What are your thoughts on minimalism?

[Alex bAlex]

Hey, would you say that minimalism and living a minimalistic lifestyle is an ideology? 

 

What is the minimum standard to classify as a minimalist or how far would you go? 

 

Is a minimalistic lifestyle sustainable or it becomes neurotic after a while, getting paranoid that you get too many things, apps,?... friends  - LOL

 

AND  - Is minimalism possible only for wealthy people? 

 

*if this topic has been discussed already please point out and I will delete this thread* 

[mandyjw]

I think it's an important stage or one of the symptoms of an important stage to realizing that thoughts are things. It's looking for peace of mind through getting rid of excess, in one's material, external world. It can start to feel like a self imposed rule or ideology, if the connection of letting go of thoughts isn't made and there is too much focus on the material aspect of it. The reason it feels amazing at first is because letting go of what isn't serving us naturally feels amazing, but one's material world is an outer manifestation of thier inner world, so cleaning it up will leave only that left to explore. If it gets neurotic or is turned into an ideology it's an avoidance of that pull. 

Wealthy people may naturally gravitiate to minimalsm as they may have already explored and lived having an excess of things and feel inclined to see if the opposite is more fulfilling. 

Essentially, your core essence is already the most extreme minimalst "it" could be, you come here with nothing and you can't take anything with you when you go, but that's already the case here and now. In the present moment, outside of thought, you can only ever expereince anything, you never actually truly "own" anything. 

[OceanRiver]

minimal hassle just makes life easier. Seek balance.

[LastThursday]

Minimalism is generally about owning things. An object is either useful and functional or it isn't. So definitely from an environmental point of view, owning useless objects eats up the Earth's resources unecessarily in their production and disposing of them can harm the environment.  If being friendly to the environment is an ideology, then so is minimalism.

You can take minimalism to any extreme you like, there are very few things you actually need to own. If you go travelling the world for example, just a backpack full off stuff can be good enough. You need enough to have a change clothes for different weather, shoes for different terrain, and stuff for hygiene; that's it. Minimalism is cheap, it's the antithesis of being rich. It's true that you have to pay for accommodation and sleeping arrangments, and you need to feed yourself, and that will always be the greatest outlay in surviving - but you don't need to be rich for that.

Minimalism is definitely sustainable, but it requires a certain mindset. We humans do love our luxuries and pampering and if that's all you've ever known, switching to minalism for any length of time is going to be very difficult. It can get old very quickly if you're wearing the same shoes, pair of jeans and T-shirt every single day. It really depends on what is important to you. Some people want to express themselves through the things they own and wear. Some people need objects to stimulate them - I sure as hell need this laptop! But I'm also sentimentally attached to my childhood teddy, despite not actually needing it.

There's also something to be said for not being mentally attached to objects you own, you'll spend much less time worrying and thinking unecessarily about them. If you own a swanky car, you'll spend inordinate amounts of time keeping it clean, servicing it, posing in it and so on. All that thinking time could be spent on self-improvement and being more focused on the real world and people. Owning too much stuff is a real distraction from living life.

Edited April 13, 2021 by LastThursday

[Roy]

There is a lot of bullshit in life, especially in our Western culture. It's a wise decision to try and minimize it so you have more time and resources for what's important to you.

[Rilles]

I like minimalism, it makes me appreciate the I have stuff more funnily enough. I havent gone hardcore minimalist yet, but I want to try someday. 

[Lyubov]

I also do like minimalism. I see the amount of stuff my parents own in their home and it overwhelms me. I like owning less stuff. I'm not one of those people that only owns a banzai bush and one pair of sandals but I think everything I own besides my bed should be able to fit into my car. That is about it and it feels good.  

[Moksha]

I'm hard-pressed to think of a Self-realized mystic who wasn't a minimalist. Not to say all of them are materially poor; they simply see the ephemeral nature of things, and don't place much value on them.

There is nothing wrong with being rich, as long as you don't identify with your wealth. Unfortunately, for most people, materialism is a trap. Rather than owning, they become owned.

And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

- Matthew 19:24

[Lyubov]

5 hours ago, Moksha said:

I'm hard-pressed to think of a Self-realized mystic who wasn't a minimalist.

didn't osho own a bunch of luxury cars or is this some rumor? 

[LastThursday]

11 hours ago, Lyubov said:

but I think everything I own besides my bed should be able to fit into my car.

Just sleep in your car:

 

[Moksha]

14 hours ago, Lyubov said:

didn't osho own a bunch of luxury cars or is this some rumor? 

Not sure, but Sadghuru is worth around $25 million. Like I said, it's not about being rich, it's about being attached to your wealth.