The Spiritual Practice of Keeping Spaces Open
Monk Mindset for Living Well
Detachment: Seek Nothing to Find Everything
Reflection on the Monk Mindset & Quote
Our external environment – rooms, offices, outdoor spaces – impacts how we feel, our spiritual awareness, and how we act. A cluttered physical environment can create chaos internally. Similarly, clutter in other areas of life – numerous media accounts, excessive shopping, or overly busy schedules – can also create internal chaos. When we pare down, instead of having less, we actually have more.
When I was in the monastery, I’d occasionally use the toaster. To my surprise, one of the brothers would always put away the toaster in a cupboard after I used it. At first I became annoyed, because I kept having to take the toaster back out! I confronted the brother about this strange practice – he told me that he wanted to have the counters as cleared as possible so that the kitchen felt open and clear because the external environment helped him to remain open internally. I thought about it and realized that I didn't need to use the toaster all day every day, just for 5 minutes every now and then. I started putting the toaster away after using it as well.
Having fewer things filling our spaces gives us room to breathe in our environment. Getting rid of visual clutter means that our brains and hearts are less full of sensory input, stressors, and distractions. Being less distracted helps us focus on the people and tasks around us. While it may be difficult initially to put away or get rid of possessions, after they’re gone, we often realize we didn’t need them much anyway, and instead, rejoice can rejoice in the cleanliness and peace of open space.
Put It Into Practice This Week
Is there a space in your home or work environment that’s more cluttered than you’d like? This week, devote even 30 minutes to clearing out this space.
Then, the next day, when you’re in this more open space, pause and listen to how you feel.
From this refreshed energy you can gain motivation to build a habit of clearing out other spaces and keeping them that way.
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