A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind Quotes

“nothing starts out as rubbish. Things become rubbish when they are treated as rubbish.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“We sweep dust to remove our worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“it is important to give children as many chores as possible.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“Your garden is a place where your body and soul can be in dialogue with your surroundings.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“Regardless of how much you clean things on the surface, if the air around you is stale, your mind will also feel this way.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“Clean your screens as if you are cleaning your soul, allowing the air to flow through freely.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“Baking soda is particularly effective for cleaning sinks.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“Cleaning is carried out not because there is dirt, but because it’s an ascetic practice to cultivate the mind.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“Glass is the very symbol of transparency and nonattachment. If your windows are cloudy or dusty, your mind will become cloudy as well.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“When ironing, visualize yourself ironing out the wrinkles in your heart.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“What people see in a garden is a reflection of what is in their heart.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“CLEAN THE LAMPS AND FIXTURES GENTLY, AS IF YOU ARE POLISHING YOUR HEART AND SOUL TO MAKE THEM SHINE THEIR BRIGHTEST.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“Open a window and interact with nature.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“One must-do before cleaning is to open the windows to allow fresh air in.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“Clean off dust. Remove grime.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“Sleeping longer than what your body actually requires is nothing short of lazy. Succumbing to sleep gluttony is giving in to your worldly desires.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“If the body is washed sloppily, then impurities of the heart cannot be removed.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“For the sake of both humans and insects, please be kind to and respectful of life.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“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.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind

“Because our gardens are a part of nature, they never look exactly the same twice.”
― Shoukei Matsumoto, A Monk’s Guide to A Clean House & Mind