Thus have I heard:

The Blessed One sat with a group of developers and said:

Tell me, friends, what is clutter in your craft?

A developer replied,

It is too many features.

Another said,

It is slow software.

Another,

It is code that is difficult to change.

Still another,

It is decisions made without care.

The Blessed One smiled and said:

You have spoken well. But listen, and I shall tell you more clearly what is meant by uncluttered.

On Software that Serves

When a user must click five times to do what could be done in one — is that not clutter? When the screen flashes, distracts, or confuses — is that not clutter? When features are built for the sake of appearing clever rather than helping — is that not clutter?

Uncluttered software is silent and invisible. It helps the user without asking them to admire it. It respects their time, their attention, and their patience.

On Code that Breathes

When a developer returns to their own code and cannot understand it — that is clutter. When a function does ten things instead of one — that is clutter. When behavior is hard-coded, and the future must bend to the past — that is clutter.

Uncluttered code is simple to read and easy to change. It welcomes the next developer like a kind host welcomes a guest. It does not assume, it listens. It does not cling, it flows.

On the Developer’s Heart

When your desk is full of distractions, your calendar full of noise, and your mind full of pressure — how will you create anything clear? When you work without rest, without space, without reflection — how will your software not inherit your suffering?

Just as muddy water clears when left undisturbed, the mind of a developer becomes wise when given space. Clarity in code begins with clarity in the soul.

On the Courage to Let Go

Many say: ‘It works, leave it alone.’ But I ask: ‘Does it serve? Does it breathe? Does it bring peace?’ If not, then do not cling — even to what works.

Uncluttering is not subtraction for its own sake. It is releasing what no longer serves — with wisdom and love.

On the Power of Tests

What gives the developer confidence to walk forward? Is it not the humble test, quietly guarding the path? When a test is brittle, it causes fear. When a test is honest and clear, it brings peace.

Write tests not as chains, but as candles — so that those who follow may see the path.

The Final Teaching

Then the Blessed One said:

Software is built not just with tools, but with the mind. If the mind is cluttered, the product will be cluttered. If the mind is clear, the product will be clear. Therefore, train not only your hands — but your heart.

Build only what brings clarity. Remove what brings confusion. And in doing so, you will not only serve your users — you will walk the path of peace.

And the developers bowed their heads, for they saw the truth of his words.