Gareth Young's Bohemian Lifestyle

Instructions for Doing the Laundry and Cleaning the Windows

In the everyday life of a community there is always work to do in preparing food, cleaning, or managing the affairs of the community, and a need to allocate roles and responsibilities to individuals within the community in order that the work is done in an efficient and effective manner. This is no different to a Zen community. However, in a Zen community, the performance of work is not the same as that in a secular community. It is with this in mind that specific responsibilities have been established and assigned to individuals within the sangha, such that not only can the day to day chores of the community be performed in the right spirit, but also that each member of the community has the opportunity to participate fully in its performance, and so benefit themselves and others. The tasks of doing the laundry and cleaning the windows have been identified and assigned in this manner, and afford a great opportunity.

The masters of the past gave us many examples of the right attitude and right spirit; for example, in the everyday work of the monastery Hyakujo was always foremost among the assembly in undertaking the tasks of the day. The monks in charge of the work were concerned about the master. They hid his tools and asked him to rest.

Hyakujo said “I am unworthy. How can I allow others to work on my behalf?”

He looked everywhere for his tools but was unable to find them. He even forgot to eat, and thus the phrase “a day without working is a day without eating” has become known everywhere.”

Dogen said, “If great teachers from the past were able to make a plain soup from greens for only a pittance, we must try to make a fine soup for the same amount. Among other things, there are great differences between ages past and today, so even hoping to stand alongside the teachers of former times is no simple matter. Yet, being scrupulous in our actions and pouring our energy into these matters, there is no reason why we cannot equal the ancient masters. We must aspire to the highest of ideals without becoming arrogant in our manner.”

This “highest of ideals” is simply, “a day without work is a day without eating”; the essence of not becoming arrogant is just ”I am unworthy. How can I allow others to work on my behalf?” It is “he even forgot to eat.” How can you hope to find anything, let alone release from the cycle of life and death, if you cannot apply ourselves to the everyday tasks of doing the laundry and cleaning the windows with the attitude of Hyakujo?

The laundry basket is located in the cleaning supplies closet outside the bathroom (under the attic stairs). The laundry soap and window cleaner are located under the kitchen sink, along with a variety of rags that can be used for cleaning the windows. One of your first tasks on assuming this responsibility is to familiarize yourself with these items, and to notify the person handling supplies, or the task manager if you notice that we are running low on any supplies needed to do your jobs.

There are a number of individuals with responsibilities for tasks at the center who will put dirty laundry into the basket on a regular basis. Accordingly once every week you should check the basket for dirty laundry. Please make a small bow when approaching the laundry basket, handle the contents carefully and with respect, and make a small bow when leaving. You should do all of this with the attitude of Hyakujo and in the spirit that Dogen alludes to when he says, “use the property and possessions of the community as carefully as if they were your own eyes.” You should also make a quick walk round to ensure there are no other dirty items requiring washing, looking particularly at the bathroom and kitchen towels, and the cloths stored under the sink. The laundry should be inspected and sorted, with stain remover applied as necessary in advance of washing, and should be washed mindfully, using the correct cycle for each type of item. It must be cleaned and dried promptly, and once finished, you should inspect each item again to ensure it is clean as you fold it to return to the Center. We do not currently have a washing machine or laundry drying equipment, so laundry must be washed and dried off the premises. You can use local commercial facilities, your own, or those of a friend or fellow member of the sangha.

The clean laundry should be returned quickly to the Zen Center, and put away neatly. As Dogen says, “handle them with equal care and awareness, putting everything back where it naturally belongs. Keep your mind on your work and do not throw things around carelessly”. Bathroom towels belong in the closet in the bathroom and kitchen towels belong in the bottom kitchen drawer. If you are unsure of where something goes, please ask the task coordinator.

You are also responsible for the care of the windows and window treatments. Once a week you should dust all window treatments, which are mostly mini-blinds, at the Zen Center, and should wipe the window frames with a damp cloth. Please use a cloth from under the sink, and rinse it thoroughly, wring it out, and replace it under the sink when done. Monthly you should clean the inside and outside of all of the windows using the cleaning chemicals provided. There is a stepladder in the porch that can be used to help you reach windows that would otherwise be out of reach. After cleaning, the windows should be wiped dry with sheets of newspaper, which you should then discard in the trash can in the kitchen. This is a method of polishing that has a particularly pleasing effect to the finish. You should not use the newspaper wastefully, and this is a last step only, after the window is already clean.

You should inspect the window treatments on a monthly basis, and wash as appropriate. If the mini-blinds need washing, you should make a small bow to each,, and it should then be removed from the window and washed in the kitchen sink with soapy water as often as necessary, but in no event less than once a quarter. Either air-dry or towel dry, and re-install. Please ask the task coordinator for help if you are unsure how to remove and re-install the window treatments, and make a small bow after reinstalling each before you move on. Mini-blinds are currently located in the kitchen, sitting rooms, the bathroom and the kitchen/back porch door.

When in China, Dogen met a tenzo from Ayuwang who was shopping for food. Dogen invited him to stay a while, saying, “surely there must be others in a place as large as Ayuwang who are capable of preparing meals?” but the tenzo replied, “I have been put in charge of this work in my old age. It is, so to speak, the practice of an old man. How can I entrust the work to others? Moreover, when I left the temple, I did not ask permission to stay out overnight.” Please consider this urgently, and ensure you “aspire to the highest of ideals without becoming arrogant in our manner” as you apply yourself to the task of doing the laundry and cleaning the windows.