Taru wo shiru: to know what is enough | General Homesteading Discussion | Forums

We are all co-creating the universe. Whether you are a conservative politician, an anarchist, a farmer, or a monk, whenever you choose to take part in something, or not take part in something, you are co-creating the universe. In Japan, there is a culture of studying too much, working too hard, and living to make money, even more so than in America. This short film features six vignettes of individuals that challenge mainstream culture through their practice of Buddhism and permaculture.

In the west, I think we often do a disservice by either over romanticizing or reducing too far the idea of simple living. What we seek is not necessarily a simple life; it is a more focused one, a life in which unnecessary excesses are eliminated. A life that allows the time and the space to grow food, create art, practice the spiritual, and build community. If the way modern society is structured is not nourishing us, how do we change our predicament? Neither accepting it as the way it is or completely rejecting society is productive. How do we be both independent of the system but also take part in transforming a system that is dictating our happiness and the health of our planet? This film explores these questions.