What is Mushin? Mushin is a Japanese term that means "no mind". It derives from "mushin no shin" literally meaning "the mind of no mind". This Zen paradigm is used to describe the state of being where we are free from the distractions of the mind, free from impulse, free from ego. If you're a musician and you've ever lost yourself in a solo, completely detached from your playing and free from expectation of that solo or if you're a martial artist who's performed a waza (technique) or henka (technique variation) without even the slightest moment of contemplation, then you have experienced mushin. If you've been in an accident and operated at an "instinctual" level or ever felt that you have performed a task on "auto-pilot", this is Mushin.
Even non-creative people can experience Mushin. However in my experience creative people tend to slip into it easier. Even laying with your loved one in a moment of pure detachment, of pure bliss, a moment completely exclusive from the outside world, this is Mushin. When we drift into a meditative state in our everyday lives only to look at the clock later and realise you have no recollection of the past 20 minutes, this is Mushin. It is a state where our spirits break free from the shackles of a constraining, conditioning mind, where the spirit can experience itself as it was intended.
This is where the songwriter receives his muse, where the painter paints his masterpiece, where the warrior will never be defeated. Aspiring to this state in our everyday lives can open up even the smallest possibilities which can grow into tremendous opportunities.
Live with Mushin.
