“Things which seem in poor taste: too many personal effects cluttering up the place where one is sitting; too many brushes in an ink-box; too many Buddhas in a family temple; too many stones and plants in a garden; too many children in a house; too many words on meeting someone; too many meritorious deeds recorded in a petition. Things which are not offensive, no matter how numerous: books in a book cart, rubbish in a rubbish heap.”

72
Essays in Idleness (1967 Columbia University Press, Trns: Donald Keene)

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Yoshida Kenkō 31
japanese writer 1283–1350

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