英文原文
Simplify These Things and You'll Enjoy Life a Lot More
“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ~Lao-Tze
So said Lao-Tze, perhaps one of the greatest teachers humankind has ever had.
When I committed myself to the most important journey of my life (of course I’m talking about the spiritual one), I was focused on gaining patience. I worked hard to free my mind and soul from all clutter and emotional charge.
There was one aspect I kept ignoring: getting rid of the clutter. When one of my closest friends was in my room, she didn’t wait too long before noticing, “You have too much stuff all around.”
What stuff? I had no idea I was living in a mess. I even had a name for it: creative chaos.
You know how everything seems to fall into place at certain periods of time? It was that very same day when I encountered Lao-Tze’s quote. It just popped up on my Facebook feed.
At that moment, I realized I was focusing on gaining patience and compassion, but I was forgetting about a really important part of the journey: simplicity. And I knew my friend was right: you can’t declutter your mind if you don’t simplify your life.
I didn’t limit that change to material possessions; I expanded it beyond that aspect of living. This was part of my journey, and I can’t find the right words to express the relief I felt as soon as I started making my life simpler. Hopefully, my experience will help you make that change, so I decided to share a few steps that will lead you to the bliss of living simply.
Understand what possessions are. Get rid of them!
Do you own too many things? That’s not a real problem if you need them. If, however, you’re collecting a pile of stuff you never use, then you have a real problem.
This was the mindset I adopted: “I own these things. But they also own me!” You’ve probably heard the same advice many times before: don’t allow stuff to possess you.
You need a car? I understand that. But would you go completely crazy over a scratch?
Our material possessions drain our energy because we have to take care of them. As soon as you get rid of the attachment, you’ll discover some true values.
Simplify your work.
If you have too many tasks on your daily schedule and you try hard to achieve them all, you’ll end up in complete chaos by the end of the day. I know. I’ve been there.
Start your day by making a list of five important tasks you have to do. Which one of them has priority? Do it first!
Then, continue working through your list of priorities. If you have space for any minor tasks, you’ll cover them. With time, you’ll realize you’re becoming much more effective in your work, but you’ve also simplified the way you cover daily obligations.
Oh, here’s another thing that complicates your life: multitasking. You can’t check what’s trending on Twitter when you’re in the middle of writing a report. Go through your list of tasks in a really simple way: step by step.
Make your relations more positive and sincere.
If you really want to change your life, you need to think about the people you’re surrounded by. Do they drain your energy?
There’s a friend I really love, but I started getting headaches every time we met. She was going on and on talking about a boyfriend she broke up with years ago. She wasn’t sharing her burden because she needed advice; she was just living in her own past, and she felt the need to go through the same memories every time we talked.
Let’s make it clear: We should never have a problem with people who want to express their emotional pain. When our closest friends need advice, we should listen and try to help them in any possible way.
If, however, it turns into constant complaints about superficial things and unwillingness to accept any help, it won’t work. I realized that instead of transferring my positive energy to her, she was sucking my enthusiasm away, and we both ended up being miserable afterward.
So, I decided to change the course of our relations. Instead of talking to her over the phone, I started inviting her to walks and lunches. I introduced her to a large circle of friends, and I did my best to make our friendship more positive. It worked.
You should definitely offer your shoulder to people who need it. If you have a friend in trouble and you feel really bad about the stuff they are going through, listen to them. Then, try to make things a bit more optimistic. You know, get them out of bed, eat tons of ice cream, watch movies and meet new people.
Declutter your mind.
In other words, learn to meditate. That was the most important lesson I learned in my life. When I started, I had some doubts about the effects meditation can have. But I can’t even describe the difference my teacher made in my life. Within a couple of weeks, after I learned the basics and started to practice daily, I felt a profound sense of calmness and relief.
Meditation can also help you release resentment, hate, jealousy, and other emotions that drain you and complicate your life and your relationships. Negativity is completely natural, but the key is to not let it control you. Meditation helps with this, since it enables you to create space between your thoughts and emotions and your reaction to them.
