The Beginner’s Mind 初心: 10 life-changing Japanese sayings
In the series of “10 Japanese sayings, 10 life lessons”, I would like to share a beautiful selection of Japanese sayings that may change life perspectives.
The Japanese saying today:
初心 Shoshin
The Beginner’s Mind
I have done this, achieved that, overcome all those obstacles. Sounds familiar? Another one. I am the expert, or rephrased into some sort of pretentious question: Are you the expert here?
Perhaps, we, the experts in whatever area, should start appreciating those beginners who hold no assumption with eyes and ears opened for every irrational but exciting opportunity despite the inevitable failure. Not necessarily the smartest, yet the curious minds often reside in the beginners, as opposed to those who know everything.
Shoshin (初心), literally the beginner’s mind, is not only attainable by the beginners though, but instead a mental state which can help veterans reset and open their senses like how a beginner does naturally.
While you can choose to enjoy the pride of knowing more, you can also pick the joy of judging less and imagining more. How to approach this state of mind, is not some heavy-lifting, but merely a willingness to change. Nonetheless not many people out there are willing to drop the pride which detains them in a walled cubicle, where only the past is echoed with every new stimulation blocked.
In other words, to attain the beginner’s mind, modesty is the first step. You are not that vulnerable; you don’t know it all, so what? It’s totally fine. Once you dropped the pretense, you may find a new perspective in looking at your same old business.
The same old business can range from the burnt out relationships, the mundane jobs, and ultimately, yourself. ‘As if every life encounter is like the first one’, as an old Chinese saying goes, the most beautiful moment is when you first meet that person whom you don’t know very well, yet the beauty vanishes when you decide you can read someone like a book. If you close your eyes now, can you tell how many lines are there on your right palm?
It’s hard to tell even if the palm is yours, let alone the hands of others; so hard even if we talk about visible signs, not to mention the invisible traits. There are always more pages you can uncover, as long as you are willing to spend the time and patience since we are always ignorant and never truly enlightened.
Let’s begin, again.
Dear readers, I am a true beginner. Your clapping and sharing will be the best motivation for me to go on.
Read my other posts in the same series:
Cut off, let go and leave behind 断捨離
Written by Rex Lam K.M.
Someone who tries hard to love the saddening life a little bit more, and happens to see the light through the lens of Japanese philosophy.
