News
Spring Cleaning: Finding Equanimity and Peace of Mind in Purification Practices March 31, 2025 15:12
If you prefer to listen to this month's blog offering, please click HERE to access the audio link.
It started with the table. I was standing at the sink washing dishes, and as I turned my head, I said aloud, "I can't take this anymore."
The piles of mail...the crumbs...the placemats with dried food stains...the vitamin and spice bottles that seemed to multiply and take over the table.
I knew it was time to do something. I plan a lot of things--I take comfort in planning, actually--but I rarely plan deep-cleaning adventures. I typically fall into them accidentally and organically, mainly because I tend to delay and procrastinate these projects.
But it's Spring Break--and it's the perfect time for spring cleaning adventures. I spent thirty minutes clearing off the table, scrubbing it clean, changing the placemats, and washing the large ceramic bowl that we fill with apples and use as a centerpiece. I sorted through the mail and put away all of the vitamin and spice bottles.
It was a small accomplishment, but I felt better afterwards, and it created more space and warmth in the kitchen.
This small adventure led to my cleaning off the cabinet space next to the fridge, which led, naturally, to Swedish death cleaning the bedroom closet upstairs.
It felt good to sort through and donate clothes that we no longer wear--to sweep away the cobwebs that accumulate in shadowy corners--to toss broken hangers and receipts that piled up on the dresser.
This process of clearing space, making room, and sorting through clutter felt a bit like a purification practice to me.
The following day, I was sitting in the "tiger chair" upstairs during an online meditation practice on Zoom. I've enjoyed these daily meditation sessions for the past few years. They are led by sangha members connected with Sravasti Abbey.
As we were beginning the 35 Confession Buddhas purification practice, I was distracted by the wall across from me, where I keep a framed print of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Instead of completing the usual prostrations and recitations connected with this practice, I took the framed print and other photos off of the wall and dusted the wall with a dry wash cloth. I grabbed a large plastic bowl (one leftover from my daughter's graduation party and perfect for cleaning) and filled it with soapy water. I spent the remainder of the session cleaning the wall and baseboards. I also cleaned and rehung the pictures on the wall.
Again--I noticed a difference--a subtle shift in the energy of the room. I felt lighter and uplifted as a result, and it was nice to listen to a purification practice and Lam Rim meditation while I worked.
For the rest of the week, I did a little bit more each day--one soapy, water-filled bowl at a time--until I had thoroughly cleaned the rest of the living room, the bedroom, and the upstairs bathroom.
This week-long purification process included washing walls, ceilings, and baseboards from top-to-bottom and from left-to-right. I opened the windows and let fresh air flow through the house. Accompanied by the sounds of peeper frogs and birdsong, I cleared away the dust and clutter, making room for something new and welcoming a new season.
***
In Buddhism, purification practices such as the 35 Confession Buddhas and Vajrasattva Sadhana have the power to cleanse negative karma, mental defilements, and obscurations that prevent us from progressing on the path of spiritual growth, and, ultimately, liberation from suffering.
I've heard more than one Buddhist teacher recommend completing some kind of purification practice every day in order to continue to make steady progress on the path.
I've found that dedicating a few minutes each day to offering prostrations, completing the 35 Confession Buddhas practice and Vajrasattva recitations to be personally beneficial and satisfying to my own practice. It's like a spiritual cleaning practice--a daily "tidying up" to clear away doubts, regrets, and obstacles. Purification practices help us to find equanimity and peace of mind.
***
Spring is ideal for deep cleaning; it's not only good for the home, but also for the physical and mental health of the inhabitants. Clearing away the clutter uplifts spirits and opens spaces for new growth and potential.
Happy Spring, Everyone!
I hope you make time each day to complete your own personal spiritual practices. May they be of benefit to you and to those around you.
If, like me, you are motivated to do a deep Spring cleaning as well, I recommend starting small to avoid overwhelm. Beginning with a table, a cabinet, a drawer, or a small room or closet can foster a sense of accomplishment and provide the motivation to continue your own deep cleaning adventure.
Thank you for taking the time to read or listen to this month's offering. I hope that this new Spring season is treating you well so far.
I have added a few new malas to the current Middle Moon Malas online collection. I also have a few new designs waiting in the wings. Please take a look at the current collection of one-of-a-kind, hand-knotted malas that are designed to inspire and support your own practices.
Enjoy this last day of March--I'll see you again soon at the close of April.
I Just Wanted an Orange Mala February 24, 2015 19:39
I’ve been practicing yoga for fifteen years and meditating (off and on) for just past twenty. I’ve found that simply sitting in a quiet space trying clear my mind only made the mind chatter louder. However, when I use a mala, it is so much easier to dive into my meditation practice. Guiding smooth stones or seeds across my thumb and finger with a mantra, phrase, single word, or even just a breath, allows my practice to take root, germinate, and cultivate serenity.
I’m drawn to malas not only as meditation tools, but also as works of art. I started to collect them for their different colors, stones, and designs. Each mala carried its own unique energy, and I assigned a unique mantra or affirmation for each one. I had collected over a dozen and draped them across the altar space in my home office. Bodhi seeds, lotus seeds, green adventurine, lapis, amethyst, rose quartz, malachite, rosewood, jasper, labradorite, citrine…and then it occurred to me; I wanted an orange mala. I had colors that corresponded to all of the other major chakras, all but orange. I decided that I could use a boost of creative energy, so I set out to find one in my usual places—online stores, local shops—but no luck. The only one that even came close was an overpriced plastic mala, and it wasn’t even knotted.
I prefer knotted malas. I can see and feel more of the beads, they don’t catch in my hair if I choose to wear them, and if the cord breaks, all of the beads don’t scatter across the floor. Besides, the knots represent the challenges in life, and the beads symbolize the beautiful aspects, and we need a balance of both to have a fulfilling life.
When my search proved unsuccessful, the thought occurred to me…maybe I can make my own orange mala? So I changed my approach and found beautiful orange aqua terra jasper beads in an Etsy shop and a lovely carved wooden bead for the guru.
I treated the whole project like a science experiment—no pressure—no expectations—just playing with pretty beads and cord. After a couple of months of practice and trial-and-error with different types of cord and needles—and many attempts at stringing and restringing beads, I finally had my orange mala. The process, itself, had become a sort of meditation, and ultimately, after a year of continuing to practice and explore the art of mala-making with various sizes, shapes, colors, and types of beads, became the impetus for Middle Moon Malas.
My search for an increase in creative energy has led me to design beautiful malas for others. My intention is to create hand-crafted and heart-made malas for those seeking to find their own way into a meditation practice, for those who want to wear and absorb the energy of the stones, or for those who would like to adorn their sacred spaces.
I hope you find a beautiful Middle Moon Malas design that will enhance your personal practice and inspire you to find what you are seeking on your path. Or, send me a message if you're interested in a custom design.