Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
by Shunryu Suzuki, Trudy Dixon, Huston Smith, Richard Baker
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki, Trudy Dixon, Huston Smith, Richard Baker holds a highly rated rating of 4.23 out of 5, based on 24.5K reader ratings. First published in 1970. The book spans 138 pages.
About Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few.” So begins this most beloved of all American Zen books. Seldom has such a small handful of words provided a teaching as rich as has this famous opening line. In a single stroke, the simple sentence cuts through the pervasive tendency students have of getting so close to Zen as to completely miss what it’s all about. An instant teaching on the first page. And that’s just the beginning.In the forty years since its original publication, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind has become one of the great modern Zen classics, much beloved, much reread, and much recommended as the best first book to read on Zen. Suzuki Roshi presents the basics—from the details of posture and breathing in zazen to the perception of nonduality—in a way that is not only remarkably clear, but that also resonates with the joy of insight from the first to the last page. It’s a book to come back to time and time again as an inspiration to practice, and it is now available to a new generation of seekers in this fortieth anniversary edition, with a new afterword by Shunryu Suzuki’s biographer, David Chadwick.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Shunryu Suzuki, Trudy Dixon, Huston Smith, Richard Baker |
| Published | 1970 |
| Pages | 138 |
| Genres | Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Non-Fiction, Self-Help |
| Average Rating | 4.23 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 24,481 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice?
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice is categorized as Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality, Non-Fiction. Its primary genre classification is Classics.
Is Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice worth reading?
Based on 24.5K reader ratings, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice has an average score of 4.23 out of 5.00, which is considered "Highly Rated."
How many pages is Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice?
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice has 138 pages. It is a relatively quick read.
Who wrote Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice?
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice was written by Shunryu Suzuki, Trudy Dixon, Huston Smith, Richard Baker. It was first published in 1970.
What is the ISBN for Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice?
The ISBN-13 for Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice is 9780834800790.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
