When Less Becomes Plenty: Meaning and Stillness in A Plough and a Spade
What if happiness isn’t found in more—but in knowing when you already have enough?
A Plough and a Spade
Nguyen Trai
A plough and a spade, that’s all.
A row of chrysanthemums, and orchids,
A place to plant beans: That’s all I need.
Friends come, birds sing, and flowers wave: Welcome!
The moon walks with me when I fetch water for tea.
Old Po Yi stayed pure and stayed happy,
Reflection
Nguyen Trai’s poem reminds us that fulfillment is not found in accumulation, but in sufficiency. A plough, a spade, a few flowers, beans in the soil—these humble images reveal a life rooted in purpose rather than possession. Nature becomes companion, not backdrop: birds greet, flowers wave, and even the moon keeps company during ordinary tasks. This is a quiet manifesto against excess and distraction. Like the ancient sage Po Yi, the poem suggests that purity of life comes from choosing what is enough—and letting go of what is not. Contentment grows where simplicity is honored.
As you read this poem, ask yourself:
What might change in your life if you defined “enough” more simply—and lived from that place?