Marginalia

Periodic Reconstruction ¶

• Shikinen Sengu or the ritual of rebuilding
• In Japan the Ise Jingu Grand Shrine is rebuilt every 20 years exactly the same way as during the 7th century.
  • the new version is identical to the previous one and built right next to it
  • the rebuilding includes creating replicas of all the artifacts surrounding the ceremony
  • recreating a sizable fraction of the 7th-century economy

Reconstructing Your Systems ¶

• Start with a fresh environment next to the old one and bring things into the new environment, from the old one, only when you really need them.
  • Really consider if you need something or could in fact to without it.
• Reconstruct this whole note management system every now and then
  • One a year archive all the notes accumulated over the previous year.
  • The next year do the same, but also delete the previous archive.
• Changing your behaviors and routine, rearranging the environment

Reduction ¶

• reduction
  • simplify
  • clutter is costly

Every solution tends to introduce multiple new problems. Can I trade multiple problem-inducing solutions for a single problem?

Unofficial practice ¶

How do you act when no one’s looking—when you’re not looking?

The idea behind this is to let the practice permeate past the time boundaries set aside for it. I may lift weights, but then avoid any physical challenges outside the gym. I may meditate and be mindful for 15 minutes every morning but then mindless the rest of the day. Sometimes the status quo pushes you to go against what you believe in during your practice. You see everyone taking the elevator so you won’t even think about the stairs. It does take awareness to recognize something in a different context. Why do you practice if not to take it beyond itself? Learning, but not using the knowledge acquired. Practice for the sake of practice.

Still Reveries ¶

• interests and hobbies in support of the self-image
• zero point

Elsewhere: Vim