I don’t know why but the idea occurred to me this morning that the best way I could observe the uposatha would be not solely through trying to spend more time in meditation and contemplation but by taking the initiative to clean the house and put things in order. This is not to say that we are slovenly folk in my house, it’s just that with two kids and a job that threatens to consume your life things outside of the essential can slip by unnoticed.
I believe it was something I read in my teacher’s new book, The Skill of LIving, about being true to one’s word that got me thinking about how the way we conduct ourselves in all aspects of our life off the cushion reflects our approach to the Dhamma. So, if I am lackadaisical when it comes to organization and order on the outside how can I expect to be finely attuned and aware of the subtle movements of the mind let alone the breath. I feel that everything needs to be done with a sense of purpose and clear comprehension if we are to make an end to this mass of suffering and a big part of that for me, as a householder, is keeping house.
May we all attain great fruit and benefit from our practice of the Dhamma in whatever way we are able.
Related articles
- The Wings of Awakening (tjoaputra.com)
- Loving-Kindness Meditation and Change (truthfrequencyradio.com)
- Meditation – help your children to be focused, and stress free (fromandforkids.wordpress.com)
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
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