Shunryu Suzuki

I really like how he talked about our minds being ready for anything. Too often people are close minded. Especially when it comes to religion. People are so defensive that they dont even wait to hear out the other side. The funny thing is that most religions are centered around similar ideas. I found it interesting when he said "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few." This is so true because a beginner has potential to advance while an expert supposedly knows all there is to know. I find this kind of funny because so many people think they are experts on things or strive to be...I know after reading this I would rather be a beginner and keep learning new things. It'll be a sad day when there is nothing else to learn...talk about boredom! haha
The section that talks about balance intrigued me. The idea that we are constantly off balance and changing was kind of hard for me to understand at first. But it totally makes sense now. I used to take gymnastics and my coach would always tell me when i was having a hard time "Its ok to feel off balance or like you are going to fall...that means you are doing it right" Well I never really got why he said that because I was so sure that tumbling should not make me feel uncomfortable or off balance. I thought that the whole point was to demonstrate balance. But the fact is that when your feet are above your head...you are going to feel off balance. Once you put your feet back on the ground your stable and in a new place than you were befpre. This same concept applys to life. You go through stages of change all the time and its ok to feel off balance because during those times you develop and grow.