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Minimalist Living & Spirituality

On my recent trip to Hong Kong, I visited the Wisdom Path on Lantau Island. This outdoor “sculpture” consists of thirty-eight wooden columns inscribed with the Heart Sutra, a text treasured by Confucians, Buddhists, and Taoists.

The columns, each about 10 meters (~30 feet) in height, are arranged in a figure-eight infinity symbol; they stand on a steep hill, in a serene, natural setting overlooking Lantau Peak.

In short, the Heart Sutra espouses the doctrine of “emptiness.” One of its famous lines teaches that “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.”

Such emptiness is not to be interpreted in a nihilistic, nothing-exists sense.… {Read more}

Minimalist Food: One Bowl Eating

I’m intrigued by the idea of eating all of my meals out of a single bowl. Not only would it reduce the tableware in my cabinets; I think it would make me more mindful, and more appreciative, of what I put in my body.

My ideal one bowl menu would look something like the following:

Breakfast: oatmeal. I don’t think there’s a more perfect minimalist food than oatmeal (or porridge, as they say here in the UK). It’s simple, it’s satisfying, and best of all, it has so much potential. Oatmeal is like a blank slate: simply add what you like according to the season or your mood.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: simple in france

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. (I’ve changed the name from Minimalist Spotlight to Real Life Minimalists, as I think it more accurately conveys the spirit of the project.) If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

Today, simple in france reminds us of the importance of how we use our time. I hope you’ll be inspired to learn more, and visit her blog at The Simple Life in France.

simple in france writes:

“If I have to juggle one more thing, it’s all going to come crashing down.” That’s how I felt most of the time during my former life as a teacher in California.… {Read more}

A Little Travel Talk

Since I mentioned my recent trip to Southeast Asia in my last post, I’ve received several requests for more details about the experience. Although the topic of travel is only tangentially related to minimalism (in so far as keeping a minimal itinerary and luggage), it’s near and dear to my heart—and as such, I never turn down an invitation to talk about it. :-)

I do realize, however, that most of you come here to read about minimalism, not travel, so I will do my best to keep it short and sweet. Instead of writing a full travelogue, I’ll simply touch on the highlights of our trip:

Hong Kong:

* Wandering through the Mong Kok district, and experiencing its vibrant street life and traditional markets (selling everything from food to clothing to electronics to jade)

* Taking a breathtaking cable car ride to Lantau Island (photo)

* Climbing up the 268 steps to the Tian Tan Buddha (photo), and having a delicious vegetarian lunch at the adjacent Po Lin Monastery

* Spending an afternoon riding the Mid-Levels escalators (a giant outdoor escalator system on the steep slope of Hong Kong Island), and jumping on and off to explore the neighborhoods through which it passed

* Enjoying vegetarian dim sum in a traditional Hong Kong tea house

* Having a picnic dinner along the Victoria Harbour waterfront, while admiring the brilliantly-lit Hong Kong skyline (photo)

Singapore:

* Awakening to the sound of tropical birds every morning, even though we stayed in the heart of the city

* Sampling the amazing array of cuisine (Singapore is a food lover’s dream).… {Read more}

To Drift Like Clouds and Flow Like Water

My husband and I spent the last ten days traveling through Southeast Asia, spending a few nights each in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. As usual, we packed only our small carry-on bags, giving us the freedom to wander between and throughout these places without the burden of heavy luggage.

It was a wonderful trip. Our friends tend to view our vacations as something between exhausting and crazy (particularly as they are often planned less than two weeks in advance). To us, however, being “in motion” seems perfectly natural. We feel at peace, and at home, when we are on the road.… {Read more}

Real Life Minimalists: Jesse

Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.

Today, Jesse tells us about the motivations behind his minimalist journey. If you’d like to learn more about him, surf on over to his blog, A Life Reinvented.

Jesse writes:

My minimalist journey didn’t start where you’d imagine…it started in a Reflexologist treatment room.

Let me explain:

I had spent several years battling an on-again-off-again nerve problem in my right hand. After a 1 hour session she had completely eradicated the problem.… {Read more}

Minimalist Life: How Many Keys on Your Keychain?

I’ve decided that my goal is to have as few keys on my keychain as possible. To me, the less keys on your keychain, the less responsibility you have—and the more freedom!

Interested in joining me? Here are five ways to pare down your keychain:

1. Go car-free. My husband and I have gone from two cars to one (he drives it), and our ultimate goal is to be car-free. I’d love to simply use a carshare program whenever the need for wheels arises.

2. Don’t own multiple houses. Well, duh. But seriously, a beach home or downtown pied-a-terre can be pretty tempting.… {Read more}

Minimalist Wardrobe: The Power of Accessories

I’ve noticed something funny. I can wear an ensemble that someone has seen me in multiple times; yet if I pair it with a scarf, unique necklace, or interesting pair of earrings, they’ll invariably comment on my “new outfit.”

Such is the power of accessories. They freshen up an “old” look in no time flat, and better yet, demand very little storage space. (I’m focusing mainly on scarves and jewelry here, as handbags take up *too much* storage space and merit a post unto themselves.) Guys, I imagine this is how ties function for you, as I’d have a hard time telling if you wore the same suit five days in a row; the tie, however, I would notice.… {Read more}

Minimalist Philosophy: Doing Less

A few years ago, I was involved in a group conversation about work and careers. One of the men, in his mid-late twenties, was asked what he did. He simply smiled and said, “Not much,” offering no further explanation. (It later came to my knowledge that he worked part-time helping disabled children.)

At the time, I was somewhat of a workaholic, clocking in sixty-hour weeks. I, and several of the other young professionals in our group, were taken aback by his casual remark. We were all what you’d consider “upwardly mobile,” and it was difficult for us to understand someone else’s deliberate rejection of such a lifestyle.… {Read more}

The Minimalist Wallet – Seven Ways to Slim It Down

I try to keep my wallet as light and streamlined as possible (no Costanza wallet for me!). To this end, I’ve found the following strategies to be particularly useful:

1. Carry one credit card. In fact, own as few as possible; signing up for every store card, or offer that comes in the mail, only complicates life. Who wants to deal with all that paperwork? (And worse yet, all that potential debt!) I typically keep two credit cards at a time: one with a high credit limit, for travel and big-ticket items; and one with a low limit for online shopping (to lessen the hassle if the numbers are stolen).… {Read more}