Meanings
- uncountableZen BuddhismAn attitude of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even at an advanced level.
Shoshin is being open and enthusiastic to learn more and cultivate great humility in accepting what knowledge or skills are obtained. Shoshin is an attitude, a state of mind, and a perception that there is always so much more to learn.
2012, Phong Thong Dang, Lynn Seiser, Advanced Aikido, Tuttle Publishing, →ISBN1 more example
Shunryu Suzuki, the first Zen master to establish a Zen training monastery outside of Asia, describes the importance of meditation practice in order to live in the moment and achieve boundless compassion and shoshin, or beginner's mind.
1997, Kathleen A. Brehony, Awakening at Midlife
Origin
- Japanese初心“beginner's mind”
- Englishshoshin
Borrowed from Japanese 初心 (“beginner's mind”).
More words from Japanese
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
shoshin. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoshin
“shoshin.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoshin. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shoshin,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoshin.
Source: shoshin on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.