Shunryu Suzuki

“If your mind I empty, it is always ready for anything; it is open to everything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.” To me this means that if we go about the world with an open mind we will be more open to new ideas and ways of doing thing. However if we have an expert’s mind our own way will be the only way we will ever discover. By this I mean, if someone is try to tell us a new way to say skate board or trying to teach us a new trick and all we are thinking about is how our own way is better we will never learn all there is to learn, we will never be able to broaden our horizon so to speak. If you go into the world ready and willing to learn new things you will be able to understand the world and the people better. You will understand and appreciate that there is more than one way to do everything and that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Another good point made was that there is no “I” and the example given of breathing. “When your mind is pure and calm enough to follow this movement, there is nothing: no “I,” no world, no mind or body; just a swinging door.” This has to do with meditation and completely controlling your mind and concentrating on only the present which is breathing. And the only time you will ever have complete control over your mind and its thoughts is when your mind is clear of all thoughts and the only thing you see is the breath going in and out. I also like the use of the “swinging door” to describe how we are all tied to each other and to the world we live in. Because the breath that comes into us also goes out into the world and into everyone else all around the world. We all need it and we all depend on it.