Essay Less is more By Maria Bromley	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
持ち物少なくして豊かな心を得る 筆者は最近、週末を和歌山県の高野山で過ごし、瞑想を体験した。40分があっというまに過ぎたのだが、その間、僧侶の「心をきれいにしたければ、まず家の中をきれいにしなさい」という言葉が心に響いていたのだった。

Recently I spent a wonderful, inspirational weekend at Koyasan, the renowned spiritual retreat. It was a weekend of relaxation and reflection amid towering cedars, the sweet aroma of incense and the soft chanting of monks.

While there I took a meditation class. Before then, I don't think I had ever spent 40 minutes in meditation, let alone with 20 complete strangers. Kneeling on tatami, I tried to concentrate on the monk's instructions. I shifted positions a few times but it passed surprisingly quickly. I even had a slight epiphany. The monk had joked with us that we were not likely to reach enlightenment after one session of meditation. But he also said something that struck me as very significant and I spent most of my meditation time reflecting on his advice. "If you want to clear your mind, clear your house out first."

It seemed like unusual advice from someone who had few possessions and spent much of his time in meditation. But when I returned to Tokyo and took a look at my closets and cupboards, I realized that I had not cleared things out in quite a while. I quickly filled up several boxes of clothes. Big-shouldered, short-skirted business suits that I wore in the '90s, part of a former life that I had not wanted to admit was over. I pulled out hats, boas, pointed-toe shoes, rounded-toe shoes and tall leather boots. I'm keeping the boas and boots but did get rid of several pairs of shoes that never really fit properly and were slightly covered in dust. Of course there were also the jeans that shrunk in the closet and would never fit again.

Then I headed to my daughter's old room. She had just finished her first year of college. I cleared out history and Japanese notes and textbooks. And about 50 magazines, all headed to the recycling bin. I did hesitate on the Japanese notes. Perhaps my younger sons could use them some day. In four years. Then I tossed them and my load began to lighten.

I don't like to throw things away in a chaotic fashion. My cupboards may be messy but I like my garbage neat. I like the recycling to go into the proper bins. I still don't know the correct spot for old batteries. I went through this process last summer when my mother passed away. It was also a bit of an epiphany. Ninety years of living a life full of memories, treasures and possessions. I went through every paper and every dish and every memory. In the end, there were some treasures I kept, but most I gave away. The apartment was empty, but our lives were full of the memories she made with us.

As I packed up boxes of my summer clothes to send to the Philippines, toys and winter clothes to Tohoku and Tibet, I felt considerably lighter. My mind and home were cleared and space created for new memories.

Shukan ST: JULY 27, 2012

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