--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches…" description: "\"Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches you how to drop that which you have learned, how to become unskillful again, how to become a child again, how t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/rajneesh-54_children_zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-y_1152057.jpg" --- # Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches you how to drop… ![“Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches you how to drop that which you have learned, how to become unskillful again, how to become a child again, how to start existing without mind again, how to be here without any mind.” quote by Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/rajneesh-54_children_zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-y_1152057.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/rajneesh-54_children_zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-y_1152057.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/rajneesh-54_children_zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-y_1152057.jpg) > “Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches you how to drop that which you have learned, how to become unskillful again, how to become a child again, how to start existing without mind again, how to be here without any mind.” [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Zen encourages shedding learned habits to rediscover childlike presence and mindless being. **In simple terms:** Let go of learned habits to be present. Key Takeaway Release conditioning, embrace present. Themes mindfulness spirituality growth Mood calm reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - meditation - creative work - stress relief - personal transformation Key Concepts non‑attachment emptiness beginner's mind Questions to Reflect On - What habits block your presence? - How can you nurture a childlike openness? A Different Perspective Unlearning can be unsettling and may feel like loss of identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Unlearning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unlearning/) ## Related quotes > [Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/zen-is-not-some-kind-of-excitement-but-concentration-on-our-usual/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [The secret of meditation is the art of unlearning. Mind is learning; meditation is unlearning: that is - die constantly to your experience; let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-secret-of-meditation-is-the-art-of-unlearning-mind-is-learning/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“The spiritual path is more of an unlearning than a learning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-goddard/the-spiritual-path-is-more-of-an-unlearning-than-a-learning/) [Donna Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-goddard/) > [Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information but of unlearning old limits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/personal-growth-is-not-a-matter-of-learning-new-information-but-of/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [“The deeper education consists in unlearning one's first education.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/the-deeper-education-consists-in-unlearning-one-s-first-education/) [Paul Valéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [Half of spiritual growth is learning what we don't know. The other half is unlearning what we do know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/half-of-spiritual-growth-is-learning-what-we-don-t-know-the-other/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [There was a lot of unlearning to be done when I moved from TV to films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohit-raina/there-was-a-lot-of-unlearning-to-be-done-when-i-moved-from-tv-to-films/) [Mohit Raina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohit-raina/) > [The process of unlearning in order to relearn demands a new concept of knowledge not as thing but as a process, not as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-davidson/the-process-of-unlearning-in-order-to-relearn-demands-a-new-concept/) [Cathy Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-davidson/) > [ “Learning, and especially unlearning, can take place only in the absence of defensiveness… \[W\]e can drop our defenses only when we love and are… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sloane-coffin/learning-and-especially-unlearning-can-take-place-only-in-the-absence/) [William Sloane Coffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sloane-coffin/) > [Success for most people requires unlearning as much as learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-woodward/success-for-most-people-requires-unlearning-as-much-as-learning/) [Orrin Woodward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-woodward/) > [“There is an age at which we teach what we know. Then comes another age at which we teach what we do not know;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/there-is-an-age-at-which-we-teach-what-we-know-then-comes-another-age/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [“In this process of unlearning, in the process of feeling and hearing the plants again, one comes to realize many things. And of these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-harrod-buhner/in-this-process-of-unlearning-in-the-process-of-feeling-and-hearing/) [Stephen Harrod Buhner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-harrod-buhner/) > [Unlearning is gaining importance as workplaces are moving towards agile, collaborative working models. While conventional education adds to our knowledge, unlearning will become the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-screwvala/unlearning-is-gaining-importance-as-workplaces-are-moving-towards/) [Ronnie Screwvala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-screwvala/) > [“I don't categorize things merely to simplify my understanding. I'd rather delve into the process of unlearning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-sharda/i-don-t-categorize-things-merely-to-simplify-my-understanding-i-d/) [Nikhil Sharda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-sharda/) > [I have spent most of my life unlearning things that were proved not to be true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-buckminster-fuller/i-have-spent-most-of-my-life-unlearning-things-that-were-proved-not/) [R. Buckminster Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-buckminster-fuller/) ## More by Rajneesh > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [It all depends on you. You can go on sleeping forever, you can wake up right this moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/it-all-depends-on-you-you-can-go-on-sleeping-forever-you-can-wake-up/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The greatest mystery in life is not life itself, but death. Death is the culmination of life, the ultimate blossoming of life. In death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-greatest-mystery-in-life-is-not-life-itself-but-death-death-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [This mind is a prison. It cannot find any freedom anywhere. It must die before freedom comes to you. But we have taken the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/this-mind-is-a-prison-it-cannot-find-any-freedom-anywhere-it-must-die/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Never belong to a crowd; Never belong to a nation; Never belong to a religion; Never belong to a race. Belong to the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/never-belong-to-a-crowd-never-belong-to-a-nation-never-belong-to-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Money should not be in the hands of individuals; otherwise it will create this problem of being burdened with guilt. And money can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/money-should-not-be-in-the-hands-of-individuals-otherwise-it-will/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Marriage is going to disappear, should disappear. And now the point is coming in the history of humanity where it becomes possible that marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/marriage-is-going-to-disappear-should-disappear-and-now-the-point-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [A mature mind is one who understands the impossibility of knowing the ultimate, and with this understanding there is a new dimension: the dimension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/a-mature-mind-is-one-who-understands-the-impossibility-of-knowing-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The word religion comes from an origin which means "coming together." But priesthood has been doing just the opposite, it has created splits in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/the-word-religion-comes-from-an-origin-which-means-coming-together/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Love and laughter go together; and laughter is one of the greatest medicines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/love-and-laughter-go-together-and-laughter-is-one-of-the-greatest/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [There are people who want to become rich; they become rich. If you persist you can fulfill any kind of stupidity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/there-are-people-who-want-to-become-rich-they-become-rich-if-you/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Just take one thing out and the whole palace, the whole edifice of the human mind collapses. Take effort out of it and desiring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/just-take-one-thing-out-and-the-whole-palace-the-whole-edifice-of-the/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [To me, man means awareness of death. I am not saying become afraid of death; that is not awareness. Just be aware of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/to-me-man-means-awareness-of-death-i-am-not-saying-become-afraid-of/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [So your life becomes a vital celebration, your relationship becomes a festive thing. Whatsoever you do, every moment is a festival. You eat, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/so-your-life-becomes-a-vital-celebration-your-relationship-becomes-a/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > ["Serenity" is the flavor of meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/serenity-is-the-flavor-of-meditation/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) [Explore all 1,885 Rajneesh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches you how to drop that which you have learned, how to become unskillful again, how to become a child again, how to start existing without mind again, how to be here without any mind.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rajneesh" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-you-how-to-drop-that-which-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-you-how-to-drop-that-which-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/rajneesh-54_children_zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-y_1152057.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/rajneesh-54_children_zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-y_1152057.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32d/rajneesh-54_children_zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-y_1152057.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Zen is a kind of unlearning. It teaches you how to drop that which you have learned, how to become…” — Rajneesh", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rajneesh", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Zen is a kind of unlearning....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-you-how-to-drop-that-which-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/zen-is-a-kind-of-unlearning-it-teaches-you-how-to-drop-that-which-you/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```