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August 13 - August 14, 2022
If the world is not going the way you want it to, perhaps it is better to change yourself.
Try not to be swayed by the values of others, not to be troubled by unnecessary concerns, but to live an infinitely simple life, stripped of wasteful things. That is “Zen style.”
1 MAKE TIME FOR EMPTINESS.
2 WAKE UP FIFTEEN MINUTES EARLIER.
3 SAVOR THE MORNING AIR.
4 LINE UP YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF.
5 DISCARD WHAT YOU DON’T NEED.
Discard your attachments. Let go of your assumptions. Reduce your possessions. Living simply is also about discarding your physical and mental burdens.
6 ORGANIZE YOUR DESKTOP.
the key to keeping your mind invigorated is to first put the things around you in order.
7 MAKE A DELICIOUS CUP OF COFFEE.
Life requires time and effort. That is to say, when we eliminate time and effort, we eliminate life’s pleasures.
8 PUT PEN TO PAPER WITH CARE.
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.
9 TRY USING A LOUD VOICE.
10 DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR MEALS.
11 WHEN EATING, PAUSE AFTER EVERY BITE.
We consider the efforts of those who brought us the food, and are grateful for it. We reflect upon our own actions, and quietly partake. We savor the food, without greed, anger, or obliviousness. We regard the food as medicine to nourish a healthy body and to sustain our spirit. We thankfully receive the food as part of our harmonious path toward enlightenment.
12 DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OF A VEGETABLE-CENTRIC DIET.
13 SEEK OUT YOUR FAVORITE WORDS.
“Within nothingness there is infinite potential.” It means that human beings are born possessing nothing. Yet within all of us lies infinite potential. For this reason, there is nothing to fear. There is nothing to worry about. This is truth.
14 PARE DOWN YOUR BELONGINGS.
15 ARRANGE YOUR ROOM SIMPLY.
Simplicity is about stripping away what is not useful. Determine whether something is truly necessary, and if it is, then take good care of it. This is different from frugality. Frugality is about subsisting with things of low value. By value, I’m referring not only to its price—it also includes the depth of feeling toward such items.
16 TRY GOING BAREFOOT.
17 EXHALE DEEPLY.
18 SIT ZAZEN.
19 TRY A STANDING PRACTICE.
20 DON’T WASTE TIME WORRYING ABOUT THINGS YOU CANNOT CONTROL.
21 BECOME ADEPT AT SWITCHING MODES.
22 BREATHE SLOWLY.
24 MAKE TIME TO BE ALONE.
25 GET IN TOUCH WITH NATURE.
26 CREATE A SMALL GARDEN ON YOUR BALCONY.
27 SEEK OUT THE SUNSET.
28 DON’T PUT OFF WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY.
29 DON’T THINK OF UNPLEASANT THINGS RIGHT BEFORE BED.
30 TRY YOUR BEST TO DO WHAT YOU CAN NOW.
31 DISCOVER ANOTHER YOU.
32 DON’T BE TROUBLED BY THINGS THAT HAVE NOT YET HAPPENED.
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.
33 TAKE PLEASURE IN YOUR WORK.
34 SIMPLY IMMERSE YOURSELF.
35 DO NOT FEEL PUT OUT BY THE TASKS BEFORE YOU.
36 DON’T BLAME OTHERS.
37 DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS.
38 SEEK NOT WHAT YOU LACK.
39 EVERY SO OFTEN, TRY TO STOP THINKING.
40 MAKE DISTINCTIONS.
41 TRY ATTENDING A ZAZEN SITTING.
