Used particularly within the Zen

Zen

Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...

 tradition, the term Big Mind can have different meanings in different contexts, even within Buddhism

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

. Japanese Soto Zen founder Dōgen Zenji uses the phrase in his Tenzo

Tenzo

Tenzo is a title given to the chef at a Buddhist monastery. The literal translation is 'Heavenly Monk'.From ancient times Buddhist monasteries have had six office-holders who, as disciples of the Buddha, guide the monastic community. Amongst these, the tenzo bears the responsibility of caring for...

 Kyōkun (Instructions to the Chief Cook); as does 20th c. Zen master Shunryu Suzuki

Shunryu Suzuki

Shunryu Suzuki was a Sōtō Zen roshi who popularized Zen Buddhism in the United States, particularly around San Francisco. Born in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan, Suzuki was occasionally mistaken for the Zen scholar D.T...

 in talks collected in the book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. "Big Mind" indicates an awareness of reality that transcends the merely personal, or wholly subjective.

The "Big Mind Process" is a specific technique developed by Zen teacher Dennis Merzel that merges Western psychological techniques (specifically Voice Dialogue therapy) with Buddhist conceptions of self and mind.