A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

by Shoukei Matsumoto

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.

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

If your heart is pure, the world looks brighter. If your world is bright, you can be kinder to others.

At first, it may be hard to get up early in the morning, but if you make cleaning in the morning and tidying in the evening a habit, your body and mind will feel refreshed each day.