Zen Mind, Beginner's MindZen Mind, Beginner's Mind

Zen mind is one of those enigmatic phrases used by Zen teachers to throw you back upon yourself, to make you go behind the words them selves and begin wondering. "I know what my own mind is, you tell yourself, "but what is Zen mind?" And then: "But do I really know what my own mind is? Is it what I am doing now? Is it what I am thinking now? And if you should then try to sit physically still for a while to see if you can discover just what your mind is, to see if you can locate it-then you have begun the practice of Zen, then you have begun to realize the unrestricted mind. The innocence of this first inquiry-just asking what you are is beginner's mind. The mind of the beginner is needed throughout Zen practice. It is the open mind, the attitude that includes both doubt and possibility, the ability to see things always as fresh and new. It is needed in all aspects of life. Beginner's mind is the practice of Zen mind.