zen

Sinking the Boat (or Ancient Chinese Decluttering)

June 28, 2012 93 Comments

There’s a popular Buddhist story about Layman P’ang, a successful merchant in 8th century China. He was a family man who, instead of becoming a monk, chose to pursue a lay practice and study the sutras with his wife and children. Worried that his material wealth might impede his path to enlightenment, he put all his worldly possessions in a boat, and sank it in the middle of a river.

Ah, don’t you sometimes wish you could do the same! Decluttering can be a long and arduous process, as we agonize over each possession. Should we keep it? Should we part with it?… {Read more}

Get Your Mujo On

October 6, 2011 55 Comments

One of the central tenets of Zen Buddhism is the concept of mujo. Mujo means impermanence, transience, ephemerality—in other words, everything is changing in every moment, nothing ever stays the same.

As minimalists, why is it so important that we get our mujo on? Because when we see that everything is impermanent, we become less attached to possessions and consumer goods.

When we embrace mujo:

* We let go of sentimental items and other reminders of “who we used to be,” instead of clinging to our past.

* We accept that our bodies change, and don’t hold on to the clothes that no longer fit us.… {Read more}

Chopping Wood and Carrying Water

March 31, 2011 87 Comments

I’ve been interviewed countless times over the past year, and frequently asked “What is minimalism?” More often than not, the reporter is looking for something dramatic, something newsworthy, something extreme. And more often than not, my answer disappoints them.

Why? Because in my opinion, minimalism is not about being radical or awesome or extraordinary.

It’s not about reducing your entire life to a hard drive, or interacting with the world through your iPhone.

It’s not about quitting your day job, traveling the world, or selling ebooks from a tropical beach.

It’s not about living in a sleek loft with three pieces of designer furniture.… {Read more}

Minimalist Living & Spirituality

February 18, 2010 42 Comments

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}