Cleaning House (Leave No Trace)

I recently read a meditation from a book called, "How to train a Wild elephant" by Jan Chozen Bays, MD.

In this book there is a mediation excersie called "Leave No Trace"


The Exercise: Choose one room of your house and for one week try leaving no trace that you've used that space. The bathroom or kitchen works best for most people. If you've been doing something in that room, clean up in such a way that you leave no signs that you've been there, except perhaps the odor of food or fragrance of soap.

I am the worst clutter person ever and I hate to clean, but this excersie has been a positive thing on my relationship. My girlfrined and I use a beautiful turtle figurine to remind us what was not claened up. If something is out of place in the room you've chosen to "leave no trace" the small turtle is placed next to the item. No words are spoken between me and my girlfriend about the item and the item gets taken care of. The trutle returns to it's home looking out a window.

In Zen, the turtle, symbolizes this practice of leaving no trace, becasue they sweep the sand with their tails as they creep along, wiping their foot prints.

Give it a try.

MTFBWY

This exercise is asking me to be the opposite of myself. I'm an open minded guy, but I just don't think this is possible

I find that I'm somewhat messy in my life, always have been, probably always will be. I have my own comfortable routine that I end up applying to everything I do, and sometimes that leaves things a little cluttered. I do really appreciate cleanliness though, especially in my work area, the bathroom and my meditation area(s). I think I'll try out this meditation for a while, if only to experience a form of discipline that's outside my 'norm'.

Thanks for sharing.

That's a good exercise all right. I've found a mess is a sort of complex karmic structure where we might project and discard our unwanted emotions/thoughts/etc.... and getting rid of messes allows the karma to flow again through your life.

If you look at an artists studio though the mess isnt a projection of their worries, it is a projection of their creative process (thats the excuse I use anyway). I guess the middle path would be determining whether a mess is a creative structure or an unwanted scrapheap.

It would seem so simple to clean up after everything you do, but I confess, I'm a little ADD. If I took the time to clean up after I cook, it would make my life easier (more so than later). If I could just get my mind to focus on the task at hand, my mind would be free later to pursue other curiosities (to jam out the riff that just came to mind, etc. or investigate something to learn or watch!) at a later time.

I accept any opportunity to better my life and myself. Thank you for sharing this.

The concept of leaving no trace is one that I always try hard to apply when in nature and I find it extremely disrespectful when other people don't!

MTFBWY

I try to live by this exercise always, though it's neat to hear it spelled out this way. I think of humanity as guests on this planet, a place we must treat with respect. When I move from place to place, I keep my belongings condensed and with me, never leaving behind garbage or my own possessions. Even in my living space, I know that I am not the only person who's dwelled here, nor will I be the last. I treat every room, every location with the respect it deserves, never harming nor altering what's already there.

I truly believe this is something all people should do. Even if there's clutter in your life, be sure it harms no one and can be cleared away easily and without negative consequences to the space. I think the concept of the turtle in Zen is very accurate: we are our ultimate homes, within our bodies, and we are temporary creatures. Give respect to that which will outlast you.

Some people seem to do this naturally. My mother for one couldn't stop cleaning. She never knew why she cleaned so much but if she ever stopped and there were still things left to clean she would get uncomfortable. She'd leave no trace but it seemed like she took it to far. Perhaps we also do this with organizing things too...

i LOVE to clean