Gareth Young's Bohemian Lifestyle

Instructions for Cleaning the Kitchen Appliances

The office of cleaning of the kitchen appliances is one of the many that has been created in our community to serve the sangha. From ancient times in communities practicing the Buddha’s Way, such offices have been established both to serve the community and to provide practice experience. Although this work is just that of cleaning the kitchen appliances, it is in spirit different from the work of an ordinary kitchen appliance cleaner.

The spirit in which you should perform communal tasks is one of profound reverence and gratitude, and requires you to bring the right attitude to bear on this responsibility, applying that attitude in a manner appropriate to the time and circumstance. Dogen advised us that “The three aspects of this attitude are to see that working for the benefit of others benefits our self; to understand that through making every effort for the prosperity of the community, one revitalizes one’s own character; and to know that endeavoring to succeed and surpass the patriarchs of past generations means to learn from their lives and value their examples. Be very clear about this: A fool sees himself as another, but a wise man sees others as himself.” The following story also relates this attitude:

This is an example of the boundless compassion of the ancient masters, and of bringing the right attitude to bear in a manner appropriate to the time and circumstance. It is with an attitude of a willingness to enter hell to save sentient beings that you should undertake the task of cleaning the appliances with the greatest concern for the well being of the community. The kitchen appliances are communal equipment, used by sangha members for the preparation of food to serve the community. It is important that they are kept clean in appearance to help the cooks clarify their minds as they undertake the responsibility of preparing food. It is important that they be kept clean in substance in order that the community not be overcome by a sickness by eating dirty food. Dogen also said we should “use the property and possessions of the community as carefully as if they were your own eyes.”

There are three main appliances for which you are responsible: the refrigerator, the stove and stovetop, and the freezer. You also have responsibility for ensuring that the minor appliances are kept clean. These comprise the dishwasher, the coffee maker, and so forth. On a bi-weekly basis you should ensure that the exterior of each appliance is clean, and wipe down with a cloth. You should use a cloth from under the kitchen sink, and should rinse thoroughly, wring dry, and replace when finished. This task is likely also being performed by the person with responsibility for cleaning the kitchen, as it naturally is one of common interest; the combination of your common interest should ensure that the equipment is kept to the highest standard of external cleanliness.

Every other week you should inspect the refrigerator for perishables, such as milk and other dairy produce, meals that are being saved for reuse, and vegetables, and you should throw any perished food or food that will soon perish away. The manner of inspection is as follows: you make a small bow before approaching the refrigerator, then open the door, and mindfully look at each item inside, removing and replacing items as necessary in order to permit you to complete the inspection. There is a trash can conveniently located in the kitchen next to the stove in which you should place the discarded items, and spare trash bags are located on the bottom shelf in the porch. You should, at this same time, wipe down obvious interior surfaces, to ensure that the refrigerator has an appearance of cleanliness, then bow and move on.  You should use a cloth from next the countertop next to the kitchen sink, and should rinse thoroughly, wring dry, and replace when finished.

If you have discarded either a large amount or have discarded any items that are likely to perish quickly in the trash and either emit a distasteful odor or attract scavengers such as insects, you should take the trash bag and place it in the main trash can by the back door, and replace the trash bag in the kitchen. You should also consider taking the old trash bag to the skip on the next-door lot, though another sangha member responsible for the task of managing the trash in any case does this on a weekly basis.

At least once every month you should empty the refrigerator completely, and remove all shelves in order to clean it thoroughly. You should perform a small bow before commencing this task, and should proceed to wash all interior surfaces with a cloth and a solution of baking soda in warm water. Do not use soapy water inside refrigerator.  After cleaning, you should rinse with plain water. You should then similarly clean all of the shelves, and replace. Finally, you should inspect all contents as you replace them, discarding expired or expiring items, and wiping off those being retained before replacing into the refrigerator. You should also replace the small box of open baking soda that is kept inside the refrigerator.  The cloth you used can be rinsed and placed by the sink. Making a small bow move on.

An ancient teacher has said:

It is indeed regrettable if we do not see others as our self, but rather charge around heedlessly seeing ourselves as another. Please pay close attention to this, and use this task as an opportunity to clarify matters. It is of the utmost importance and a matter of great urgency that you see the relevance of the attitude shown by Joshu in the foregoing story, so that you are prepared to enter hell to save sentient beings, and that you apply this attitude throughout your own life. You should apply that attitude in the largest and the smallest task; it is every bit as important to apply that attitude in replacing the baking soda in the refrigerator as in saving sentient beings or working for world peace, for how can you begin to consider world peace if you cannot save yourself, and how can you save yourself if you cannot see the universe in changing the baking soda?

In this same way you should apply yourself with utmost diligence to cleaning the oven thoroughly on a monthly basis. You should make a small bow before approaching the stove, and should then inspect the oven and stove top to determine the level of cleaning required. You should then remove all shelves and stove top rings, and should use the appropriate cleaning chemicals and a cloth to thoroughly clean these, and to clean all interior and exterior aspects of the stove and stove top. You should wipe all clean with a wet cloth, and reassemble the components. Upon finishing you should make a small bow and move on. You will likely want a cloth specifically identified for this purpose, and should determine if this is the case an appropriate storage location, perhaps under the sink.

Finally you should inspect the freezer at least once per quarter, cleaning as needed. You should make a small bow, and approach the freezer. Open the lid and inspect the contents, removing and replacing as necessary to complete the inspection. You should identify items that are old and deteriorating and discard them. You should also ensure that there are no spills, stains, or other marks on the interior of the freezer, and if there are, both clean them off, and identify from where the spill or stain has come, and act as necessary to prevent recurrence. The source is most likely a damaged bag of food in the freezer, which needs discarding, but could indicate a problem with the freezer itself, in which case you should notify the task coordinator. Once completed, you should make a small bow and move on.

The ancient “Regulations for Zen Monasteries”, known as Chanyuan Qinggui says:

“The sangha is the most precious of all things. Those who live in this community are unfettered by the pettiness of human affairs. Such a community manifests a refined posture devoid of fabrication about the world.”

Your actions in cleaning the appliances are a commitment to this principle, and are instrumental in permitting both you and others to live by it. For simply in applying yourself to this task with the right attitude, you are transcending the pettiness of human affairs and manifesting a divine posture devoid of fabrication of any kind.

Dogen says, “All the great teachers down through the ages have learned the meaning of magnanimity not merely from writing the character for it, but through the various circumstances of their lives,” and goes on to exhort us, “Whether you are the head of a temple, a senior monk, or other officer, do not forget the attitude behind living out your life with joy, having the deep concern of a parent, and carrying out all your activities with magnanimity.”