Beginner's Mind (Japanese 初心 or shoshin) is a concept from Zen Buddhism. It means it's better to have an attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of expectations or preconceptions when practicing meditation and exploring Dharma. Even at an advanced level, approach Truth as a beginner would.
Beginner's Mind is especially used in the study of Zen Buddhism and Japanese martial arts [1]. It became popular outside Japan because of Shunryū Suzuki's book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
The practice of shoshin acts as a counter to the hubris and closed-mindedness often associated with thinking of oneself as an adept or expert [2].
When we let ourselves think we know everything, we leave no room for surprises, but reality is full of surprises.
For example, in the Einstellung Effect, a person becomes so accustomed to a certain way of doing things that s/he does not consider or acknowledge new ideas or approaches [3], such as thinking outside the box. Like let's say someone asks you, "Who are YOU?"
One more TikTok, hookup, sext, hit of dopamine
"I'm me," you say. Then this exchange takes place:
"You're not who you think you are."
"I'm who other people think I am."
"No, you're not even that."
"But, but, what else is there? If I'm not who I think I am, and I'm not who others think I am, do I just not exist?"
"No, you are who you think others think you are."
"Oh, yeah, because we're social creatures, right? There's always that [performative] factor of being watched, even if we only think we're being watched."
"Something like that."
"Ah, what do you know?"
"Hey, at least I got you to think outside the box, realize it's not binary -- a this or that, thesis or antithesis. There's often a synthesis, an interaction, a third or fourth option not thought of within the confines of the assumptions surrounding the question."
"Oh, yeah, huh?"
"Monkey."
The word shoshin combines sho (Japanese 初, "beginner" or "initial") and shin (Japanese 心, "mind" or "heart") [4], which is not necessarily the brain but the intuition, knowing, heart, or the ability to discern. More
Valentine's Day (aka Saint Valentine's Day, Feast of St. Valentine [1]) is celebrated annually on February 14th [2].
This celebration of going from Lust to Love like the Go Go's, it originated as a Christian feast day honoring a martyr named Valentine, and through later folk traditions it has also become a significant cultural, religious and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world [3, 4].
Cupid is Mara and Kama
There are a number of martyrdom stories associated with various Saint Valentines connected to February 14th [5], including an account of the imprisonment of Saint Valentine of Rome for ministering to Christians persecuted under the Roman Empire in the third century [6, 7].
According to an early tradition, Saint Valentine restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer [8]. Numerous later additions to the legend have better related it to the theme of love: Tradition maintains that Saint Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry by the Roman emperor [7]. An 18th-century embellishment to the legend claims he wrote the jailer's daughter a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell before his execution [9].
Will consumers buy cheap cards?
The 8th-century Gelasian Sacramentary recorded the celebration of the Feast of Saint Valentine on February 14th [10, 11]. The day became associated with romantic love in the 14th and 15th centuries, when notions of courtly love flourished, apparently by association with the "lovebirds" of early spring.
In 18th-century England, it grew into an occasion for couples to express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid [who acts like the India god Kama, Greek Eros and Aphrodite, Roman Venus, and Buddhist Mara].
No sex please. We're Ameboids 'n Gatchularians
In the 19th century, handmade cards gave way to mass-produced greetings [12] thanks to capitalism. In Italy, Saint Valentine's keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol and an invitation to unlock the giver's heart" as well as to children to ward off epileptic fits (called Saint Valentine's Malady) [13], which could be thought of as an overwrought lover's obsessive mania, like St. Vitus' Dance. More
Weed Psychosis is exploding in America (but nobody warned us)
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts
(African Diaspora News Channel) Feb. 10, 2026: Rosemarie Havsom reports: Marijuana (from the Chinese mahua,* not Spanish "Mary Jane," weed, pot, the Devil's cabbage, cannabis, THC/CBD) is being sold as “safe,” “natural,” and “harmless” — but emergency rooms across America are seeing a disturbing surge in weed-induced psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, schizophrenia and violent breaks from reality. This isn’t about old-school [2% THC] weed. Today’s high-THC products are 10–30x stronger than what past generations used — and the brain is paying the price.
