Translated by Jun Akiyama, edited by Ginger Ikeda
When it comes to computers, peripherals and all the neat gadgets
that
are making their electronic way into our lives and hearts, anyone
who
doesn't have "shoshin" or "beginner's mind" is
out of luck. Even the
experts are on a continual learning curve. They may teach, lecture
and write books, but if they don't keep up with the ever-expanding
body of knowledge and creative applications, they quickly become
passe.
As I talk with people in these fields, the conversations are laced
with words like "exciting," "ramped up," "expansion," and "scale."
The enthusiasm is palpable. These people are clearly having a great
time learning new things. They can't wait to see what is coming
around the bend - or better yet, to have a crack at creating the
next
thing coming around the bend.
What about our world of martial arts? How can we achieve and sustain
this level of enthusiasm in our training? Just imagine how fast
we
all could grow if we always maintained shoshin, beginner's mind.
"Shoshin" refers to the spirit, mindset, and posture
that we have
when we first start learning something. Can you recall as a child
how
spellbound you were by a roly-poly? Or how fascinating ice was?
Or,
as a teen, how eagerly you mastered the controls of an automobile?
Do
you recall the thrill of accomplishment the first time you managed
a
breakfall?
In various disciplines in Japan, practitioners are advised, "Do
not
forget the spirit of shoshin." O Sensei directed those of
us in
aikido to "train with joyfulness." It is clear that he
understood the
nature of learning.
George Leonard sensei writes in his book Education and Ecstasy, "To
learn is to change." He further writes, "At its best,
its most
effective, its most unfettered, the moment of learning is a moment
of
delight."
When we start studying our chosen art, we often exhibit an
adventuresome spirit: "I'll go see anything," "I
want to learn that,"
"Let me try that," "How did that happen?" "I
want to hear what you
think." We mustn't lose these thoughts, though it does tend
to happen.
As we progress through the months and years of our practice, we
inevitably become knowledgeable within our pursuit, and our tendency
is often to lose the ability to hear what others have to say. In
other words, we start to become satisfied with ourselves. We lose
our
ability to see beyond ourselves, we shut out the new, and we stifle
our own growth. We become prisoners of the dreaded "C" word
---
complacency.
It is so easy for this to happen. We become sempai and feel a little
smug; we have X many years of training under our belts, so we're
pretty good; we become senior students and instructors with teaching
responsibilities and are expected to have answers. But if we don't
maintain shoshin, we will become jaded, and our growth will come
to a
halt. It is a sad thing.
By maintaining the ability to wonder, explore, listen to others,
and
to experiment, we are able to take in knowledge above and beyond
that
which we already have. Just by changing our mindset, the improvement
of our abilities beyond those we currently possess is inevitable.
When we encounter an idea that we think will help us improve,
we must
enlarge our spirit and listen to what we hear, for only then can
we
draw a conclusion as to whether it may be of value to us.
Shoshin is to have a mind like a sheet of crisp white paper, blank
and receptive to the ink of ideas. As the paper absorbs the ink,
miraculously the once blank paper is transformed into a letter
full
of meaning.
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