"Our lifestyles have become extremely complex. How can we simplify our lives, reduce consumption, lower our impact on the environment, do less harm to other living things, reduce expenses, have fewer distractions, have less maintenance, enjoy more freedom and flexibility, and be able to live in a way that is financially less demanding? These are the questions that the simplicity of Zen can help address." — John Daido Loori
This passage above is from the chapter "The Zen Aesthetic" in JD Loori's The Zen of Creativity. The background for the slide is Japanese paper. A script typeface (i.e. feeling of hand-drawn letters) is what I needed for this, though I do not have the right one on my computer. This was a compromise. Anything in a script typeface is not going to be good for reading long passages, but many are at least legible and can be read in short amounts. Mostly a script/brush typeface evokes a mood. Projected on a large screen this passage can be read. However, it is true that many other typefaces like Helvetica or even a serif life Garamond could be read more easily, but the mood those typefaces created was a complete mismatch with the background.
The problem with long quotes like this is that they are almost always too long for most formal presentations. But the way I am going to use this is in a classroom/training setting, not a keynote talk. So, when this slide first appears I let students read it — I give them a bit more time than they need (to make sure everyone has read it) but that little extra silence and space gives them time to think as well. The slide stays up the entire time of the class so that part of the passage can be referred to at any time. We will spend the entire class considering what it means to simplify one's life (or even if they should or shouldn't, etc.). The only real goal is to get these young adults thinking about simplicity and sustainability and what it means to them. And also to expose them to a few ideas in Zen and see how they can apply. These are some of the questions we'll be touching on:
(1) Is there a difference between complex and complicated? Perhaps what we mean is our lives have become unnecessarily complex (which I would argue is closer to a form of complication...)
(2) How have our lives become more complicated/complex? In groups discuss and make a list of examples. Think of your parents, grand parents when they were your age. You do not have to think in terms of good/bad or pro/con, just think of that first sentence: "Our lifestyles have become extremely complex." Agree? If so, give examples...and compared to what?
(3) Introduce simplicity as concept. What's it mean?
(4) How can we simplify our lives? (Small groups discuss, make a list of ways.)
(5) Examine Loori's ideas from the quote (e.g., reduce consumption, etc.). This classroom discussion could form a large portion of the day's class. Many things to consider. For example, what does it mean to "live in a way that is financially less demanding?" What do you need to be happy? What do you want to be happy? Etc.
(6) Any lessons from the world of Zen, the Zen arts? The Zen aesthetic?
Thinking to do this in one of my classes this semester. Just sort of playing with the idea right now.... You may, of course, use the slide if you like (it's 800x600).