*According to our botany and plant medicine teacher, USC's Dr. Adams, who is fluent in Chinese and whose wife is Chinese, our word "ma-rijuana" (potent strain of hemp) comes from the Chinese word ma, including mahua (麻花), mafen (麻蕡), and mabo (麻勃), referring to specific parts of the male and female flowers of a cannabis plant with differing cannabinoid ratios. More
Don't smoke drugs, Kids, because according to good Dr. Gabor Mate if one has early childhood traumas, one will become addicted to its use and abuse.
This video segment was produced by the African Diaspora News Channel team. All content is human-generated and delivered. Connect with Rosemarie: @havsom
(Asangoham) Oct. 15, 2025: Real "awakening" [Buddhist enlightenment, bodhi] does something extraordinary and, no, it doesn't wipe out our personality or
turn us into some kind of blissed-out zombie.
The ego doesn't get annihilated; it just stops running the
show. What we thought was solid and separate turns out to have been flowing and connected all
along.
When we see this clearly, we don’t have to work to get compassion. It just starts
happening.
Regular compassion usually works from a sense of distance: I feel bad for you, I want to help
you, I'll make sacrifices for you. This kind of caring matters enormously.
However, when the
fence between "me" and "you" becomes see-through, compassion flows without anyone directing
traffic. It's just compassion moving through whatever's happening, taking care of what needs
taking care of.
The Christian New Testament captures this perfectly: "Love is patient, love is kind. It doesn't envy, doesn't
boast, isn't proud. It doesn't dishonor others, isn't self-seeking.”
It’s basically describing what
love looks like when the ego stops trying to manage it.
Similarly, the Gita says: "The wise see with equal vision a learned priest, a cow, an elephant, a
dog, and an outcast." It's what we see when we recognize the same consciousness
showing up everywhere.
Explore the thin line between spiritual enlightenment and psychological dissociation in this deep dive into consciousness, control, and awakening [breaking free].
This video examines how genuine spiritual liberation differs fundamentally from trauma-induced dissociation and why understanding this distinction matters more than ever.
Discover the hidden mechanisms of social control through psychological operations, quiet warfare, from declassified documents to modern cult tactics.
Learn how spiritual communities can become vehicles for manipulation and how to distinguish authentic teachers from those who exploit vulnerability.
Topics explored:
✦ Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars: Economic and psychological control systems
✦ MK-Ultra and the engineering of dissociative states
✦ Cult case studies: Aum Shinrikyo, NXIVM, and their manipulation tactics
✦ Enlightenment vs. psychopathy: Understanding emotional detachment
✦ DPDR (depersonalization-derealization) as enlightenment's shadow side (#DPDR) ✦ How genuine awakening generates natural compassion
✦ Zen Buddhism, Bhagavad Gita, and the Dhammapada teachings on presence [mindfulness] ✦ Red flags in spiritual communities and teacher-student relationships
✦ Protecting yourself from manipulation while pursuing genuine growth.
This video draws from Buddhist psychology (Abhidhamma), Vedic philosophy, documented cult cases, and modern neuroscience to illuminate the crucial differences between liberation and dissociation.
Whether one is on a spiritual path or simply interested in understanding consciousness and control, this exploration offers practical wisdom for maintaining psychological sovereignty.
Script: Sid. Edit: Joana Riza Dela Cruz.
Voiceover: Rohit Dave.
Original Score: @asangvani
DISCLAIMER 01: All ideas expressed on this channel are for entertainment and general information purposes only. There is no advice on what an individual should or should not do. Any response made by anyone after hearing this communication is his/her interpretation and is his/her responsibility. Ideas expressed by this channel should not be treated as a substitute for medical advice or professional help. If expert assistance or counselling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
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"Explores how industry has manipulated our most deep-seated survival instincts."
