"This is my renunciation." Part 1 of the series

Learning from Hasegawa Tohaku's 'The Blank Space in Pine Trees Screen': How to create a 1-minute buffer between exhausting tasks.

This article is the first in a five-part series. Below is the table of contents for the series.

Part 1. "Learning from 'The Blank Space in Pine Trees Screen': How to create a 1-minute buffer between exhausting tasks."

Part 2. "Learning from 'Blur': Finding the line of acceptable failure."

Part 3. "Learning from 'The Five Colors of Ink': How to perceive your emotions from multiple perspectives."

Part 4. "Learning from 'Single-Stroke Painting': Delete-thinking to instantly let go of past failures."

Part 5. "Learning from 'Zen and Enlightenment': Defining ultimate peace of mind (renunciation)."

The last bastion found in the suffering of being unable to work

　I think most adults work. If you cannot go out into society and work, you might be called a social misfit. That is me.　Even when I work, it doesn't last long. My mental health cannot take it. After repeating this several times, I developed an adjustment disorder. I am still trying to work somehow, but I am not being hired. Therefore, unfortunately, I am currently unemployed.　To escape this suffering of being unable to work, I have started this five-part series titled, "This is my renunciation."　Now, the last bastion I found, having been unable to work, was the world of ink wash painting that I studied during my university days. I had liked it before, but I think I liked it merely as intellectual curiosity, not as a salvation for my heart. Now, I understand well the reasons for believing in religion. Whatever it may be, humans need a foundation for their hearts in order to live. In searching for hints on how to live, I arrived at the world of ink wash painting. And, it was Buddhism that encompasses it.

Zen philosophy: The wisdom of 'letting go' instead of filling up

　When people hear about ink wash painting or Buddhism, many might think it is religious or old-fashioned. However, it cannot be dismissed just like that. The secrets to mental care, to resting one's own heart, are packed within it.　Modern society tends to make 'filling every corner' a virtue. A blank space in a schedule book is bad; an incomplete task list is bad; we unconsciously seek perfection. I myself was constantly trapped by such perfectionism until I developed an adjustment disorder.　However, the world of ink wash painting is the exact opposite.　More than the pines and mountains drawn with ink, the 'blank space' where nothing is drawn is the lifeline of the painting and accentuates the presence of the subject. This 'blank space' is not 'cutting corners.' It is the 'supreme wisdom of intentionally stopping drawing.'　This 'philosophy of blank space' is nothing less than the secret to mental defense, which is necessary for us who are constantly exhausted with schedules and hearts that are packed tight.

What the 'blank space' in 'Pine Trees Screen' teaches us

　Now, for this first installment, the commemorative start of the five-part series, titled "Learning from 'The Blank Space in Pine Trees Screen': How to create a 1-minute buffer between exhausting tasks," we will explore how to be conscious of blank space and take mental rest even while busy.　This is Hasegawa Tohaku's 'Pine Trees Screen' that we will be covering this time.

　Much of the screen is just white paper, with 'blank space where nothing is drawn' spreading out. Thinking with a modern sensibility, one might feel that 'there is not enough drawing.' However, I believe this is the Zen philosophy and the 'supreme way to compose the heart' that Tohaku wanted to convey.　The blank space in this Pine Trees Screen is not 'undrawn,' but a 'space where he intentionally stopped drawing.' By stopping the continuous application of the brush to increase the degree of completion and letting go of drawing, Tohaku instead created the presence of the pines, the quiet atmosphere of the mist, and the blank space of the heart.　Our hearts are the same. A state constantly filled with schedules, tasks, and noise of information is suffocating, like a Pine Trees Screen without blank space.

Practice: How to create 'intentional blank space between tasks'

　This blank space (buffer) becomes a 'mental defense' to keep your heart from breaking.　Now, there may be concerns that creating a 15-minute blank space during work is not realistic. I think that is correct. The purpose of this buffer is not to 'rest for a long time.' The purpose is to have 'time to intentionally stop acting and empty your heart,' just as Tohaku left intervals.　The important thing is to 'intentionally set a buffer (blank space) of 1 to 15 minutes before starting the next task.'　This buffer can start at 1 minute or 3 minutes. Please adjust it flexibly according to your situation.

1. Decide on an action when a task is completed

• (Example) "When email correspondence is finished, first stand up and look at the sky outside the window for 1 minute" • (Example) "When planning document creation is finished, leave the desk and brew coffee (3 minutes)"

2. During the blank space, do only things that are "unrelated to the task"

• Do not look at social media. Do not open materials for the next task.
• Prioritize actions that empty your mind, such as zoning out, stretching, or quickly writing down the emotions you are feeling right now in the "Shinsuiki" app and then deleting them.

3. Set boundaries with time and reset

• Once the buffer time you decided on (1 to 15 minutes) has passed, reset your mind and start the next task.
This short buffer is the same as the misty blank space in Tohaku's "Pine Trees Screen." It is precisely because of this blank space that the fatigue from the previous task fades, allowing you to welcome the next task with a fresh mind.

A message from HuyuShiori

In this series, I will walk a journey to regain peace of mind, relying on the "philosophy of Zen."

1. A place to turn to when your mind is restless: Web app "Shinsuiki"

• When your mind feels restless, please try the free web app I develop and manage. You can write down your emotions exactly as they are in a safe place where no one can see them. It is a tool for creating "white space" in your mind.
• (*Note: The app link may appear as "Irresponsible Notebook | Pure Land of Emotions," but the content is Shinsuiki and can be used without any issues.)

2. For those who want to read deep reflections on Buddhism and art: My website

• On "Every Day is a Good Day, My Pleasure," I delve into explanations and deep reflections on Buddhism and Japanese art history.

Next time, Part 2

"Learning from 'Bleeding Ink': Finding the line for acceptable failure." I plan to explore how to liberate the mind that seeks perfection from the contingency of "bleeding ink" in ink wash painting. Please look forward to it.

○ Images used: Header image

The images used, including the header image, are from Wikimedia Commons. The links are below.
Please feel free to visit my web app and website as well.

○ If you would like to see the real "Pine Trees Screen," please visit the Tokyo National Museum.
During the period from January 1, 2026, to January 12, 2026
It will be on display in Room 2 (National Treasure Room) of the Honkan (Japanese Gallery).
#ThisIsMyRenunciation #HuyuShiori #ZenPhilosophy #InkWashPainting #MentalWhiteSpace #SelfCare #MentalHealth #DifficultyLiving #AdjustmentDisorder #EveryDayIsAGoodDay

I am also announcing it on X (formerly Twitter).