Cleaning cultivates the mind

A MONK’S day begins with cleaning. At the Komyoji Temple in Tokyo, we sweep the grounds and gardens, and polish the main temple hall. We don’t do this because they are dirty or messy. We do it to eliminate the gloom in our hearts.

We sweep dust to remove our worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments. The time we spend cleaning is extremely fulfilling.

But it’s not only monks who need to live this way. Everyone needs to do it. Japanese people have always regarded cleaning as more than a common chore. It’s normal for students to clean their classroom together. It probably has to do with the notion that cleaning isn’t just about removing dirt. It’s also linked to cultivating the mind.

Cleaning should be done in the morning. Do it as your very first activity of the day. By the time everyone else in your house is waking up, you are all set for your day’s work.

The various chores that monks must take care of while in training change periodically. Changing household duties is an effective way to teach children what needs to be done. Family ties are the strongest of all human bonds. Use household chores to deepen them.

‘Zengosaidan’ is a Zen expression meaning that we must put all our efforts into each day so we have no regrets. In the context of cleaning, it means ‘Don’t put it off till tomorrow’. The longer you neglect the impurities of the heart, the harder it is to remove them.

A Monk’s Guide To A Clean House And Mind, by Shoukei Matsumoto, is published by Penguin, priced £4.99.