Welcome to "Simple Living" - Chapters 1 and 2
Dear All,
Welcome to our "Simple Living" Practice Circle, based on the little book entitled "The Art of Simple Living: 100 Daily Practices from a Japanese Zen Monk for a Lifetime of Calm and Joy" by Rev. Shunmyo Masuno (https://www.amazon.com/Art-Simple-Li.../dp/B07FC2BNM3). My small review of the book is here:
Quote:
This is a wonderful, wise and unique book. The Soto Priest and noted Japanese garden designer, Shunmyo Masuno, has put together 100 little lessons (each one is less than a page long), stories and tiny practices to bring a drop of Zen Wisdom and Compassion to our day (e.g., "plant a single seed, water it, and watch it closely each day as it grows" or "don't throw away, and completely repurpose, something you were about to toss in the trash.") Most of the practices take no time at all, can be done only once, or now and then, or as a permanent habit, and are very simple.
Will it be life changing? Well, it will change this one moment, and lead you to notice and experience aspects of life that might have slipped by you in our daily hustle and bustle. It is about slowing down, appreciating the small things, accepting the ups and downs of ordinary life a little bit more. I think that such small drops of change and stillness will have a positive and cumulative effect, yes. Each small practice or insight adds to bigger changes in our hearts. (Do make it a habit to say "thank you" when life hands you something even unwelcome, do try to really listen to a friend or stranger for a minute although you are otherwise distracted).
He does not mean for us to do all 100 practices each day, but maybe some only once, some now and then, and some might really stick to us and become a regular part of life. Try them and see.
The book seems to be available as "Zen your life: Kleine Veränderungen mit großer Wirkung" in German. It seems to also be available in English under the alternative title, "Zen: The Art of Simple Living."
A nice article profiling Rev. Masuno is here:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture...1#.XQrOtegzaUl
JUMP IN ANYWHERE, NO NEED TO GO IN ORDER! Some you may do just once, some you may do a few times, some you might continue ... a few may last a lifetime! Let's see! Most of the activities are short and should only require a few minutes. Enjoy them, they are to bring lightness to life. All the "chapters" of the book are less than a page long.
I will include chapter headings, as we discovered some differences between the US and UK editions regarding chapter order.
Chapter 1 - Make Time For Emptiness - Your assignment is "Sit Zazen for a few minutes." (Hopefully, you would be sitting Zazen anyway! :p )
Chapter 2 - Wake Up Fifteen Minutes Earlier - Wake up 15 minutes early one morning, lengthen your spine, stretch your muscles and take deep breaths for a couple of minutes, then spend a few minutes just looking deeply at the sky or listening deeply to the birds, thinking nothing particularly at all. You can drink tea or coffee etc. too.
Please write your experiences with the little activities below, although perhaps not much to say. [monk]
Gassho, Jundo
SatTodayLAH
