Shoshin Explained

Shoshin (Japanese: text=初心) is a concept from Zen Buddhism meaning beginner's mind. It refers to having an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying, even at an advanced level, just as a beginner would. The term is especially used in the study of Zen Buddhism and Japanese martial arts,[1] and was popularized outside of Japan by Shunryū Suzuki's 1970 book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.

The practice of shoshin acts as a counter to the hubris and closed-mindedness often associated with thinking of oneself as an expert.[2] This includes the Einstellung effect, where a person becomes so accustomed to a certain way of doing things that they do not consider or acknowledge new ideas or approaches.[3] The word shoshin is a combination of sho (Japanese: text=初|links=no), meaning "beginner" or "initial", and shin (Japanese: text=心|links=no), meaning "mind".[4]

History

The concept was taught in the thirteenth century by Dōgen Zenji, the founder of the Sōtō Zen school of Buddhism. Shoshin is discussed in his collected works, the Shōbōgenzō.[5] [6] Shoshin was popularized outside of Japan by the 1970 book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryū Suzuki, a Zen teacher. Suzuki outlines the framework behind shoshin, noting that "in the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few"[7] which has become a popular quote when discussing shoshin.

Shoshin wasuru bekarazu (or sometimes variously Shoshin wo wasuru bekarazu[8]) is a Japanese proverb about shoshin coined by Japanese playwright Zeami in 1424.[9] The phrase is typically translated into English as some variation of "never forget the beginner's mind"[10] or "never forget your original intent" and persists as a common proverb amongst practitioners of Budō and in Japanese business and entrepreneurship.[11] The concept of shoshin is seen in works such as the eighteenth century book Budôshoshinshû by Daidōji Yūzan, which is a collection of works about Bushidō and the warrior class in Tokugawa-period Japan.[12] The word shoshin within the title refers to the concept of the beginner's mind.[13]

Other uses

The concept of shoshin is used in the art of Japanese calligraphy in the context of Zen, where each stroke is made as though the calligrapher were a beginner to the art. In Japanese calligraphy shoshin is not an aesthetic choice, but rather a state of mind of the practitioner, one that addresses and counters the paradox within calligraphy where the more one practices, the more the quality of the calligraphy may suffer.[14]

Shoshin is described as the first of the states of mind or stages of Budō.[15] Shoshin (beginner's mind) is followed by Mushin (empty mind), Fudōshin (immovable mind), and Zanshin (remaining mind).[16] A fifth state is sometimes also added as Senshin (enlightened mind).[17] In Budō the practitioner is advised to retain shoshin throughout their training and practice of the martial arts; it is not reserved only for those beginning to practice but is maintained even when reaching the higher levels of mastery. Shoshin-sha is a term used in martial arts to indicate a novice.

Shoshin is an influence on the Japanese Metabolism style of architecture, which incorporates concepts from Zen Buddhism and other Asian philosophical traditions into the architectural process and allows those concepts to help shape the design process.[18] Many businesses and people who work in the field of business have adopted or advocate for practicing the concept of shoshin in the business environment,[19] [20] [21] including top executives such as Apple Inc.'s founder and CEO Steve Jobs, and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.[22] It is also used or proposed as a way of general living[23] or a way to approach specific fields of life including social work,[24] medical care,[25] teaching,[26] computer programming,[27] gardening,[28] sports,[29] and dealing with chronic diseases such as phenylketonuria.[30]