—David Perlmutter, MD, author, #1 New York Times bestseller, Grain Brain and Brain Maker
The New York Times–bestselling author of Fat Chance reveals the corporate scheme to sell pleasure, driving the international epidemic of addiction, depression, and chronic disease.
While researching the toxic and addictive properties of sugar for his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance, Dr. Robert Lustig made an alarming discovery—our pursuit of happiness is being subverted by a culture of addiction and depression from which we may never recover.
Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more; yet every substance or behavior that releases dopamine in the extreme leads to addiction.
Serotonin is the “contentment” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we don’t need any more; yet its deficiency leads to depression.
Ideally, both are in optimal supply. But dopamine evolved to overwhelm serotonin—because our ancestors were more likely to survive if they were constantly motivated—with the result that constant desire can chemically destroy our ability to feel happiness, while sending us down the slippery slope to addiction.
Extraterrestrial mystery above Cusco found? - What are these ancient handbags?
In the last 40 years, government legislation and subsidies have promoted ever-available temptation (sugar, drugs, social media, porn) combined with constant stress (work, home, money, Internet), with the end result of an unprecedented epidemic of addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease.
And with the advent of neuromarketing, corporate America has successfully imprisoned us in an endless loop of desire and consumption from which there is no obvious escape. More
(Psyfluence) July 12, 2025: Let's explore the deep crisis affecting our mind and society in the Digital Age. We live trapped in a world overwhelmed by distractions, superficiality, and mass consumption of empty content that dulls our consciousness and weakens our ability to think deeply.
We talk about the silent collapse of the modern mind, a reality where truth is shaped by algorithms, noise replaces reflection, and mediocrity is celebrated as freedom and authenticity.
Did you know this generation is being educated to obey without questioning? We are being trapped in a sweet servitude full of filters, likes, and digitally-induced dopamine addiction. But not all is lost.
There are those who resist, who seek lucidity and depth amid the filth. If you feel something inside you refuses to settle for superficiality and constant noise, this video is for you.
Join the conversation, awaken consciousness, and learn why in a world full of mental trash and why thinking has become a revolutionary act.
Remember. Don’t forget. Subscribe, like, and share so more people can open their eyes and start rebuilding authentic thought.
What is the FAT founder of world's third largest religion (when the 1 billion uncounted Buddhists in communist, and therefore officially atheist, Buddhists are counted) in the world going to teach us about being fit? The fact is the popular depiction of "Fat Happy Buddha" is not the historical Buddha Shakyamuni (born Prince Siddhartha Gautama) but rather a monk (now elevated to bodhisattva) named Budai (also Putai, Hotei), a Chinese monk with a big sack of candy for children, a luck-bringing jolly fellow very reminiscent of the West's Santa Claus.
Fat on a slippery wet diving board
ABOUT: Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, is professor of medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the founder and director of its renowned Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Clinic. His clinic was featured in 1993 in the public television series Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers. Jon Kabat-Zinn is the author of 15 books, in print in over 45 languages. These include Full Catastrophe Living; Wherever You Go, There You Are; Coming to Our Senses; and Mindfulness for Beginners.
We look forward to National Chocolate with Almonds Day when it pops up on our calendar every July 8 (NATIONAL CHOCOLATE WITH ALMONDS DAY, July 8, 2025) and we celebrate one of the world’s most popular confections.
We at NT confess, this national day is not just another day we circle on our calendar. We also add this one to our to-do list for today so we don’t miss out. We know we really don’t need a special day on the calendar to indulge in one of our favorite guilty pleasures.
Mexico invented chocolate (Aztec Codex)
But doesn’t having a day on the calendar to celebrate such a heavenly confection help negate the guilty part of a guilty pleasure? We think so.
Today, we are indulging unashamedly because chocolate [Theobroma cacao fruit seeds or nibs] and almonds are incredibly satisfying. This makes us wonder if the reason we crave chocolate with almonds and find the combination so satisfying is because our bodies know what is good for us [like the "gods" or theo knew, presumably because they were advanced alien life forms looking for high antioxidant foods].
