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Make Time For Emptiness
Making time for not thinking about anything – that is the first step towards creating a simple life.
Pare Down Your Belongings
In your head, picture a scene with a water element, and allow your mind to linger there. These gardens are truly representations of our mindset free.
In the course of your everyday shopping, before you acquire something new, give some thought to whether you really need it, and take another look at what you already have. Acquiring lots of things isn’t freedom.
525
1.8K reads
MORE IDEAS ON THIS
Zen emphasizes becoming mindful of the present moment. Using your breath as an anchor can help clarify this concept, which can seem ambiguous at first. As humans, we can only physically live in the present moment; allowing our minds to dwell elsewhere is useless.
521
2.96K reads
Anxiety is intangible.
Anxiety: where does it actually exist? Inside your mind.
There is no need to be troubled by things that have not yet happened. Think only about what is happening right now.
Almost all anxieties are intangible. They are the invention of your own mind.
528
1.56K reads
You will live a happy life if you can find gratitude in your ordinary days. If you must chase desires to feel joy, you will live a life of turmoil.
Whether our lives are magnificent or wretched depends upon our ordering of daily details. We must organize the details into a composition that ...
537
2.7K reads
You must think for yourself. Do not construct life from shallow perspectives or opinions but rather from deep consideration. We are often picking these up unconsciously from those around us. Instead, we should always question the thoughts of others before adding them to our mental arsenal. Be awa...
514
2.03K reads
People who do their best to enjoy what is before them have the greatest chance to discover inner peace. Often, whatever it is they are enjoying – the thing before them – has the potential to turn into an opportunity.
In anything, the hard part is just to keep going.
‘The work I’m doin...
519
1.32K reads
Good fortune brings with it more good fortune. Misfortune attracts further misfortune. All the more reason to make a proper start.
The opposite is true with misfortune. Once you take a step into misfortune, you can get caught in a downward spiral. When you feel as though things aren’t going...
505
1.27K reads
Consumption is a hallmark of the Western world. The age of information is upon us, a time when everything is available in abundance. Companies hire large teams to create ads that force us to accumulate. Our attention is their oxygen.
Practising Zen is going against the grain. It's saying n...
561
6.44K reads
Living simply means, for instance, that the mug you use every day for coffee is a mug that you really like – one that you take good care of and that you will use for a long time. Acquire only good things that will truly be needed. A lifestyle of simplicity is the fundamental practice that will ho...
531
1.84K reads
The ability to live with a free mind, accepting things for what they are. This is the way of life that has come to be idealized.
The monk and famous tea master Sen no Rikyū coined the phrase ‘seclusion in the city’. It is this model that explains why teahouses in Japan are always set a slig...
516
1.39K reads
Consider the things that surround you now. Develop an appreciation for them. There is something specific that connects you with them, a reason why you acquired them. Take good care of them; treat them like they are the best things.
Think of the things that are connected to you as parts of y...
518
1.1K reads
One has to find time to be alone with your thoughts and to sit quietly in nature.
Zazen is a meditation practice that originates from Zen and is a chance to sweep the detritus from your mind.
Zazen is the art of becoming aware of your thought patterns and bringing yourself into a stat...
565
4.61K reads
When we wake up in the morning, right away we turn on the computer and check our email or we read the news on our phone and look up the weather.
We live in a time of constant information, available any time and anywhere. But in such a world, we have all the more reason to maintain proper on...
509
1.29K reads
The essence of Zen is in the beauty of simple things. There is beauty to be found in things that are stripped of everything that is unnecessary and that is without ornamentation.
Recognize the luxury of not having things.
An appreciation of things is an appreciation o...
505
1.17K reads
One hundred people will have one hundred different ways of reasoning or making judgements. Instead of having a gain-or-loss mentality and thinking in terms of whether someone is useful, consider someone’s suitability or compatibility. Doing so will relieve a lot of the pressure on your relationsh...
497
1.02K reads
Don’t be too rushed or too relaxed.
There is a saying in Japanese, sottaku doji, which means, literally, ‘pecking simultaneously from the inside and out’.
It is used to describe what happens when a chick is hatching from its egg: the first part refers to the chick and its pec...
