It feels like there is no correct translation for it in English -- idleness carries connotations of laziness whereas a better way to think about it is being aware and present of the moment.<p>I have been practicing Buddhism for a while and it often is indescribably blissful to just sit in nature, feeling the wind in my hair and sun on my back.<p>Anyone can experience this door with just a little bit of practice and I encourage everyone to try.
I started with “How to Be Idle” by Hodgkinson about 20 years ago. Found “The importance of living “ by Lin yutang.
I now have a small collection of books about idleness… yet here i am working and then throwing myself into working on a century house in my spare time… feeling starved for idleness. Yet my most creative ideas for it come when I’m idle.<p>Idleness led to Taoism, the pursuit of being useless. Led to Buddhism: just sit.<p>As the quote sort of goes: The great preponderance of society’s problems come from people’s inability to sit quietly in a room by themselves.<p>It’s a noble pursuit, idleness. Really. If you haven’t tried it, give it a real shake. A little more might fall out than you expect.
Sounds like something a communist who killed himself would write.
Earlier discussion of Lafarge's The Right to Be Lazy (217 comments):<p><a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33901623">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33901623</a>