meditation and mindfulness for over 20 years and teaching it for over ten years. I also lived as a monk for six years in forest monasteries in South East Asia.

Someone asked me: "I have a question for you - if there is just one book on meditation / mindfulness that you can suggest, what would it be?"

Great question. This question made me pause and reflect. After an inner scan of the countless titles that have deepened my understanding of this profound subject, one stood out clearly.

I would recommend...

"Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunyru Suzuki Roshi.

Why this particular book? What sets it apart?

It is about the correct attitude with which to approach our practice. It also offers a method, but doesn't make a big deal about it. There are actually a million meditation methods and a million books extolling the virtues of their own particular method. However that is actually not most important. When the attitude is right, any method will bear abundant fruit. Indeed even without any method we will benefit. Our life will be illumined. When the attitude is off, the world's most profound teacher, teaching and method will miss the mark.

In a way this book crushes our rosy ideas about meditation. It doesn't make tall promises about the benefits of meditation. Instead it punctures all our tyres. There is no where else we can go. This is the wisdom of no escape. We are forced to face ourselves right where we are.

The chapters are short. Each offers a slap. Some are back slaps of encouragement. Some are face slaps challenging our foolishness. They all slap us back into the present. The taste of these slaps linger. Good strong medicine.

This book takes everything away. It offers nothing in return. All that remains is a vast open space where life can flow and love can play. This is why this book is precious. This is why I recommend this book.

17 people found this helpful

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M. Thomas

This was an assigned textbook in my Buddhism course, ...

December 17, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This was an assigned textbook in my Buddhism course, and I found myself reading the entire book cover to cover, rather than stopping at the required pages. It draws the reader in and flows well, keeping interest and providing insight. Whether you are studying the art of meditation or simply want to open your mind, this is the book for you. I habitually felt calmer after reading these pages and reflecting on them. This is one "textbook" I plan to hold on to!

14 people found this helpful

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JLS

Simple and Helpful Way to Practice Zen

May 16, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is one of the best basic books in Zen literature for the Western mind. There are short chapters dealing with the importance of sitting posture and ways to quiet the mind. It is a book that is based on a series of lectures that Suzuki developed for people in the U.S.A. I have used this book as a reference book for my life and return to it often to center my life when things seem to be getting a bit off-kilter. What is good is that each one of the chapters has a heading regarding an aspect of daily life. It is not full of 'doctrine' or detailed teachings, but gently explains some of the thinking behind this way of meditation and how it fits into the Buddhist tradition, specifically Zen Buddhism. I am a Christian, but find this very helpful in my daily walk.

13 people found this helpful

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