497
1.13K reads
The Japanese term wabi-sabi means finding beauty in imperfection. Being satisfied with the way things are.
Perfection is unattainable; if you desire this to be happy, happiness will elude you.
553
2.57K reads
The three poisons in Buddhism are greed, anger, and ignorance. Buddhism views them as the root of suffering that prevents us from reaching enlightenment. Irrespective of whether you are a Buddhist or not, we all would benefit from minimizing these negative emotions.
When we are afflicted wi...
573
3.48K reads
When you’re uncertain, simplicity is the best way to go.
There is a Zen saying about samadhi, the state of intense concentration achieved through meditation: Ichigyo zanmai. It means ‘Strive for just one thing.’
Rather than branching out into this, that and what-have-you, foc...
518
1.32K reads
Munen muso is the act of retaining a clear mind throughout each activity. A clear mind is the best way to approach all tasks in life. By cultivating munen muso, we become less distracted by outside elements and more attentive to our inner dialogue.
Another way to say it is just mushin, or ‘...
562
3.61K reads
Life is about compromise. If you fuss over black and white, you miss out on the beauty of grey. Buddhists don’t think in terms of black and white. Some things are white, some are black, and in between are various shades of grey. This broad-minded spirit is at the heart of Buddhism, and it has a l...
544
2.99K reads
Wanting more leads to suffering. Consider whether you really need an item before purchasing it. Treating ourselves is an essential part of living a healthy life. But there must be a balance between the endless tunnel of human desire.
Knowing how much is enough is about finding satisfaction ...
527
2.21K reads
The act of thinking derives from the concept of sitting quietly. Humans are not capable of thinking while we are moving. We have only one mind, and when our mind is focused on movement, it is difficult for us to engage in profound thought. Even if you try thinking while you’re walking, it will al...
514
1.61K reads
The quiet practice of zazen releases in the brain the neurotransmitter serotonin, which functions as a mood stabilizer and has been shown to be effective in countering depression. Zazen can provide the therapeutic effect of boosting serotonin to the brain without the need to take medicine.
...
513
1.55K reads
The empty state of not thinking about anything is not easy to achieve. Even practising monks find it difficult.
But when you look back over your days, you find moments when you’ve achieved it unconsciously.
Ideas or sparks actually emerge from the empty spaces within your mind – from ...
515
1.34K reads
By emptying our mind, we enable a state of nothingness. In the world of Zen, we call this mushiryo, or ‘beyond thinking’. It refers to a state in which we retain nothing within ourselves.
Clear your head and look up at the sky – you will see the shifting clouds. Empty your mind and listen a...
506
1.03K reads
A state of utter clarity, uncomplicated by desire or any attachments – that is the state of ‘nothingness’.
The Buddha teaches that human suffering occurs when we lack awareness of this impermanence and insubstantiality.
Our confusion and worry stem from an inability to accept ...
512
1.08K reads
In both gardens and interpersonal relationships, what is paramount is harmony.
Japanese gardens are not designed by cutting and pasting various components on to the landscape. The whole garden is composed in a way that makes the most of each element’s particular features, such as the shape ...
494
1.02K reads
There is a saying that originates in Zen: ichi-go ichi-e, or ‘once in a lifetime’. It means that we should treasure each and every encounter, because we may meet a person only once in our lifetime.
This is not to suggest that we should increase the number of encounters we have or that we sh...
516
1.09K reads
Interpersonal relationships can be complicated. No matter how hard you try, it’s difficult to be open-minded towards everybody. Even monks at a Zen temple do not always get along. There’s no need to tell yourself, ‘I’m going to try to get on well with this person,’ or ‘I’m going to get to know th...
515
1.04K reads
Words are important.
But it is more important not to be swayed by words.
At work or in social situations, there may be times when we find ourselves hurt by words that are directed at us. Even though someone may intend to be encouraging, the person on the receiving end can hea...
504
1K reads
Life is full of fortune and misfortune, but cherish being alive, every single day. Life will pass you by.
515
1.37K reads
We are born into this world, and then we die. These are simply two sides of the same experience. In other words, just as we contemplate how to live, we should contemplate how to die.
If you were told that your life was going to end in six months, you would probably give a considerable amoun...
514
1.14K reads
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