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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.
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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.
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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.
Tending and Attending: Spring Cleaning as a Practice March 26, 2022 13:49
If you prefer to listen to this month's blog article, please click HERE for the audio link.
It's that time of year again--Spring is here! Birds are busy building their nests, and I am busy cleaning mine. I'm on Spring Break this week, and this is an ideal time for deep cleaning.
A few days ago, I deep cleaned our living room. I was on a mission!
I dusted the tables, lamps, framed photos, I vacuumed the couch and chairs, pushed all of the furniture to the middle of the room so I could sweep the baseboards, I corralled dust bunnies and a few dead stink bugs, mopped every corner and square inch, scooched the furniture back in place, and collapsed in exhaustion...
This. Was. A. Chore! It was a "have to," and I did not enjoy the process. While I was cleaning, my thoughts were scattered (much like the fluffy dust bunnies). I was thinking about other things that I needed to do later--or things that I would rather do besides clean the living room. I thought about my friends who were vacationing in warm, seaside climates and grew resentful. Ugh!
Even though the room looked great afterwards, and I was glad that I had taken the time to clean it (all two hours of it), I wasn't really satisfied. My mind was agitated rather than calm, and my body was exhausted rather than energized.
This is the result of striving. Striving comes from a place of "have to" rather than "want to." Striving is motivated by obligation and ego; it's an operation of "should." It's a product of pushing and forcing rather than allowing. My mind was definitely not attentive to any part of the process in this cleaning adventure. I was just hurrying to get it done--and that's no way to live.
Yesterday, I fell into cleaning the kitchen, which is adjacent to the living room. I didn't plan it ahead of time. I had wandered into the kitchen in my pajamas to make some juice (carrot, Granny Smith apple, and ginger). As I sat at the table, I noticed crumbs and a few stains on my placemat.
After drinking my juice, I cleared the table. I was present with what I was doing, I wasn't in a hurry, and I was tending to one thing at a time. I started with the mail that seems to magically accumulate, sorting bills out of the junk mail and miscellaneous catalogues. I tossed the stained placemats in the laundry basket, wiped the table with a clean washcloth, sorted spices and vitamins that we keep on trivets, and put fresh placemats on the table.
I could have stopped there at that point, but I liked how the table looked, and I liked how I felt. I was clear-headed and present. I was mindful, alert, and gently focused. I wasn't thinking about later--instead, I was tending to right now, to this present moment. As a result, I kept going.
I moved a huge planter that was taking up valuable cabinet space to the porch. Then, I cleaned the cabinet space, wiping away a few dead leaves and bits of potting soil.
Then, I moved the chairs into the hall, along with anything else that was on the floor--a trash can, a pair of shoes, Jim's heavy duty lunch box, so I could sweep the floor. I moved with ease and with a calm mind as I brushed the crumbs and dust to the center of the floor. All that mattered was what was happening in the moment. I was aware of the broom handle in my hands, the texture, the cool temperature of metal against my palms and fingers. I was aware of the sounds the bristles made as they brushed across the floor. It was an embodied experience.
I brushed the dust and crumbs into a dust pan, filled a container with warm water, a few drops of dish soap, a splash of vinegar, and a few drops of essential oils (Lemon and Siberian Fir). I took my time as I mopped the floor. I enjoyed the smell of citrus and earthy pine as I made my way around the kitchen.
What started as a simple observation--stains and crumbs on a placemat--turned into a practical exercise in functional mindfulness. I wasn't agitated or exhausted afterwards. Instead, I was calm and energized, and I had enjoyed the process. I was curious and had a gentle, playful attitude. I was very aware of my body moving through the room and was attentive to sensory details--textures, smells, colors, temperatures.
I had been tending, rather than forcing. I had been attentive, rather than scattered and harried. I had enjoyed the sights, sounds, and sensations rather than bypassing them with distracted thoughts.
The result was the same--I had a clean kitchen to show for my efforts, but because my efforts were relaxed and rooted in gentle awareness, I was able to appreciate and enjoy each part of the process. It wasn't a chore, rooted in ego with a destination or agenda, or a "have to"--it was a pleasant, mindful, moving meditation.
And what's more, I didn't even bother to look at the clock to see how long this took. I had forgotten about the time!
I did a lot more than clean my kitchen yesterday. This experience was a wonderful reminder that meditation practice does not just occur on a cushion. It can happen anywhere. The key ingredients are a relaxed mindset and a gentle, but attentive focus.
Early this morning, I listened to Brené Brown's Dare to Lead podcast with guest Amishi Jha, neurologist and author of Peak Mind. (Here's the link to her episode: Finding Focus and Owning Your Attention)
They discussed the relevance, importance, and value of mindfulness and meditation--and specifically, how these practices can impact focus and memory.
I liked the metaphor that Jha used comparing the mind to a flashlight. The mind can really only focus on one thing at a time, but the mind is also wired for wandering. Consequently, practices like mindfulness, meditation, mantra recitations, etc. can help to gently shine the light of attention where you need to and redirect it easily if it strays.
We're all works in progress, and I am actively working on bringing a more mindful focus to what I do more often during the day--to tend and attend with awareness and ease.
The time I spend on my cushion and the time I spend with mantra practice help me to recharge the batteries of my own "flashlight," especially when I feel the urge to strive and force my way through the day.
Spring is an ideal time to renew your personal practice. If you haven't had an opportunity to check out the full collection of Middle Moon Malas, please do! Several beautiful new hand-knotted malas have been added to the online shop.