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=mqTP18US1asC&pg=PA656 Shoshin
  2. News: Jarrett . Christian . May 18, 2020 . How to foster 'shoshin' . . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220513021223/https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-cultivate-shoshin-or-a-beginners-mind . May 13, 2022.
  3. News: Skillicorn . Nick . December 14, 2021 . Shoshin: The Beginner's Mind . IdeaToValue.com . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211214161030/https://www.ideatovalue.com/insp/nickskillicorn/2021/12/shoshin-the-beginners-mind/ . December 14, 2021.
  4. News: Ray . Debika . March 7, 2017 . Word: Shoshin . . live . August 28, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210405014544/https://www.kinfolk.com/word-shoshin/ . April 5, 2021.
  5. Book: Dōgen . Master Dogen's Shobogenzo Book 2 . 1996 . Windbell Publications . 1-4196-3820-3 . 103 . Nishijima . Gudo . 141383090 . September 12, 2022 . Cross . Chodo . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022906/https://www.worldcat.org/title/63205823 . September 12, 2022 . live.
  6. Book: Dōgen . Master Dogen's Shobogenzo Book 4 . 1999 . Windbell Publications . 1-4196-3821-1 . 31 . Nishijima . Gudo . 141383090 . September 12, 2022 . Cross . Chodo . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022908/https://www.worldcat.org/title/141383090 . September 12, 2022 . live.
  7. Book: Suzuki, Shunryū . Zen mind, beginner's mind . . 1970 . 0-8348-0079-9 . First . New York . 136259 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022946/https://www.worldcat.org/title/136259 . September 12, 2022 . live.
  8. Book: Zeami . Zeami, performance notes . 2008 . . 978-0-231-13958-8 . New York . 467 . Hare . Tom . 171613927 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022911/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Zeami/EQVyBD7__74C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Shoshin+wasuru+bekarazu+zeami&pg=PA467&printsec=frontcover . September 12, 2022 . live.
  9. Web site: A Mirror Held to the Flower (1424) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022916/https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/play_analysis/zeami_motokiyo.htm . September 12, 2022 . September 10, 2022 . University of Idaho.
  10. Book: Shimabukuro, Masayuki . Karate As the Art of Killing A Study of Its Deadly Origins, Ideology of Peace, and the Techniques of Shito-Ry U. . 2022 . North Atlantic Books . 978-1-62317-662-4 . New York . 76 . 1317333110 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022925/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Karate_as_the_Art_of_Killing/nSk_EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 . September 12, 2022 . live.
  11. Book: Shimazaki, H. T. . Vision in Japanese Entrepreneurship : the Evolution of a Security Enterprise. . 2018 . . 978-0-429-78768-3 . Milton . 1064824441 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022920/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Vision_in_Japanese_Entrepreneurship/Mfl0DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 . September 12, 2022 . live.
  12. Web site: Budôshoshinshû by Daidôji Yûzan . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170716164712/http://www.columbia.edu/~hds2/chushinguranew/Bushido/budo-shoshinshu.htm . July 16, 2017 . September 10, 2022 . Columbia University.
  13. Book: Cleary, Thomas . Code of the Samurai : a Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke. . 2011 . . 978-1-4629-0042-8 . New York . 741492431 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022944/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Code_of_the_Samurai/UPfPAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 . September 12, 2022 . live.
  14. Book: Davey, H. E. . The Japanese way of the artist . 2007 . . 978-1-61172-538-4 . Berkeley, CA . 795120022 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912022947/https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Japanese_Way_of_the_Artist/IVbL90kN2DsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=shoshin . September 12, 2022 . live.
  15. Chiba . T.K. . 1989 . Structure of Shu, Ha, Ri, and Penetration of Shoshin . dead . Sansho . 6 . 2 . https://web.archive.org/web/20030219063843/http://www.aikidoonline.com/Archives/2001/mar/feat_0301_tkc.html . February 19, 2003 . September 11, 2022.
  16. Web site: Sorkun . Murat Cihan . June 23, 2019 . States Of Mind In Budo: Shoshin, Mushin, Fudoshin, And Zanshin . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211028085536/https://www.eindhovenaikido.com/states-of-mind-in-budo-shosin-mushin-fudoshin-and-zanshin/ . October 28, 2021 . September 11, 2022 . Eindhoven Aikido College.
  17. Web site: Sanders . Bodhi . December 30, 2015 . Bushido – The Five Spirits of Budo . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160513025914/http://thewisdomwarrior.com/2015/12/30/bushido-the-five-spirits-of-budo/ . May 13, 2016 . September 11, 2022 . TheWisdomWarrior.com.
  18. Book: Steele, James . Contemporary Japanese architecture : tracing the next generation . 2017 . . 978-1-138-94124-3 . London . 98 . 956633931 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912023013/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Contemporary_Japanese_Architecture/6C0lDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 . September 12, 2022 . live.
  19. News: Wesolowski . Sébastien . November 30, 2021 . Shoshin and the power of being an eternal beginner in the workplace . Welcome to the Jungle . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211202071600/https://www.welcometothejungle.com/en/articles/shoshin-power-eternal-beginner . December 2, 2021.
  20. News: Jalona . Sanjay . How The Shoshin Approach To Business Can Spur Innovative Solutions . . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211016013854/https://chiefexecutive.net/shoshin-approach-business-can-spur-innovative-solutions/ . October 16, 2021.
  21. News: McNeilly . Mark . May 1, 2013 . How Your Own Expertise Is Holding You Back . . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210118150319/https://www.fastcompany.com/3009020/how-your-own-expertise-is-holding-you-back . January 18, 2021.
  22. News: Linecker . Adelia Cellini . April 24, 2020 . Practice Beginner's Mind To Unlock Breakthrough Ideas . . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220405123009/https://www.investors.com/news/management/leaders-and-success/beginners-mind-unlock-innovative-solutions/ . April 5, 2022.
  23. News: Balasubramanian . Saumya . February 2, 2019 . The art and charm of shoshin . . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201108040031/https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/the-art-and-charm-of-shoshin/article26162281.ece . November 8, 2020.
  24. Soule . Jennifer . 2014 . Beginner's Mind . live . Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping . 13 . 2 . 50–55 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210416104809/https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/993 . April 16, 2021 . September 12, 2022.
  25. Younie . Louise . November 2, 2017 . Beginner's mind . London Journal of Primary Care . en . 9 . 6 . 83–85 . 10.1080/17571472.2017.1370768 . 1757-1472 . 5694793 . 29181090 .
  26. Kochhar-Lindgren . Gary . 2001 . Beginner's Mind: Opening the Open in the Classroom . Pedagogy . 1 . 2 . 410–415. 10.1215/15314200-1-2-410 . 144031049 .
  27. Book: Belshee, A. . Agile Development Conference (ADC'05) . Promiscuous pairing and beginner's mind: Embrace inexperience [agile programming] . 2005 . https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1609811 . live . Denver, CO, USA . IEEE Comput. Soc . 125–131 . 10.1109/ADC.2005.37 . 978-0-7695-2487-0 . 1536146 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220704055659/http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1609811/ . July 4, 2022 . September 12, 2022.
  28. News: Gander . Kashmira . April 8, 2019 . What Is the Shoshin Approach? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Zen Gardening Post Prompts Mostly Positive Response—For a Change . . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201121062731/https://www.newsweek.com/shoshin-approach-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-zen-gardening-post-1388516 . November 21, 2020.
  29. News: Whiting . Kate . October 30, 2019 . This Japanese concept will help you see the world – and learn – in a different way . . live . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220608201419/https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/japan-beginner-learning-shoshin . June 8, 2022.
  30. Web site: Murphy . Brian . February 25, 2021 . Shoshin and Phenylketonuria . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211026113544/https://phenylketonurianews.com/2021/02/25/shoshin-phenylketonuria/ . October 26, 2021 . September 11, 2022 . Phenylketonuria News.

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