It is with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.
-Antoine De Saint-Exupery
We are afraid of the unknown. The invisible, like a cold chill, makes us feel frightened because we can't see it coming. It spawns distraction and doubt. But if we live our lives with an expectation that we must be constantly learning, trying new things, investigating the world around us- we will feel more at ease with uncertainty. "Live life like an experiment" -Trungpa Rinpoche. If we accept the hypothesis of viability, maybe our variables will lessen.
"In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."
-Zen Master Suzuki Roshi
The beginner's mind seems like an insult to some, "What do you mean I am a beginner? Are you saying I am ignorant?" I have heard people say. It is not at all. To me it means a curious mind. A magical and spontaneous mind. An open-minded spirit. If we stay inquisitive and investigative we stay within the world of experimentation and discovery. I try to learn something new every day. To see things differently. To approach a problem from a new angle. This way my mind stays a beginners mind always.
Minds may become specialists somethings and generalists at others, but if we keep our minds in the realm of beginner- we can always see the world as something static and fluid. Ever changing. This is a place that scares many of us. We like to have things visible and at times predictable.
Yet, learning is never predictable. Life is never predictable. If it is, we need to see it more as an experiment. If we do, we can hypothesize, gather evidence, problem-solve- and ultimately, continue to see the world as a giant laboratory. A huge, flexible workshop. Then it will become our playground- and this is less scary isn't it?
No comments:
Post a Comment