Gareth Young's Bohemian Lifestyle

Instructions for Maintaining the Outside Space

From ancient times in communities practicing the Buddha’s Way there have been offices established to serve the sangha. In our community that for the maintenance of the outside space is one such office and is a wonderful privilege bestowed by the sangha on two of its members. This is truly a great opportunity to fully experience everyday activities in the same way that they were experienced by the great masters of the past.

There are two persons assigned to this task. You should coordinate with each other using the contact information that is available both on the notice board in the kitchen, and through the task coordinator, and should ensure that at least twice a week one of you inspects the outside area, picking up any trash that you see, and generally tidying up. You should include the front and back parking lots, the fringe of the woods around the parking lots, the yard in front of and on the side of the Zen Center and the property line along the street within the scope of this inspection. It is an inspection that should be undertaken with great mindfulness, but need not be one that take long to perform; this is something that is done regularly, and is complemented by more thoroughly weekly and monthly inspections, so there is no need to undertake time consuming tasks in these twice-weekly inspections.

You should perform a more thorough cleaning once a week, sweeping the walkways leading into the Zen Center, the front and back stairs/porch, and the parking areas. At this time you should also identify and make a log of more time consuming tasks, such as clearing back creeping borders, and weeding overgrown flowerbeds. You may wish to perform some of these tasks at that time, or to leave to be done on a monthly basis.

A yard service is engaged to mow the grass, and perform certain limited functions, and you should coordinate with the task coordinator to obtain an understanding of, and potentially modify the scope of their work. However, their practice of maintaining the outside spaces is not the same as our practice of maintaining the outside spaces. Therefore, on a regular basis, and no less frequently than monthly you should perform a more thorough maintenance. This should include removing any dead limbs from trees near the center, heading dead flowers, removing obvious weeds from the flowerbeds and placing gently in the woods, trimming back encroaching borders, and such other matters as appear to need attention.

You should also consider whether the ground needs tending, perhaps through turning the soil, and planting some flowers or shrubs. You should consult with the task manager before undertaking such activities, and should establish both the desirability and scope of such efforts, as well as the proper budget. You should also feel free to identify major task such as walkways that need undertaking and bring them forward to the task manager as suggestions for a work group activity. The center does not at this time possess tools for much yard work, so you should feel free to bring and use your own, or to consult with the task manager and make arrangements, or to borrow those of another sangha member.

When performing these tasks, please do so with an attitude of performing everyday tasks, in full mindfulness, and have no sense of personal gain or accomplishment. This is a service performed for the sangha, for yourself, and for your successors.