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Just subtle shifts in your habits and perspective. That’s all you need to live simply.
Your heart feels lighter, and a warm energy surges through your body.
you can just feel yourself, alive in this moment.
Keep this book by your side, and whenever anxiety or worries rear their head, turn to these pages. The answers you seek are within.
Any given day, a mere ten minutes is all you need. Try making time for emptiness, for not thinking about anything.
Making time for not thinking about anything. That is the first step toward creating a simple life.
WAKE UP FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLIER. The prescription for when there is no room in your heart
In Japanese, the character for “busy” is written with the symbols for “lose” and “heart.”
We are busy because there is no room in our heart.
Especially when things are hectic, try waking up fifteen minutes earlier than usual.
Waking up fifteen minutes earlier magically liberates you from busyness.
SAVOR THE MORNING AIR.
The same process repeats itself every day, but each day is not the same.
Disorder in your mind shows in your feet.
DISCARD WHAT YOU DON’T NEED. It will refresh your mind.
Part with old things before acquiring new ones.
Discard your attachments. Let go of your assumptions. Reduce your possessions. Living simply is also about discarding your physical and mental burdens.
Crying clears out whatever weight you were carrying in your heart.
With every sweep of the broom, you clear out the dust in your mind.
With every swipe of the cloth, your heart gleams brighter.
Life requires time and effort. That is to say, when we eliminate time and effort, we eliminate life’s pleasures.
PUT PEN TO PAPER WITH CARE. Your true self can be seen in your handwriting.
attempting to express ourselves through the artwork.
calligraphy and paintings are distillations of their inner selves.
practice of calligraphy and painting is a way of connecting with your inner self.
Consider trying to write or draw with care—not with the intention of showing it to others, but rather by mindfully facing your inner self. Your true self will show through, in a single line or letter.
DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR MEALS. Make your meals about the eating.
“Eat and drink with your whole heart.”
WHEN EATING, PAUSE AFTER EVERY BITE. Savor the sense of gratitude.
Food is what creates both your body and your mind.
Try eating only vegetables one day a week.
“Within nothingness there is infinite potential.”
PARE DOWN YOUR BELONGINGS. Acquire only what you need.
Acquiring lots of things isn’t freedom. What’s important is acquiring the mind-set of using things freely.
ARRANGE YOUR ROOM SIMPLY. Doing so will simplify your mind as well
A lifestyle of simplicity is what is beautiful. That is the spirit of Zen.
Simplicity is about stripping away what is not useful.
SIT ZAZEN. The effects of sitting and thinking
word Zen derives from the Sanskrit word dhyana, which means “quiet contemplation.”
DON’T WASTE TIME WORRYING ABOUT THINGS YOU CANNOT CONTROL.
BECOME ADEPT AT SWITCHING MODES. Create gates within your mind.
“necessary nonessentials.” We refer to gates and torii as “spiritual barriers.” In other words, they connect two separate worlds.
The basis for zazen is to harmonize your posture, breathing, and mind.
24 MAKE TIME TO BE ALONE. The first step toward simple living, Zen style
Reading while listening to the sounds of birds and the rush of water.
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.
A place in nature where you can regain mental freedom. A few moments of seclusion can illuminate the path forward.
CREATE A SMALL GARDEN ON YOUR BALCONY. A little place for practicing mindfulness
SEEK OUT THE SUNSET. Be grateful for making it through another day.
When evening falls, take a moment to look up at the sky. Feel gratitude for having made it through another day. This moment will warm your spirit.