When you notice negative thoughts emerging while meditating, observe them without attaching to them. Don’t try to suppress them, and don’t allow yourself to get carried away. It’s like watching your thoughts on a TV screen. You don’t influence them in any way, and they eventually pass.
When you declutter the negative thoughts in your mind, you’ll leave space for greatness.
You don’t need to complicate communication.
I’m a writer, so I’m used to communicating in the simplest way possible: through words. However, people somehow find a way to make communication more complex than necessary. We write emails, we follow each other on social media, and we send snaps of our daily existence. Instead of having real conversations, we express ourselves through GIFs and memes.
Here’s what I decided to do: I started calling my friends and meeting them in person more often. I almost forgot how that felt.
The old-school methods are usually simpler but more effective, too. Try not to rely on your Messenger when you have a really important conversation to make, and you’ll see what I mean. Social networking is great, but your social life shouldn’t be limited to it.
Simplify your RSS feeds.
Have you seen the list of pages you currently follow on Facebook? You realize you’re not even interested in what most of them have to offer, right? Why don’t you try getting rid of most of them?
You’ll come back to a cleaner, more interesting feed that doesn’t encourage you to scroll down without paying attention to the posts.
Make sure to get rid of all “news” pages that don’t deliver reliable information. Stick to relevant, reputable sources of information you can trust.
Don’t be a spendthrift.
Before buying something new, ask yourself, “Do I need this? I want it, but do I need it?”
Shopaholism leads to attachment to material possessions. The sole act of buying things we don’t need defies one of the main purposes of the journey to self-awareness: detachment.
Eat simply.
“What should I make for dinner? What dessert should I treat myself with? I like cheesecake, but I ate that yesterday.”
Why do we allow food to bring so much thinking, problem-solving, and questions into our lives? Why can’t we just eat something for the sake of filling our tummies? Actually, we can.
For me, simplifying my eating habits meant eating as much raw food as I could. I started spending less time in the kitchen, and I finally found the time to take swimming lessons. See? I decluttered, and then I filled that space with something meaningful.
Declutter your surroundings.
I always liked Japanese minimalism, but my room was the complete opposite: paper and manuscripts, pens and notebooks all over the place.
After that important visit and advice from my friend, I did a spring cleaning. I bought a nice cabinet, and I organized the papers I needed there. I organized them by color so I can easily find whatever I need.
I can’t even tell you how much stuff I threw away that week (yes, I needed a week to clean that space up). The feeling of accomplishment was priceless.
Simplify your goals.
Is everything on your to-do list achievable? If that’s not the case, you’ll have to get rid of some goals, no matter how hard that is for you.
When you simplify your goals, you’ll find more joy in work because you’ll have greater confidence in yourself. You’ll know that you can complete every task you start.
Limit the consumption of resources.
Our materialistic nature makes us buy more things that consume valuable resources, such as gas, water, and electricity. All those laptops, tablets, smartphones, TVs, dryers, deodorants, diamonds, and cosmetics cost us our planet.
Getting things you don’t need, which you certainly think you need, has a name: consumerism. Such an attitude gets you attached to the things you buy, and you’re constantly finding new gaps to fill and more things to gain. Free your mind from come-and-go desires, always take time before you make your final decision, and be mindful of the planet you are living on!
A Simple Future for Everyone!
We don’t need all the stuff we have. We don’t need to buy more. We don’t need the mess in our heads.
Try making simplicity part of every aspect of your life, and you’ll reach new heights of self-accomplishment.
