Traditional/Religious Wisdom helping with Uncluttering?

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Traditional/Religious Wisdom helping with Uncluttering?

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Started 2 years ago by klutzgrrl
Latest reply from SunshineR
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klutzgrrl
Member

I'm not a religious person, but I'm quite interested in Buddhist thought, so I've read a few books on Buddhism lately and I find if very useful. The idea of things being impermanent - good and bad both come and go. Letting go and not being attached to things is different to not caring - compassion is central to Buddhist philosophy.

Also the idea of living in the present moment. There's a monk called Ajahn Brahm who gives talks on Youtube, and his stories into human nature are so funny and insightful.

I've also read quite a bit of Roman history. Many of them espoused a very austere life.

I wonder if you've found encouragement in faith, history or philosophy?

Posted 2 years ago #
Zora
Member

A science fiction novel, by Ursula K. LeGuin, called _The Dispossessed_. A political-spiritual movement, invented for the book by the author, called Odonism. Odo said: "Excess is excrement."

Perhaps not uplifting, but to the point.

Posted 2 years ago #
bandicoot
Member

my biggest inspiration has been travel.
especially in the developing world.
i have seen firsthand how little we humans really need to get by on.
i've been inspired by beautiful austerity in the philippines, vietnam, bali, thailand, timor-leste, india, china.

i'm also constantly challenged by travelling light.
i love to get my bag leaner and leaner every time i go away.
my inspiration there is my dad, who set off on a 12 month, around the world journey at the age of sixty something, with a single bag that weighed about five kilos.

i consider myself more of a buddhist than anything else...and yes, the buddhists are very "meh" about "stuff".
i believe that too much stuff can slow down enlightenment. and enlightenment can slow down the stuff! omg is that my first koan?

Posted 2 years ago #
Laetitia in Australia
Member

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Jesus

Posted 2 years ago #
Sky
Member

Laetitia....That says it all.

Posted 2 years ago #
klutzgrrl
Member

Oh I haven't read Ursula LeGuin for gee- 20 years. I'll have to look for that book.

Nice 'koan' bandicoot! Works for me.

That's a classic quote, Laetitia, isn't it.

I used to like Thoreau, but since reading the 'truth' about his lifestyle, I don't hold him as the 'guru'. It's worth observing that the extremely minimalist life of Monks doesn't exist in isolation. Buddhist monks rely on supporters to provide their daily food, and though they work in various ways to support themselves, western monks have the church infrastructure. To be self-sustaining, and indeed to provide for a family, requires productive work, which requires a certain amount of 'stuff'.

At the moment I'm reading 'Letting Go of the Person You Used to Be' by Lama Surya Das, a western Buddhist. It's essentially about coping with change and loss. It's pretty good, though a little bit 'rambling' at times. He has some useful insights on why we feel the way we do.

My (Scots) parents had some good sayings - "There's nae pockets in a shroud" and "You cannae take it with you!"

Posted 2 years ago #
Laetitia in Australia
Member

"There's nae pockets in a shroud" - hehehe - how typically Scots - my father-in-law's side is from Scotland.

Posted 2 years ago #
jbeany
Member

Smart mouth comment from Sis, as we were knee deep in Easter knickknacks while sorting Gram's estate...
"Only Jesus saves. Everyone else needs to declutter!"

I want that on a bumper sticker!

Posted 1 year ago #
lumpster82
Member

@klutzgrrl, I am a Christian and there is quite a bit in the Bible that encourages me to make decluttering a priority. For example in Matthew 6:19 Jesus says:

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

There is also the biblical command to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." ('Mt 22:37')What that means is that I am to love God more than I love my stuff and my house. When I feel as though I "need" something in my life, I ask myself if that thing helps me to accomplish loving and glorifying God.

Posted 1 year ago #
djk
Member

@lumpster82
I am also a Christian, Mennonite in heritage. This heritage profoundly influences my attitude to "stuff", debt, and "having (my) house in order"

Now if only I could cook or sing like a Mennonite, life would be complete. But I am a wicked baker. Bummer I am off carbs. SIGH.

Posted 1 year ago #
lucy1965
Member

@Zora One of the few books I mean to keep in hard copy is LeGuin's "Always Coming Home" (I have a first edition box set with the music cassette); in it, the culture of the Kesh measures wealth by how much a family can afford to give away, and there's a great deal of musing on the intricacies and societal obligations of such a culture, including a discussion of libraries. It's not one of her more popular or accessible works, but I adore it.

Posted 1 year ago #
Julia
Member

There is a zen story I truly love. It's helped me let loose of more than just physical possessions:

A student was washing dishes in his master's house when he dropped - and smashed - the master's favorite teacup. Just then he heard the master open the front door. Thinking quickly, he called out "Master! What is the meaning of death?"

The master said "Dying is a natural part of life and should not be feared or avoided, but accepted."

"Then you will understand when I tell you that your favorite teacup is now deceased."

On a secular level (for us non-believers) - may I recommend a look at the book "Material World: A Global Family Portrait" - it's a photo book of families around the globe, gathered with their possessions. There is a similar volume dealing with food. Those books had a huge effect on me.

Posted 1 year ago #
Julia
Member

This is a link to another zen story that is helping me unclutter all kinds of stuff.

For those interested: http://www.thebuddhacenter.org/2010/05/22/zen-story-impermanence/

Posted 1 year ago #
klutzgrrl
Member

Oh, thank you for mentioning that book, Julia! I'd seem images from it ages ago, and was thinking about it recently but couldn't recall the name! It's a really wonderful book. I wonder if Erin has ever blogged about it? It would be an interesting blog post!

I was wondering about the food version - it's called 'Hungry Planet - What the World Eats', which came up when I googled the Family Portrait book.

Posted 1 year ago #
Claycat
Member

What a great thread! How did I miss this one?

Thanks for sharing the wisdom!

Posted 1 year ago #
bandicoot
Member

julia, i have read that food book!
families from all over the world, photographed with all of their food for a whole week stacked decoratively around them.
it blew my mind completely!
i think i blogged about it.

and now i shall have to look out for material world.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rosa
Member

Lucy, I LOVE that book.

In fact, that reminds me - along with the family cassette tapes (audio letters between elderly family members), I want to convert that cassette to digital before the last cassette player dies.

Posted 1 year ago #
Julia
Member

So I've just ordered the leGuin book...

BUT - thanks to this blog, first I checked Amazon kindle, then I checked the local library.

Sometimes you just don't have a choice...

Posted 1 year ago #
lucy1965
Member

@Rosa *beams happily* I think there are digital versions of the Songs out on the Web, but I haven't looked recently.

Posted 1 year ago #
Klyla
Member

"A penny saved is a penny earned" is a quick guide for me. Since I am not gainfully employed (DH is the provider) I remind myself that not wasting $$ on "stuff" is just as valuable as having a paying job.

The amount of $$ wasted by the people on hoarder-type shows breaks my heart often to tears...so much of the world in need...appalling the self-centeredness. I realize its a sickness but still....it's sometimes hard to watch.

Posted 1 year ago #

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