Life on a small farm might seem primitive, but by living such a life we become able to discover the Great Path. I believe that one who deeply respects his neighborhood and everyday world in which he lives will be shown the greatest of all worlds.
Interpretation
Living simply can lead to a deeper understanding of life and the world around us.
This quote by Masanobu Fukuoka emphasizes the value of a simple life, particularly one lived on a small farm. He suggests that such a lifestyle allows individuals to connect more deeply with their surroundings and to uncover profound truths about existence. Respecting the local environment and daily interactions fosters a greater appreciation for life and leads to enlightenment.
In practice
During a speech on sustainable living, this quote can inspire others to appreciate simple lifestyles.
When it is understood that one loses joy and happiness in the attempt to possess them, the essence of natural farming will be realized. The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.
As we kill nature, we are killing ourselves, and God incarnate as the world as well.
The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.
Modern research divides nature into tiny pieces and conducts tests that conform neither with natural law nor with practical experience. The results are arranged for the convenience of research, not according to the needs of the farmer.
Gradually I came to realize that the process of saving the desert of the human heart and revegetating the actual desert is actually the same thing.
The increasing desolation of nature, the exhaustion of resources, the uneasiness and disintegration of the human spirit, all have been brought about by humanity's trying to accomplish something.
What kind of people do they [the Japanese] think we are?
In every human society, there is an effort continually tending to confer on one part the height of power and happiness, and to reduce the other to the extreme of weakness and misery. The intent of good laws is to oppose this effort and to diffuse their influence universally and equally.
There is no such thing as an impartial jury because there are no impartial people. There are people that argue on the web for hours about who their favorite character on 'Friends' is.
All service ranks the same with God,- With God, whose puppets, best and worst, Are we: there is no last nor first.
It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.
Ideology... is a kind of contemporary mythology, a realm which has purged itself of ambiguity and alternative possibility.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.