中文翻译
简化这些事情，你会更享受生活
“我只教三件事：简单、耐心、慈悲。这三者是你最伟大的财富。”——老子
老子，这位或许是人类历史上最伟大的导师之一，如是说。
当我投身于生命中最重要的旅程（当然是灵性之旅）时，我专注于培养耐心。我努力让自己的心灵和灵魂摆脱所有的杂乱和情感负担。
有一个方面我一直忽视：清理杂物。当我最亲密的朋友之一来到我的房间时，她很快就注意到，“你周围的东西太多了。”
什么东西？我根本没意识到自己生活在混乱中。我甚至给它起了个名字：创造性的混乱。
你知道在某些时期，一切似乎都会各就各位吗？就在同一天，我遇到了老子的这句话。它突然出现在我的Facebook动态中。
那一刻，我意识到自己专注于培养耐心和慈悲，却忘记了旅程中一个非常重要的部分：简单。我知道我的朋友是对的：如果你不简化生活，就无法清理心灵的杂乱。
我没有将这种改变局限于物质财产；我将其扩展到生活的其他方面。这是我旅程的一部分，我找不到合适的词语来表达我开始简化生活时感受到的解脱。希望我的经验能帮助你做出改变，所以我决定分享一些步骤，引导你走向简单生活的幸福。
理解什么是财产。摆脱它们！
你拥有太多东西吗？如果你需要它们，那并不是真正的问题。然而，如果你在收集一堆从未使用的东西，那你就有真正的问题了。
这是我采取的心态：“我拥有这些东西。但它们也拥有我！”你可能以前多次听过同样的建议：不要让东西占有你。
你需要一辆车？我理解。但你会因为一道划痕而完全抓狂吗？
我们的物质财产消耗我们的能量，因为我们必须照顾它们。一旦你摆脱了执着，你就会发现一些真正的价值。
简化你的工作。
如果你的日程表上有太多任务，并且你努力完成所有任务，一天结束时你会陷入完全的混乱。我知道。我经历过。
从列出你必须做的五项重要任务开始新的一天。哪一项有优先权？先做它！
然后，继续按优先级列表工作。如果你有时间处理任何次要任务，你会完成它们。随着时间的推移，你会意识到自己在工作中变得高效得多，但也简化了履行日常义务的方式。
哦，还有一件事会让你的生活复杂化：多任务处理。你在写报告时不能查看Twitter上的热门话题。以非常简单的方式处理任务列表：一步一步来。
让你的关系更积极和真诚。
如果你真的想改变生活，你需要考虑你周围的人。他们消耗你的能量吗？
有一个我真的很爱的朋友，但每次我们见面时我开始头痛。她不停地谈论多年前分手的男朋友。她分享负担不是因为需要建议；她只是活在自己的过去中，每次我们交谈时她都感到需要重温同样的记忆。
让我们说清楚：我们绝不应该对想要表达情感痛苦的人有问题。当我们最亲密的朋友需要建议时，我们应该倾听并尽可能帮助他们。
然而，如果它变成对肤浅事物的不断抱怨和不愿接受任何帮助，那就不起作用了。我意识到，她没有传递我的正能量，反而吸走了我的热情，我们最终都变得痛苦。
所以，我决定改变我们关系的走向。我不再通过电话与她交谈，而是开始邀请她散步和午餐。我把她介绍给一大群朋友，并尽力让我们的友谊更积极。这奏效了。
你绝对应该向需要的人提供支持。如果你有一个朋友遇到麻烦，你对他们正在经历的事情感到非常难过，倾听他们。然后，试着让事情更乐观一些。你知道，让他们起床，吃很多冰淇淋，看电影，认识新朋友。
清理你的心灵。
换句话说，学会冥想。这是我一生中学到的最重要的一课。开始时，我对冥想的效果有些怀疑。但我甚至无法描述我的老师对我生活带来的改变。几周内，在我学习了基础知识并开始每天练习后，我感到一种深刻的平静和解脱。
冥想还可以帮助你释放怨恨、仇恨、嫉妒和其他消耗你并使你的生活和关系复杂化的情绪。消极情绪是完全自然的，但关键是不让它控制你。冥想对此有帮助，因为它让你在思想、情绪和你的反应之间创造空间。
