tag > Praxis
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Soji (掃除): A Meditation on Zen Cleaning by Shoukei Matsumoto
In Japan, cleaning is called ‘Soji’ and valued as a way to cultivate our minds. In fact, Soji is beyond mere cleaning. Buddhist monks in a monastery put more time into practicing Soji than into practicing Zen meditation. Actually, Zen is not only about meditation but about your whole life.
A monk’s day begins with cleaning. We sweep the temple grounds and gardens and polish the temple building. We don’t do this because it’s dirty or messy. We sweep dust to remove our worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments.
One important thing Soji practice tells us is that we never complete cleaning. Just as leaves begin to fall right after you sweep, desires begin to accumulate right after you refresh your mind. We continue cleaning the gloom in our hearts, knowing that we will never end it.
How can you change your daily housework into an opportunity to contemplate yourself? I recommend that you have your own ritual when you start cleaning. In my case, I give prayer and chant a short mantra to a little Buddha statue before cleaning. Once you make it your daily routine, it protects you from evils. This is the power of routine.
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“The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” - Josiyah Martin
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New Ways November calendar for inspiration through this month. From "Action for Happiness"
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Life presents us all with challenging situations that are stressful. Practicing relaxation & equanimity are key to success. "It's not stress that kills us; it is our reaction to it" - "Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one" - Hans Selye
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Lifestyle Medicine: The Health Promoting Power of Daily Habits and Practices
The majority of deaths are due to a few causes, and preventable risk factors are a key driver of many. If we are serious about improving the health of humanity, we invest less in complex tech solutions ("A.I driven Biotech, etc.) & more in "Lifestyle change as medicine".
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"The happiness you feel when the saplings you planted grow to become a space for birds, squirrels and a host of other essential elements of nature, is unmatched!" - Hari Prasad Nadig
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A opportunity space i deeply care about
For a growing number of serious health challenges - such as burnout, tinnitus, PMS, heart disease, cancer & surgery recovery - the medical system is advising patients to "relax", "exercise" & "be in nature". Yet they offer no help how to practically develop and maintaining such life-style change. A giant missed opportunity.
I deeply care about this opportunity space. When ever time permitted, been doing product research & development work on this with friends for years - creating a practical solution that really excites me. I strongly hope we will find a way to bring it live & help many in need.
