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As I write, we are in the grip of fever over the BBC programme The Traitors. If this means nothing to you, it is essentially a programme where 22 strangers are thrust together in a Scottish Castle and compete for money, some are ‘faithfuls’ other ‘traitors’ but this is hidden. Only the traitors know who they are and they plot to ‘murder’ or eliminate threats to them. If at the end of several weeks a traitor remains in the depleting numbers they win the full amount of prize money accumulated through daily missions- which inevitably means towards the end the traitors turn on each other.
I’d not seen the first series until recently when my teenage daughter asked me to watch with her. So we caught up on two series which so many people seemed to be talking about.
From a Buddhist perspective this programme brings out the very worst of human behaviour predicated on the ‘three poisons’ of greed, hatred and delusion. It is full of deceit, craving, judgement and distrust.
The Traitor Monk
In one of the texts of the Pali canon, we come across what Stephen Batchelor calls ‘the traitor monk.’1
Sunakkhattta, a monk, threatens to leave the monastic life because the Buddha had not performed any miracles. Calling him deluded for thinking this way, the Buddha emphasizes that the purpose of the Dhamma “is to lead whoever practices it to the total destruction of suffering.” And what causes suffering? Greed, hatred and delusion.
Materialism vs Minimalism
Ironically, watching The Traitors came at the same time as reading goodbye, things: on minimalist living by Fumio Sasaki. I saw someone reading this book on a retreat and was intrigued. It seemed to offer practical guidance to getting rid of stuff and living a more content and minimalist life.
We are downsizing this year and gradually over the last six month or so have begun to get rid of accumulated stuff. So much stuff! From toddler scribblings to clothes not worn in a long time, from kitchen gadgets never used to books never read. It is very cathartic.
Fumio Sasaki has a lot of useful things to help guide us through this process of letting go of stuff and the effects this has on our lives. He explores the definition of minimalist and what it means to be one and asks why have we accumulated so much stuff in the first place. He then goes on to offer some rules and techniques for reducing our material possessions and finally writes about the changes he went through as a result. I recommend his book, but here is a summary:
Mininalism is not a goal but a method to discover what is truly important to us
Technology can be useful to minimalism - with it we can discard our TV, books, paper notes and files
Most of us already have everything we need
We keep wanting new things because we like variation and stimuli
More expensive things won’t bring us equivalent amounts of happiness
Our self worth drives our behaviour and we use consumerism to convey our values to others
Our belongings are not us
We can all discard things, but it takes skill; when you discard something you gain more than you lose - time, space, freedom, energy…
Start with things that are junk, or things you have several of, or things you have not used in a year
Discard it if you have it for the sake of appearance and learn to distinguish between things you want and things you need
Organising is not minimising; leave your unused space empty
Don’t get creative when you are trying to discard things e.g. this old lampshade could be re-covered, I could learn how to do that
Give it away, feel the joy in that and if you do sell it don’t get hung up on what you paid for it
Discarding memorabilia is not the same as discarding memories
Our homes are not museums, be a borrower not a hoarder
Sasaki reassures us that fewer things does not mean less satisfaction. We will find out own originality when we own less; we can simplify our wardrobes and possessions. To discard things will not leave you a lesser person; minimalism is freedom.
He discovered that through minimalism he had more time (he didn't spend time distracted, looking for things, sorting things, shopping, doing chores). He could pack and move in 30 minutes! Cleaning becomes easier and our possessions have space. He felt liberated from greed and any personas he had built up through possessions, he stopped comparing what he had to others. He realised things come and go, but experiences cannot be taken from us. It lead him to yoga, meditation, and activities where he could find spacious flow states, he lost weight because he was less stressed and felt more at peace in himself. Fewer possessions meant fewer disputes, he stopped seeing people in a utilitarian way, he talked more and improved his relationships. He felt far more gratitude and let go of preconceptions of what happiness should be.
Sasaki’s book is a manifesto for a simple life.
The more things you have, the more things you have to manage. Simplicity isn’t merely cheaper, it’s easier. (James Clear)
The abundance of less
Back in 2022 I wrote about The Abundance of Less a beautiful book by Andy Couturier, where he takes us to rural Japan to meet several people who have abandoned mainstream fast-paced Japanese life to live a simple rural existence. They are immersed in the beauty of nature, friendship, food and most of all the luxury of time. This personal transformation has enabled them to lead rich and fulfilling lives.
This book asks us to absorb their words and think carefully how we may want to create more time for ourselves and lead a simpler more sustainable life. Their journeys show us how we too can live a more meaningful, richer life by living simply and discovering what really matters.
It is still one of my favourite books on leading a life of simple abundance. And, in a similar vein Water, Wood and Wild Things by Hannah Kirshner. Taking readers deep into evergreen forests, terraced rice fields, and smoke-filled workshops, Kirshner captures the centuries-old traditions still alive in Yamanaka. She invites readers to see what goes into making a fine bowl, a cup of tea, or a harvest of rice and introduces the masters who dedicate their lives to this work. Part travelogue, part meditation on the meaning of work, and full of her own beautiful drawings and recipes, Kirshner’s refreshing book is an ode to a place and its people, as well as a profound examination of what it means to sustain traditions and find purpose in cultivation and craft.
Next time: for paid subscribers, a mediation on abundance and simplicity, the week after a little creative inspiration on the theme.
For free subscribers, I will be back at the end of the month with Scintilla, a monthly round up of what’s on my cultural radar
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A regular audio reflection or meditation (for paid subscribers)
A creative prompt (for paid subscribers), something to unleash your self awareness and self expression.
A monthly ‘Scintilla’ newsletter - a round up of what’s on my cultural radar
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About me: I am a western Buddhist in the Triratna tradition and have been practising since 1986. I have a love and admiration for the simplicity and beauty of Japanese culture and aesthetics which appeals to my zen minded being. I am also a mindfulness and movement teacher, writer, and creative health professional.
About Buddhism, Stephen Batchelor.