⋙ [PDF] Free Zen Mind Beginner Mind Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Shunryu Suzuki Trudy Dixon Huston Smith Richard Baker Books

Zen Mind Beginner Mind Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Shunryu Suzuki Trudy Dixon Huston Smith Richard Baker Books

Download As PDF : Zen Mind Beginner Mind Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Shunryu Suzuki Trudy Dixon Huston Smith Richard Baker Books

Zen Mind Beginner Mind Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Shunryu Suzuki Trudy Dixon Huston Smith Richard Baker Books

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.


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Zen Mind Beginner Mind Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice Shunryu Suzuki Trudy Dixon Huston Smith Richard Baker Books Reviews

I have considered myself a Buddhist for many years but have recently been studying it more in depth. So many of my resources refer to Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind that I simply had to get it. I found the reading to be a little on the tedious side, yet the end result would be so simple. Maybe it's more difficult to explain a simple concept. Suzuki would begin each factor with a head-scratching phrase and then would proceed in describing it and explaining it in more depth. Eventually, through many various attempts, the ah-hah would reveal itself, much as a sculpture reveals itself after much chiseling. In repeated explanations about zazen, the simple method is to do whatever you do in the moment, without comparison or focus on an end result, the future, or the past. An analogy would be to exercise for exercise-sake, not to improve your health or build muscle. And do it every day without judgment. In other words, adopt the Nike slogan and "just do it." That's enlightenment. However, don't focus on enlightenment and don't do it to attain enlightenment or it's not true enlightenment and not true zazen. Get what I mean about complex yet simple??
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.
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!
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.
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.