The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

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There's a Taoist parable about a poor Chinese farmer.

A long time ago, a poor Chinese farmer lost a horse, and all the neighbors came around and said, what terrible luck. The farmer responded, maybe. Shortly after, the horse returned, but when it did, it brought another another horse with him and all the neighbors came around and said well isn't that lucky to which the farmer replied maybe the next day the farmer's son was trying to tame the new horse and fell breaking his leg.

And all the neighbors came around and said, oh, well, that's terrible. You'll have no one to help you farm.

And the farmer replied, maybe. The next day, the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army,

and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again, all the neighbors came around and said,

oh, isn't that lucky? And again, he said, maybe. In China, when something bad

happens, people will say, remember the old man who lost his horse. The old man understood the

not knowing mind.

To not knowing can be seen as an attitude of being open.

Suzuki Roshi said,

In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities.

In the expert's mind, there are few.

To learn a new skill easily is to be okay with not knowing.

When we think we know something already, what's there to learn?

We don't allow new information. Not knowing can be an attitude of not being

limited by what we know. Not making conclusions and opinions prematurely, staying open. There's room to learn,

room for new possibilities. staying open. There's room to learn,

room for new possibilities.

Holding what we know lightly.

It can bring an intimacy

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