A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

nothing starts out as rubbish. Things become rubbish when they are treated as rubbish.

We sweep dust to remove our worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments.

it is important to give children as many chores as possible.

People who don’t respect objects don’t respect people. For them, anything no longer needed is just rubbish. A child who grows up watching their parents act this way comes to perceive not just things but friends in the same way as well.

Zengosaidan is a Zen expression meaning that we must put all of our efforts into each day so we have no regrets, and that we must not grieve for the past or worry about the future. In the context of cleaning, zengosaidan means “Don’t put it off till tomorrow.

Your garden is a place where your body and soul can be in dialogue with your surroundings.

Regardless of how much you clean things on the surface, if the air around you is stale, your mind will also feel this way.

A monk’s day begins with cleaning. We sweep the temple grounds and gardens and polish the main temple hall. We don’t do this because it’s dirty or messy. We do it to eliminate the suffering in our hearts.

With just the smallest bit of neglect, the heart too can become neglected and begin to fill with worldly desires. This is why we must do the laundry.

Clean your screens as if you are cleaning your soul, allowing the air to flow through freely.

Baking soda is particularly effective for cleaning sinks.

Cleaning is carried out not because there is dirt, but because it’s an ascetic practice to cultivate the mind.

Glass is the very symbol of transparency and nonattachment. If your windows are cloudy or dusty, your mind will become cloudy as well.

When ironing, visualize yourself ironing out the wrinkles in your heart.

Of course, doing things this way saves time, but cutting corners on one task leads us to cut corners on another and then another, leading to a weakening of the heart.

What people see in a garden is a reflection of what is in their heart.

CLEAN THE LAMPS AND FIXTURES GENTLY, AS IF YOU ARE POLISHING YOUR HEART AND SOUL TO MAKE THEM SHINE THEIR BRIGHTEST.

Once you become used to a diet based on mild vegetables, the ability to identify even the most subtle of flavours with your tongue enhances the joy of eating, greatly improving your sense of taste.

Open a window and interact with nature.

One must-do before cleaning is to open the windows to allow fresh air in.

Shokuzen—before meals: “Many lives, and much hard work, have gone into the blessing that is this meal. I will show my appreciation by enjoying this food with a deep sense of gratitude.” Shokugo—after meals: “I thank you for the wonderful meal, with deep gratitude, respect, and reverence.

Sleeping longer than what your body actually requires is nothing short of lazy. Succumbing to sleep gluttony is giving in to your worldly desires.

If the body is washed sloppily, then impurities of the heart cannot be removed.

You don’t want to cause problems for others, so you really must ensure that you are doing things properly. This is an opportunity to learn that your existence is not just about yourself.

For the sake of both humans and insects, please be kind to and respectful of life.

not being wasteful is not just about avoiding waste—it also embodies a spirit of gratitude toward objects. People who don’t respect objects don’t respect people. For them, anything no longer needed is just garbage. Children who grow up watching their parents act this way come to perceive not just things but friends in the same way as well.

Things exist because all things relate with each other to support each other’s existence. Humans are the same. The people and things in your life are what makes you who you are. This is why it’s not for you to judge whether something is useful or to designate things you can’t use as garbage.

What is garbage exactly? Things that are dirty, worn out, unusable, no longer useful, no longer needed, and so on. And yet nothing starts out as garbage. Things become garbage when they are treated as garbage.

Because our gardens are a part of nature, they never look exactly the same twice.