当你在冥想中注意到负面思想出现时，观察它们而不执着于它们。不要试图压制它们，也不要让自己被带走。就像在电视屏幕上观看你的思想。你以任何方式都不影响它们，它们最终会过去。
当你清理心灵中的负面思想时，你会为伟大留下空间。
你不需要使沟通复杂化。
我是一名作家，所以我习惯于以最简单的方式沟通：通过文字。然而，人们不知何故找到了使沟通比必要更复杂的方法。我们写电子邮件，在社交媒体上互相关注，发送日常生活的快照。我们没有真正的对话，而是通过GIF和表情包表达自己。
这是我决定做的：我开始更频繁地打电话给朋友并亲自见面。我几乎忘记了那种感觉。
老式方法通常更简单但也更有效。当你有非常重要的对话时，尽量不要依赖Messenger，你会明白我的意思。社交网络很棒，但你的社交生活不应仅限于此。
简化你的RSS订阅。
你看到你在Facebook上当前关注的页面列表了吗？你意识到你对大多数页面提供的内容甚至不感兴趣，对吧？为什么不试着摆脱大多数页面呢？
你会回到一个更干净、更有趣的动态，它不会鼓励你无意识地滚动浏览帖子。
确保摆脱所有不提供可靠信息的“新闻”页面。坚持相关、可靠的信息来源，你可以信任。
不要挥霍。
在购买新东西之前，问自己，“我需要这个吗？我想要它，但我需要它吗？”
购物狂导致对物质财产的执着。购买我们不需要的东西的行为违背了自我意识旅程的主要目的之一：超脱。
简单饮食。
“我应该做什么晚餐？我应该用什么甜点款待自己？我喜欢芝士蛋糕，但我昨天吃了。”
为什么我们允许食物给我们的生活带来如此多的思考、解决问题和疑问？为什么我们不能只是为了填饱肚子而吃点东西？实际上，我们可以。
对我来说，简化饮食习惯意味着尽可能多吃生食。我开始花更少时间在厨房里，终于找到了时间上游泳课。看到了吗？我清理了，然后用有意义的东西填补了那个空间。
清理你的环境。
我一直喜欢日本的极简主义，但我的房间完全相反：到处都是纸张和手稿、笔和笔记本。
在那次重要的访问和朋友的建议之后，我进行了一次春季大扫除。我买了一个漂亮的柜子，把需要的文件整理在那里。我按颜色整理它们，以便轻松找到任何我需要的东西。
我甚至无法告诉你那周我扔掉了多少东西（是的，我需要一周时间来清理那个空间）。成就感是无价的。
简化你的目标。
你的待办事项列表上的所有事情都可实现吗？如果不是这样，你将不得不摆脱一些目标，无论这对你有多难。
当你简化目标时，你会从工作中找到更多快乐，因为你会对自己有更大的信心。你会知道你可以完成你开始的每一项任务。
限制资源消耗。
我们的物质主义本性让我们购买更多消耗宝贵资源的东西，如汽油、水和电力。所有这些笔记本电脑、平板电脑、智能手机、电视、烘干机、除臭剂、钻石和化妆品都让我们付出了地球的代价。
得到你不需要的东西，而你肯定认为你需要，有一个名字：消费主义。这种态度让你执着于你购买的东西，你不断寻找新的空白来填补和更多东西来获得。让你的心灵摆脱来来去去的欲望，在做出最终决定之前总是花时间，并留意你生活的地球！
每个人的简单未来！
我们不需要我们拥有的所有东西。我们不需要买更多。我们不需要头脑中的混乱。
试着让简单成为你生活每个方面的一部分，你会达到自我成就的新高度。
文章概要
本文以老子“简单、耐心、慈悲”的教导为引，分享作者通过简化生活获得更多快乐的个人经验。文章围绕“佛教教导中的简单与清理”这一关键词，详细阐述了从物质财产、工作、人际关系、心灵、沟通、信息消费、购物、饮食、环境、目标和资源消耗等多个方面进行简化的具体步骤。作者强调，简化不仅是清理外在杂物，更是内在心灵的净化，通过冥想等方式释放负面情绪，实现自我解脱和成就。文章最终呼吁将简单融入生活的方方面面，以达到更高的自我实现。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容