[Dark] Chocolate and almonds both are separately documented to have heart health benefits. More
He waddled around his kingdom, belly swollen, feet sore, short of breath. One day, after eating a bucket of rich, royal food, he found the Buddha and sat beside him, panting like a sweaty mess.
Rich foods are royal. Healthy foods are priceless
The Buddha gently commented, "When one stays mindful, one will know how much one has eaten and what amount is enough. Then all of that person's afflictions will become slender and one will age gently and protect one's life."
A Brahmin youth from the king's retinue was standing nearby. King Pasenadi instructed him to memorize the Buddha's words and recite them whenever the king was about to eat.
As soon as King Pasenadi learned to pay bare attention to his eating -- to savor it and remain aware of chewing and tasting and swallowing it -- he was able to delight in a single cup of rice.
[So as not to body shame the royal, let's just say he was voluptuous, zoftig, big boned, had a glandular condition, metabolic syndrome, was prediabetic, loved flying his freak flag and doing his own thing, had too much plastic xenoestrogen in his body and brain from the environment, ate too much, and had poor impulse control from early traumatic childhood events that made his regulation of dopamine a challenge.]
Hollywood diet craze: candy (Food Network)
NATIONAL STRAWBERRY DAY (Feb. 27th) adds an extra aphrodisiac to the American "month of love." Devilishly sweet, delightfully low in calories, strawberries (which are not really berries though avocados are) are the perfect food to feel naughty and nice at the same time. Grown both around the U.S. and around the world almost year-round, we’re never far from a supplier of this tasty tongue-tickler to celebrate!
It's also FAT THURSDAY, International Polar Bear Day, Protein Day, Pasty Day, World NGO Day, The Big Breakfast Day, Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, No Brainer Day, Retro Day, Chili Day, National Toast Day...
In the Dahara Sutta, SN 3.1, King Pasenadi hints that the Buddha is too young, so young in fact that, compared to other prominent teachers, he must not yet be fully enlightened.
The Buddha explains to the king that there are four things in the world that must not be taken lightly on account of their youth:
a noble,
a snake,
a fire,
a holy person.
It was this discourse (S.i.68f.) that resulted in the conversion of King Pasenadi, which Mahayana refers to as the Kumāradrstānta Sutra (Rockhill: p.49):
Youth Sutra: Too Young?
Ven. Sujato (trans), Dahara Sutta (SN 3.1), suttacentral.net edited by Wisdom Quarterly
Thus have I heard. Once when the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, in Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery, King Pasenadi of Kosala arrived and exchanged pleasant greetings with him.
When their greetings and polite conversation were over, the king sat respectfully to one side and said to the Buddha: “Does the worthy Gotama claim to have awakened to supreme enlightenment?”
“If anyone should rightly say of someone that he has awakened to supreme enlightenment, it is of me that one should say it. For, great king, I have awakened to supremely perfect enlightenment.”
The king replied, “There are those wandering ascetics and [temple-bound] Brahmin priests who lead a monastic order and spiritual community (sangha) and tutor that community. They are well-known, famous founders of religions (dharmas), deemed enlightened (holy) by many, such as:
“I also asked them whether they claimed to have awakened to supreme and perfect enlightenment, but they made no such claim. So why do you, given that you are so young and only [relatively] recently gone forth [into the left home life of a wandering sannyasin]?”
“Great king, these four should not be looked down upon nor disparaged because they are young:
When this was said, King Pasenadi of Kosala exclaimed:
I've got my eye on you, Little Fire
“Excellent, sir, excellent! As if one were righting what was overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to one who was lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with eyes could see what is there. Just so the Buddha has made the Teaching clear in many ways. I go for guidance to the Buddha, to the Teaching (Dhamma), and to the [noble] Saṅgha. From this day forward, may the Buddha remember me as a lay follower who has gone for guidance as long as life lasts.”
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