Hey I'm Kyrin and I review books of all genres/styles but with an emphasis on those that have stood the test of time (i.e., not recent releases). Join me as I cover the basic details before diving into the themes, ideas and learnings we can take away from the fascinating realm of literature. Weekly live episode on Thurs 10am AEST (Wed/Thurs Midnight UTC+0) plus bonus episodes from my cohost Juan every now and then.
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episode 105: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shunryu Suzuki) - Book Review
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind' by Shunryu Suzuki is a musing on Zen Buddhism, enlightenment and meditation practice. Suzuki Roshi was a populariser of Zen in America and many regard this as one of the finest books on the topic. The core themes centre on the spiritual attainment of Buddha nature and the philosophy behind the practice of Zazen.
I summarised the book as follows. "It's a succinct, simple & simultaneously confusing read. It explains the central essence of Zen without all the tradition or religiosity. There are some practical tips for meditation (Zazen) but is more heavy on the spirituality and grand concept of embodied enlightenment that Zen tries to convey. Personally I felt it became a bit repetitive at times and would also say that this book is NOT for everyone, better to have read it with some grounding in Buddhism or the other eastern religions."
As always, I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the world. Kyrin out!
Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro & Synopsis
(2:24) - Buddha Nature: The already attained enlightenment within all
(4:43) - Zazen: The practice of non-practice
(7:29) - Personal Observations/Takeaways
(10:34) - Summary
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