这篇文章就像一个大哥哥或大姐姐在跟我们聊天，告诉我们怎么让生活变得更轻松、更开心。它说，我们有时候会买太多东西，比如玩具或衣服，但很多我们其实用不到，反而让房间变得乱糟糟的。这时候，我们可以学学老子的智慧，记住三个宝贝：简单、耐心和爱心。简单就是少买点东西，把不用的送走；耐心就是慢慢做事，不要一下子做太多；爱心就是关心朋友，但也要保护自己的好心情。文章还教我们怎么整理房间、怎么专心学习、怎么和朋友好好说话，甚至怎么通过静坐让心里安静下来。总之，就是让我们生活简单一点，心里就会更快乐！
佛学的各个宗派视角评价，突出《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角
从佛学视角看，本文倡导的简化生活与佛教核心教义高度契合，尤其在大乘显宗和密宗框架下具有深刻意义。显宗强调“诸法无我”和“般若智慧”，本文对物质执着的批判正体现了破除我执、追求空性的智慧，如简化财产和限制消费，直接对应“布施”和“持戒”的修行。密宗则注重“即身成佛”和“方便法门”，文中提到的冥想作为清理心灵的工具，可视为一种禅定实践，有助于转化烦恼为菩提。
特别从《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角，本文内容彰显了显密圆融的修行路径。该经典强调“心要”为成佛关键，本文的简化主题正是对“心要”的实践：通过外在简化（如清理环境和简化目标）来辅助内在心性的净化，这与经典中“外显内密”的教法一致。例如，简化工作步骤可视为显宗的戒律修持，而冥想清理负面思想则对应密宗的心性观修，两者结合促进“圆通”境界。准提法作为该经典的核心法门，其优点在于简便易行、普摄众根，本文的简化建议同样具有普适性，适合中年人在忙碌生活中应用，帮助减少杂念、提升专注，这正是准提法“一心不乱”修持的体现。整体上，本文从生活层面呼应了佛教的解脱之道，鼓励人们从简单入手，逐步深入心性修行。
在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题。
本文提供的简化方法在修行实践上具有直接应用价值，结合佛教显宗和大乘视角，尤其是准提法的优点，可以帮助人们解决以下十个常见问题：
1. 物质执着问题：通过简化财产和限制购物，减少对物质的依赖，培养布施心，解决“总想买更多”的贪欲。
2. 工作压力问题：通过简化工作步骤和避免多任务，提升效率，减少焦虑，对应佛教的“正精进”修行。
3. 人际关系困扰：通过积极调整社交圈，避免能量消耗，培养慈悲心，解决“朋友让我累”的烦恼。
4. 心灵杂乱问题：通过冥想清理负面思想，实现内心平静，解决“头脑乱糟糟”的困扰，契合准提法的专注修持。
5. 沟通障碍问题：通过简化沟通方式，促进真诚交流，减少误解，体现佛教的“正语”原则。
6. 信息过载问题：通过简化信息源，减少分心，提升智慧，解决“总刷手机停不下来”的散乱。
7. 财务压力问题：通过理性消费，避免债务，培养知足心，解决“钱总不够花”的忧虑。
8. 饮食健康问题：通过简单饮食，减少贪味，促进身体清净，对应佛教的“节食”修行。
9. 环境混乱问题：通过清理居住空间，创造和谐环境，辅助禅修，解决“家里太乱静不下心”的障碍。
10. 目标迷茫问题：通过简化目标，增强自信，找到人生方向，解决“不知道要做什么”的困惑，呼应佛教的“发菩提心”。
这些应用不仅基于本文建议，更融入了准提法的简便性和显宗的戒定慧体系，帮助人们在日常生活中实践佛法，提升生命质量。