How does your mind look like?

A person is fascinated by the things he sees. Seeing how pleasant they are to the eyes and touch, he yearns to possess them.

"That's so nice! I like! I want!"

A friend reminds him, "Do you really need that?"

"Aw c'mon, you're thinking too much," he says. "We must learn to enjoy life. Live it to the fullest!"

And so he packs it up and brings it home. And in this way he goes through life, picking up every joy he sees and bringing it home to his loft.


Another person is fascinated by the things he sees. Seeing how pleasant they are to the eyes and touch, he ponders,

"This is so nice! But will I still like it next year?"

Knowing the answer, he cherishes the object for that minute, lets it go and moves on.

And he comes home to his loft empty handed.


We all agree that happiness is a simple life. We may differ in what simplicity means.

We might believe that simplicity is to live free of thought. To be free of thought is to allow our senses to lead us wherever they fancy (because to resist is to think too much.) If we like it, just take it home and put it next to the thing we brought home yesterday. We worry about complications later.

Or we might believe that simplicity is having no baggage. To be free of baggage in the sea of sensual temptations requires the effort of letting go of "I want." Letting go requires reflection and understanding. As we go along, awareness builds and it gets easier. And the effort results in an uncluttered room.













A simple garden is not always the result of an unthinking mind. On the contrary it is often the result of profound awareness and understanding.

How does your mind look like?