Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

Hello

I found this 15 min documentary very interesting. It revolves around the listyle of a person with the fewest possessions possible. He describes in a very clear way why this is a good idea. Enjoy.

I'm a bit fan of minimalism as a style
"Minimalism is any design or style wherein the simplest and fewest elements are used to create the maximum effect"

But I think we can be careful to distinguish this from renunciation. I'd say this guy is more renouncing a lot based on his society, but certainly not everything, 3k a month apt (if that is what it is). Guy probably wanted something close to work, and to not have to live in a tent, if that is even legal anywhere close.

But this video was more of a show and tell, and not much explanation.
I looked up his book on amazon, and the reviews are mixed.

appicchato wrote:'Minimalist'?...minimalist would be not paying at least three grand a month rent on that pad...

Agreed. It reminds me a bit of John Lennon singing "Imagine no possessions" in a big pristine empty white room in his Thames-side mansion.

And this morning on the radio a pop philosopher discussing his latest book about art. He made the point that minimalism is a style which is often favoured by people with very crowded and busy lifestyles. The house and furnishings don't reflect the inner state, but are, rather, an indication of where the person wants to be. Not universally true, of course, but suggestive.

Sam Vara wrote:

appicchato wrote:'Minimalist'?...minimalist would be not paying at least three grand a month rent on that pad...

Agreed. It reminds me a bit of John Lennon singing "Imagine no possessions" in a big pristine empty white room in his Thames-side mansion.

And this morning on the radio a pop philosopher discussing his latest book about art. He made the point that minimalism is a style which is often favoured by people with very crowded and busy lifestyles. The house and furnishings don't reflect the inner state, but are, rather, an indication of where the person wants to be. Not universally true, of course, but suggestive.

Given the existence of the video is would suggest that if reflects the way that he wishes to portray himself.

metta
paul

when i lived alone i had much less stuff then him - and i didnt try to be a minimalist and i dont think that i was

his just a single person not a family -
he has a guitar and a keyboard
he has a computer - and still adds a projector
a microwave and an oven which includes fire to fry and cook on top

ect ect

the only thing he dosnt have is a bed - thats all the difference i find from a normal person - and also living in a big apartment

I quite liked the vid, thanks for sharing.

Anybody into making short videos here?
Idea 1) redo this video only it is an inmate in his cell. (the "when friends visit" parts could be great!)
Idea 2) redo this video as a monk in his kuti.
Idea 3) make a video documenting the making of the minimalist video showing how if you had a car full of stuff you could ask a friend moving into a new apartment if before they moved their stuff in you could in about an hour make a film about minimalist living and then be out of their way.

chownah

But of course it was nice to watch made me think about the whole concept of minimalism

got me thinking if someone really tryed to have minimum affect on the environment and to really take nothing and try to give as much as he can - he might become an arahant just by that - if he will take it to the extreme

Interesting concept; but perhaps not the greatest messenger. He took the stairs to the 6th floor, so assume he lives on the 6th floor, with great view, hardwood floors, fairly large space, more than what is needed on a minimalist lifestyle.

When I was in college I had less stuff than what he had, but that was more of an economic thing than a choice. Even today, I don't have a guitar or a keyboard like the guy in the video.

The Jains have the exact same 5 precepts we have with only one difference: Aparigraha - non-materialism, no-possessions. Less things, less things to worry about. As long as it is a choice, I think it could lead to more contentment, less stress.

There is a passage (Jataka?) somewhere in the Pali Canon, maybe one of you knows the specific reference where a lady tells the Buddha she has 1,000 homes (I assume for rental business). The Buddha responds, "1,000 sources of dukkha." My wife and I quote that passage to each other whenever a stressful time comes in our business.

David N. Snyder wrote:Interesting concept; but perhaps not the greatest messenger. He took the stairs to the 6th floor, so assume he lives on the 6th floor, with great view, hardwood floors, fairly large space, more than what is needed on a minimalist lifestyle.

When I was in college I had less stuff than what he had, but that was more of an economic thing than a choice. Even today, I don't have a guitar or a keyboard like the guy in the video.

The Jains have the exact same 5 precepts we have with only one difference: Aparigraha - non-materialism, no-possessions. Less things, less things to worry about. As long as it is a choice, I think it could lead to more contentment, less stress.

There is a passage (Jataka?) somewhere in the Pali Canon, maybe one of you knows the specific reference where a lady tells the Buddha she has 1,000 homes (I assume for rental business). The Buddha responds, "1,000 sources of dukkha." My wife and I quote that passage to each other whenever a stressful time comes in our business.

I thought it was awesome. He is not a buddhist, from what I gather. He's just a guy who understood that possessions are a burden. He also understood another crucial thing that I think most people here missed: time is our most valuable "asset". And what I understood is that he uses his money in a way to maximize this "asset". That may include living in a house where he feels happy, even though it's expensive. If that saves him time and makes him happy, then he's already winning. Why would he need to save money? The other misunderstanding is related to him possessing a keybord and a guitar. Since he is not a buddhist, he focus on learning skills, not aquiring possessions. Skills are for life and much more satisfying than material possessions. Plus they can put food on your mouth.

List of things he doesn't have (out of the top of my head):
bed,
books,
cds,
dvds,
shelves,
more than one minimum cooking/eating set,
nightstands,
sheets,
pillow cases,
endless old medicine
TV.

I thought it was awesome.

List of things he doesn't have (out of the top of my head):
bed,
books,
cds,
dvds,
shelves,
more than one minimum cooking/eating set,
nightstands,
sheets,
pillow cases,
endless old medicine
TV.

Right there with the millions of homeless and displaced...and (dare one say) hundreds of millions very nearby...

I liked the video, and thank you for sharing.
It reminded me of a time nearly 30 years ago when I lived the life of a semi-recluse in the resort town of Noosa Heads in Queensland. My only pieces of furniture were two coffee tables. I spent a lot of my time meditating, practicing aikido and eating on a macrobiotic diet.
I agree with MP's observation regarding the value of time over money - I think that is important.
I like what he had to say about developing equanimity with regards to any situation that life throws at us - its a central message in my own tradtion. However, I don't think one needs to become a minimalist and have close to no possessions to develop that equanimity.
I thought David would like the stair-climbing scene.
kind regards,

Ben

appicchato wrote:

I thought it was awesome.

List of things he doesn't have (out of the top of my head):
bed,
books,
cds,
dvds,
shelves,
more than one minimum cooking/eating set,
nightstands,
sheets,
pillow cases,
endless old medicine
TV.

Right there with the millions of homeless and displaced...and (dare one say) hundreds of millions very nearby...

Yes, yes. Yes.

Ben wrote: I thought David would like the stair-climbing scene.

Definitely!

He seems to be in good shape and he made some good points about how to do it with minimal cost too. You don't need expensive exercise machines. If you live in a mid-rise or high-rise like he does, just take the stairs. Or use the door way for pull-up or chin-ups. Another easy one, which he didn't show is push-ups. No equipment needed for that and it uses your own body weight as a type of "bench-press."

Push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, stairs, yoga; no equipment needed and great exercises.