Posts filed under “Zen”
The biggest challenge
In this post, I’m going to say a few controversial things that I’ve believed for a long time but haven’t had the courage to say outright. I think this blog (and me) has finally at a place in where I can confidently say how I feel. Not everyone will agree with what I’m about to say, [...]
The secret to minimalist travel
Having spent a few weeks trying to settle down in a completely foreign country, I’m often asked, “Do you miss home?“. The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Yes, I miss my family and my home, but that doesn’t mean I want to go back right now. I care about them a more than [...]
So what if I’m only human?
Credit: First Light – When people realize they’ve made a mistake, they say ‘I’m only human’. When people feel like they can’t achieve any more, they say “I’m only human”. When people feel like they’ve lost control of themselves, they say “I’m only human”. But what do those words actually mean? That ‘being human’ [...]
Attachment, defined.
In many of my posts, I talk about not getting attached to things, because it makes it harder to let go. In my last post, I talked about trying to not get too attached to people and places, because it makes it harder when you inevitably have to say goodbye (or do you?). But you [...]
How to revive the lost art of sitting still
During this academic year, I noticed that more and more I felt like I had to be doing something productive at every waking moment, otherwise I would be ‘wasting time’. I became impatient, and gained bad habits like looking at flashcards whilst walking and murmuring lists to myself whilst cycling (kinda like a crazy person, huh?). As [...]
Birthday
Last night, I stayed up until past midnight, meditating. I wanted to be fully aware and mindful when the clock struck twelve because today, is my birthday. I don’t know what it is about birthdays, but lately I’ve can’t help but feel melancholic whenever I think about them. Not that I’m old, far from it, [...]
Zen and the Art of Minimalism – Part 2: Mastering the Art
In part 1, I discussed Minimalism and Zen Philosophy. This is part 2 of 2 of ‘Zen and the Art of Minimalism’ where I explore the connection between minimalism and art. What does the word ‘art’ really mean? People can spend years answering this question. Quite obviously, it doesn’t purely mean paintings and sculptures. The [...]
Zen and the Art of Minimalism – Part 1: Zen Philosophy
Image Credit Drue Kataoka There are a great many articles, ebooks and blogs about how exactly to be more minimalist – how to step by step, get rid of stuff. But, I thought it would be interesting to break it down and explore the background of minimalism and what, if anything, it has to do [...]
Why You Love The Things You Love
Last month, it snowed. A lot. This photo was the view outside my dorm. It had been piling up for a few days, and got pretty deep. One morning, I was rushing to university when I very nearly fell flat on my face. Thankfully I saved my dignity by doing an ungracious twirl with about [...]
Measuring Time
For about a year, I worked in a cinema and my pay was exactly £5 per hour. Soon, over a couple of weeks, I started to develop the habit of measuring time in hours – and then translating that into money. If I ever received money, I would rejoice at how many hours I would [...]