Beginner's mind
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.
— Shunryu Suzuki
Meditation
How much do we need from the bunch of information we store in our minds? I refer here to the knowledge from the books and experts’ theories, the knowledge that describes the world and all its phenomena, and even the things that exist in our heads and hearts. When exactly do we need this knowledge? When is it useful? And when does it stop us from looking for the answers to the questions we make? When does it prevent us from asking questions at all?
I found the words of zen master, Shunryu Suzuki, in the book of Vanda Scaravelli.* Suzuki used to say that the real art is to keep the beginner’s mind, not to get enlightenment. His words helped me a lot to regain self-confidence, self-trust. In the Western culture the empty mind would be rather identified with a fool, not a master. What we know matters, because this is the world of Information (yes, the uppercase is needed here). The Information and the Knowledge help you to build your status. They let you to divide and rule. Who has the Information is one step ahead. Who is the expert, is respected and heard. The Information means the power and money. You can squeeze it like a lemon and make a profit. This approach can be seen even in such a subtle field like spiritual practice.
But zen is not from here. Zen is from this weird land where you can doubt and just say: I do not know. And not knowing means that you can take your private trip for knowledge.
When you replace the knowledge with an empty mind, you create space where new things can happen. You observe, accept, eliminate at your own speed. This is a big luxury in the modern world where every minute counts. The time you spend observing what is, in a free and open way, will be the most beautiful and the best investment. The knowledge that you gain in this way becomes an integral part of yourself, because it is a direct experience and the most honest work with your senses that you can do. And with senses you discover the world around. This knowledge will grow with you. It will evolve and change without the feeling that you loose something at the same time. If you fulfill your mind with a new, fresh observation every day, how can you loose anything?
*Scaravelli Vanda, Awakening the Spine.