Shoshin - The Mind and Spirit of a Beginner

We were in for a long day.

In the hot summer months we affectionately called our little place the “Dutch Oven Dojo.” But this was an early June morning, and the air was already so steamy you could cut it with a bokken. Just suiting up for keiko induced a full sweat.

Sensei was visiting for a ten day stay, and this was the first day of the first weekend of (kenjutsu) training. There were guests from outside the ryu attending, along with a cadre of aikijutsu juniors. And so, he began as if we were all brand new students. I sensed opportunity and immediately seized it.

I went to the front of the dojo, my back to my students and visitors—there were other senior instructors on-hand to mingle and help. I was going to be a visitor today—a brand new student. After 20 odd years of keiko with this man and his art, I was ready to let go of everything I thought I knew.

It was pure kihon (fundamentals): how you grip the sword, how you stand, kiri-oroshi—the basic downward cut. Then, Nissoku-suburi: step left, inhale and raise the sword—step right, exhale and cut down. Sword up—sword down. Breathe and cut. Our “bread and butter.”

By late morning, three sessions in and soaked to the bone, I was no longer the same person—I  was no longer a man cutting with a sword. I became THE CUT. An invisible gate had opened, and I bolted through. The art that I had been studying and teaching for decades was transformed. I tried to convey it in words to Sensei, but he just lowered his eyelids, half-smiled, and nodded. There are no adequate words when crossing these thresholds, but there is one for the condition which allows for it to happen…

Shoshin: Beginner’s Mind (初心)

The concept of shoshin is to approach one’s studies with a childlike innocence and enthusiasm, as if seeing and learning something for the very first time. It is to let go of all preconception and illusion, returning to the empty vessel you were as a very beginner. Shoshin allows the most senior and experienced practitioner to find endless new levels of detail—to be open and enthusiastic toward that which has already been seen and done.

The sho (初) of shoshin refers to the original, or beginning-mind/spirit/heart (心) of the deshi. Note that the feeling is one of returning to something. But sho is also used in a way that indicates an active onset or commencement. Shohatsuto (初発刀) “cutting at the onset,” is the first kata taught in many iaido ryu. There is also the sho of shodan (初段),  in this instance giving the indication of being the quantitative first or initial step of something. (Using the second interpretation of sho when considering shodan gives the rank a subtly different feeling, which I prefer.)

Earliest references of shoshin are found in the 13th century teachings of Dogen Zenji, founder of the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. Shoshin was a favorite expression of his, and featured prominently in his philosophy and writings.

Shinryu Suzuki Roshi took the concept from the zendo and into the public with the seminal book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. (If this book does not occupy a space in your martial arts library, it certainly should.)  His often referenced quote expresses the essence of shoshin succinctly:

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."

Shoshinsha 初心者: The beginner

For the budo beginner, Suzuki’s “many possibilities” appear as an enormous mountain of material to learn. You ask, “If I am to become a useful deshi to my sensei, and a functional training partner for my sempai, shouldn’t I be eager to get started on this stuff? Don’t I need to learn x, y, and z technique or kata for my next kyu exam? Is having this desire at odds with this concept of shoshin?”

Not at all; here’s why…

Your sensei and the ryu or organization he/she has agreed to teach you, has your immediate future well thought out and planned. Go ahead, be hungry and aggressive and learn as much as you can, as quickly as you can. Your seniors will govern the process, keeping you safely on track. Trust me, they would rather have to slow you down than have to pull you up the hill at every turn.

So then beginners don’t need to consider shoshin? Wrong. You certainly need to consider it, and the time is ima—NOW!

You are starting your budo journey with what you believe to be an empty cup. You are excited and ready for every drop that your sensei will pour into it. But what about those things you already know so well? You’ve been walking and breathing all of your life; I’ll bet you have that mastered, right? Well, I’ll bet your sensei doesn’t think you do.

I do not know of any traditional budo that doesn’t have very  particular ways of walking, moving and breathing—often several different ways for different situations. You are going to have to utilize shoshin to put aside your long, preconditioned assumptions and learn to walk and breathe anew. It will be harder than you think. There are also cultural considerations which will require fresh eyes and ears.

As westerners, we are accustomed to auditory learning environments—asking questions and having things explained as we need.  This is often not the case in a traditional dojo; learning is visual and physical. Sensei demonstrates a technique—if you are fortunate, maybe two or three times—then you practice what you think you saw. Excessive talking is not welcome, and often not tolerated.

You must also carefully observe your dojo’s etiquette (reishiki). There are subtleties and nuance that may not be explained. Your willingness and openness to grasp and assimilate these formalities can make an incredible difference in how you are perceived as a deshi.

For the “Experts”

“You should study not only that you become a mother when your child is born, but also that you become a child.” Dogen

My opening example of shoshin-in-action came to me as a senior instructor. There were many other smaller instances that preceded it, and many more that followed. I continue to do my keiko and shugyo for those moments of discovery—those instances of touching the void—and I continue because I want my students to be able to do the same.

For an instructor, the most important way to implement shoshin is through empathy. It’s your job to make each student progress, and to do this, you have to be able to see things through their eyes, and feel things through their bodies. It’s your job to get the lessons into their bones, and that often means finding the unique approach that finally makes that light come on for each one of them. If you do it with shoshin, you will get even more out of it than you put in. You will learn new and amazing things about the things you were sure you already knew.

Embracing shoshin takes the “many possibilities,” and allows for endless possibilities. That is exactly what makes something a budo, and not just another martial art.

The End