Making mushim work!

The key to enacting our words of wisdom are always the words that proceed and follow. In the case of mushim, it is choshim (beginner's mind) and innae (patience). The best way to understand this is to think about listening to someone in an argument. If our sense of self is strong, we will think that we know the answer and have the best arguments for it. Instead of actively listening, our mind will become full of rebuttals. By telling ourselves that we may not know (choshim), we open ourselves up to new viewpoints and answers. This will definitely take Innae, patience. We may start to say things before we even realize they are leaving our mouths and we have to focus on our breathing and just WAIT! The waiting is the key. Time heals all. It seems so important to say or do something in the heat of emotion, but then time goes by and it is not important at all. This is the power of patience!