Minimalism as a Spiritual Practice

“There’s happiness in having less.” – Fumio Sasaki

We live in a consumer society. We are told to buy, buy, buy. The more you have, the happier you will be. You don’t want to be a “have not.”

But it is a lie. More does not lead to happiness, but to unhappiness.

I define minimalism as a spiritual practice of reducing your possessions to a minimum. It is also called voluntary simplicity, and it goes back way before the Japanese minimalism wave started in 2009.

Minimalism is more than a practice, it is a mindset and way of life.

Rabbi Hyman Schachtel once said, “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.”

Like so many things in life, it comes back to the mind. Our mind is our greatest asset and our greatest source of unhappiness. It all depends on how you use it.

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Jay N. Forrest

Dr. Jay N Forrest is a Spiritual Teacher of the Anglican Middle Way, writing on Prayer, Meditation, and Mysticism. Jay became a Christian in 1983, attended Bible school, and eventually earned his Doctorate in Ministry. Jay served as a Protestant minister for 27 years, took catechism classes with the Orthodox Church of America, and spent about a decade practicing Buddhism. In 2005, Jay was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic Church, but has since joined the Episcopal Church.

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