Sunday, February 10, 2008

Daily Dharma: Beginningness


Today's Daily Dharma from Tricycle:

Beginningness

Most people think of enlightenment as a kind of magical attainment, a state of being close to perfection. At this level, one can perform amazing feats, see past and future lives of others, and tune in to the inner workings of the universe. This may be possible for a number of special beings, but for most of us enlightenment is much more in line with what Suzuki Roshi describes. It means having a quality of "beginningness," a fresh, simple, unsophisticated view of things. To have "beginner's mind" in how we approach things is a major teaching. In many ways, the process of enlightenment is clearing away the thoughts, beliefs, and ideas that cloud our ability to see things as they really are in their pristine form.

- David A. Cooper, Silence, Simplicity and Solitude; from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book.


1 comment:

isabella mori said...

thank you for posting this, william. it's so important to remember this - and on the other hand, people who have not been exposed much to buddhism, they often find this quite baffling ...