The Importance of Living

Lin-Yutang (1895-1976) a Chinese humanist and humourist, was steeped in the ancient wisdom of his motherland. Lin-yutang was also a cosmopolitan. Educated at Saint Johns University in Shanghai, he went on to take his Master's degree at Harvard, then his doctorate at the University of Leipzig. His two most well known writings 'My Country and My People' (1935) and 'The Importance of Living' (1937) brought him international fame, the latter a perennial classic and best seller for decades. A decent reprint of this remarkable book has long been overdue. Happily, the Singapore based publisher, Cultured Lotus, has made a new edition available. The positive reviews were gratifying to see. This isn't a book to read in a hurry. As the cover-blurb puts it: "offered as a remedy to modern day living, is the classic distillation of Chinese wisdom, revere inaction as much as action , observe the place of humour to ensure healthy living, and simply celebrate existence. Gaily serious, cynicaly kind, shot through with a sense of comedy and backed by sages of many centuries, it brings forth the salt and tang of life. Lin Yutang observes: " a man who loves life intensely must be always jealous of the few exquisite moments of leisure that he has. And he must retain the dignity and pride of the vagabond. His hours of fishing must be as sacred as his hours of business, erected into a kind of religion as the English have done with sport. " Superficially, one might see such a philosophy as a refusal to take life seriously - but, Lin Yutang's perspective here is summed up by the quotation from Chang chao: "Only those who take leisurely what the people of the world are busy about can be busy about what the people of the world take leisurely. " Hence, what this outlook refuses to embrace is the notion that the only meaningful activity open to us - is that which is purpose driven, against which, leisure time will be evaluated as 'dead time.' Lin Yutang reminds us of the positive, living potentialities of 'leisure' time. Much of this is of Taoist inspiration, but like the ancient Greeks, even Confucius recognised that human life is meaningless, if reduced to repetitive, merely utilitarian processes. Lin Yutang's thought ranges over many aspects of life. Not everything said in this book reflects the 'oriental' point of view (he knew Europe and America)- or Taoist wisdom. Whatever he touches on, usually elicits some witty fact or observation. Nevertheless, many - if not most readers, find Lin-Yutang at his most compelling when digressing on the finer details of ancient Chinese culture, be it the appreciation of tea and incense, eminent Chinese painters and poets - and their works. Although but sixteen pages, the 'Critical Chinese Vocabulary' Lin-Yutang appended to this text is immensely interesting and worth its weight in gold, when it comes to unpacking the delicate shades of meaning permitted by the combination of various Chinese characters. This is a

This is a true modern classic (to those who consider 1937 modern anyway). Lin Yutang offers a meandering, informal look at life, happiness, the differences between Eastern and Western cultures, the enjoyment of food and many other things. What I like best about this book is not what it argues for or advocates (Yutang is about as far from an academic philosopher as you can get) but the joy and wisdom he injects into every paragraph. He is often considered a Chinese thinker, but this is only partially true. His very broad studies and experiences make him a true cosmopolitan, the sort it is hard to find today. The Importance of Living is really a call to appreciate the earthly pleasures of life and not take so seriously the overrated follies of modern civilization. You don't have to completely agree with his views to appreciate his style. The ideal life for Lin Yutang is that of a lazy, wandering Taoist scholar. Not a humorless ascetic, but someone who approaches life with a sense of humor and an ability to enjoy the small pleasures. Yutang identifies himself as a hedonist (later in life he became Christian, but that's another story). There are many self help and new age books out today that tell you how to live a simpler, more spiritual life. This book tells you the same thing in a way that is far wittier and less sanctimonious.

I bought a copy of this book (the original 1937 edition) in a secondhand book store in the 1970s for the princely sum of $1.00. Through countless moves since then I have somehow managed to retain this book, which is surprising since I have lost or given away so many books, almost all of which cost me much more money than this one did. I can honestly say it was the most profitable dollar I ever spent. This is a wonderful book -- rambling at times, it is true -- but it contains many gems. Yutang is a superb writer and his quote of Chuangtse (as he spells the name of the famous Chinese philosopher) is classic: "Spit forth intelligence." This, along with William Strunk's famous dictum "Omit needless words," is a phrase every writer should live by.

I am actually disapointed to find this book in wide circulation. A friend had introduced me to an old copy of 'The importance of Living' on the balcony of a mountain home in the Blue mountains, Sydney, Australia. The edition he showed me resembled a holy text, with its simple red cover and black insignia-character. On opening the cover of Yutang's book, the reader must peruse the contents. This is an intriguing read in itself. Chapters such as 'on having strong muscles' and the classics 'on tea and friendship' and 'on Luck' illustrate Yutang's unorthodox approach to life and philosophy. After reading Yutang, after immersing myself in his slow and simple prose style, I decided, as I am sure many before me have, to live my life by his recommendations, to treat sleep, tea, friendship and leisure as Yutang himself would. So profound was my reaction to 'The importance of living', that I began to reproduce selections of text on my computer. I printed sections describing firecrackers and stuck them beside the front door. I 'blu-tacked' a section about the merits of lying sideways in bed just above my pillow. Soon the house was littered by the floating philosophy of Lin Yutang. I lived in that house for nearly one year. In that time, Yutang philosophy carried me through abject poverty. There is also reason to believe that my adopted Yutangisms were a major factor in the genesis of a whirl-wind and ultimately life-long relationship. Basically, read Yutang's wise words on life, adopt or reject his ideas after long, easy, tea-drenched contemplation. I gaurantee you will not emerge unchanged.