In the beginner’s mind there is no thought, “I have attained something.” All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind. When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something.
—Shunryū Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
Sometimes, once we learn something, we rush to assume it in our identity. The competitive nature of our societies reward those who do. People desire to get advice from people who identify as “experts” yet identifying as one doesn’t mean being the most knowledgeable.
According to Shunryū Suzuki, the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center, one of the seminal Buddhist places in the West, an expert’s mind is not desirable. It’s only when we have no thought of achievement that we are able to really learn something.
We see that in ourselves — or at least I do. Whenever I think highly of myself, I fail at my task, whether that is to solve a technical problem or communicate with someone. On the contrary, when there is no internal thought that I need to prove to myself and other people that I can achieve something, then I can achieve something.
Having a beginner’s mind is what Zen Buddhists call shoshin. With this concept and the above value statement in mind, we want to present to the world a new experimental learning co-operative, Shoshin College!
We are experimental because we are trying new things that might not work. We are co-operative because everyone participating has equal stake and equal say. And we are about learning.
We are also:
Universal. We embrace all domains and disciplines and invite everyone to teach and learn, regardless of background.
Inclusive. We believe in high quality work but also that anyone can do high quality work. We do not exclude people because of the quality of their work. We include them because we want them to improve.
In-person. There is tons of online learning material. What’s missing is humane interactions in a community of people.
Ever-fluctuating. We embrace iteration and invite change alongside experimentation and impermanence.
Unaccredited. We are trying something new and in order to explore it, we need not be tied down by the existing ways of how learning works today.
High-quality. We could succeed in starting a learning institution but what’s interesting is to make it high-quality and more importantly: higher quality than the current way of learning institutions.
Low-cost. Wealth inequality contributes to a decreasing average quality of life for the Western resident. We are not interested in adding to this.
If you feel aligned to the above ideas, subscribe as we announce our first classes for October 2024. We hope to see you in (at least) one of them :)