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Chop Wood, Carry Water
Tiny Insights from the Countryside.
No.036 — Read old posts on Tinyfarmlab.com
Reading Time 3 minutes
"The boys have made it," said our friends on Instagram after we were recently featured in Architecture Digest for our mud house project.
Mud House is featured on the home page of Architecture Digest India.
In one of our previous videos, we talked about how we often tie our happiness to external validations like fame.
But what really happens when you get a little fame?
Honestly, nothing changes.
What changes is who you become during the journey.
Our actions remain the same.
It’s much like the Zen Buddhist koan:
Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.
After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.
In this koan, the novice asks the master,
"What does one do before enlightenment?"
"Chop wood. Carry water," replies the master.
The novice then asks, "What does one do after enlightenment?"
"Chop wood. Carry water," the master responds.
This wisdom teaches us that no achievement can make us feel complete if we don't already feel enough before we get there.
Achievements are rewarding, but they don’t fundamentally change who we are or what we do.
It feels good to be recognized for our hard work, but more importantly, we’re thrilled that our success has sparked interest in the beauty and sustainability of mud houses.
Ansh filling water.
Our family and friends are quick to ask, "What’s next?"
Before building the mud house, we wanted to learn new skills, craft beautiful spaces, and create art.
After building the mud house, our goals remain the same: learn new skills, craft beautiful spaces, and create more art.
We were never in it for the goals but for the love of the process.
Our uncle, an architect himself, always reminds us with a bit of wisdom:
Once you climb Everest, you don't just sit there; you come down and find another peak to climb.
Inspired by his words, we are now on the lookout for our next challenging project.
If you have an exciting idea or a project in mind, we would love to hear from you. Let’s embark on this new adventure together and create more soulful spaces!
Love,
Raghav and Ansh
What you can watch - Cost of a Mud House I Cement vs Cob House
In last week’s, video, we talked about the 5 key factors that influence the cost of a cob house. In the end, we talk about the value per sq. ft that you get when you build a cob house.
What you can listen to - Ianto Evans - Natural Builder
This is an interview with the famous co-author of The Hand-Sculpted House and the co-founder of The Cob Cottage Company.
What You Can Read - Why has traditional architecture all around the world disappeared?
An insightful and thought-provoking twitter thread by The Cultural Tutor.
P.S. - Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways we can help you-
#1: Book a free discovery call if you have questions regarding moving to the countryside or building your mud house.
#2: Have you seen our YouTube Channel? We are putting a ton of energy into creating heaps of valuable content that we think you'll like. Come check out our latest videos, and give us a like and subscribe.
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