Noah Kodo Roen & Matthew Kozan Palevsky: Beginner’s Mind & The Heart of Zen Practice

For the beginning of a young adult sesshin, Sensei Kodo and Sensei Kozan speak on beginner’s mind and maintaining freshness in our practice. Sensei Kodo explores the meaning of “pure mind” from Shunryu Suzuki’s “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind” and reminds us that “the sky is not hindered by the clouds” – that our pure mind is not hindered by our thoughts. Our practice is not to get rid of thoughts, but to realize our limitless, original nature in the midst of the passing clouds. Sensei Kozan reminds us that seeking “beginner’s mind” can be a mistake in our practice. If sought after as a goal of practice, “beginner’s mind” becomes just another gaining idea that is bound to lead to frustration. To be a true beginner, we simply return to “just this”.